Embodied Voices: An Introduction

Abstract This introduction to the special issue of the British Journal of Aesthetics, “Embodied Voices: Aesthetics and Ethics of Bodies in Performance,” explores key themes surrounding the intersection of performance, embodiment, and ethics. It examines the implications of embodying others' lived experiences, the role of the performer's voice in shaping audience reception, and the dynamic relationship between performer, audience, and performance. Additionally, it considers how an actor’s physical presence and personal history inform artistic meaning-making, as well as the ethical concerns that influence casting, staging, and curatorial decisions. By engaging with philosophical perspectives on performance, injustice, and inclusivity, this issue seeks to reconceptualize the moral status of performance and interrogate how embodied voice reshapes artistic expression and audience perception. Moreover, it bridges philosophical aesthetics with performance studies, demonstrating how both disciplines contribute to the reproduction and disruption of social hierarchies. In adopting this interdisciplinary approach, the issue opens new avenues for evaluating art—not merely by what is performed, but by who performs it and how.