Radical Stillness

In this article, the authors examine aspects of care, stillness, and rest in actions geared toward constructive social change. Drawing on their respective fields, artistic practices, and personal experiences, the authors ask: How can examples of lying down and/or standing still in protest settings expand our understandings of rest and sleep as public resistance? How can historical accounts of die-ins and/or standing protests provide insight into new or neglected ways of using the body in repose as collective action? By answering these questions, the authors aim to contribute to interdisciplinary conversations on the relationship between protest, reflection, and public performance in higher education and community settings. Exploring the body in light of the concepts of rest, stillness, and repose can open spaces to reconsider being and becoming as core to radical, collective resistance in public spaces.