The author considers the theoretical and practical (empirical) shift in the usage of the concept “alternative culture”. To mark this shift, he proposes the usage of a different concept: parallel culture. The term offers new, productive opportunities for a critical understanding of society, culture and contemporary performance. The essay is divided into three parts. In the first section, the author makes a comparative contextualization of the term. He continues by pointing out its main advantages and concludes the essay by identifying some of the positive examples of asserting the concept in contemporary performance.
