CFP: Inter-University Students’ and Researchers’ Conference on Off the Stage: Performance Practices in Postcolonial India-November 19—20, 2024-Ramakrishna Mission Residential College (Autonomous), Narendrapur

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Ramakrishna Mission Residential College (Autonomous), Narendrapur

10th Inter-University Students’ and Researchers’ Conference 2024

November 19—20, 2024

 Off the Stage: Performance Practices in Postcolonial India

The post-Independence Indian theatre has been largely influenced by the realist theatre tradition of the West with some persistent exceptions in different regions across India, that are committed to revive, explore and establish the Indianness of Indian theatre, however complex the notion of ‘Indian’ may be. As the nationalist movement in colonial India had gained momentum in the first half of the twentieth century, theatre practitioners attempted to decolonise Indian theatre by imbibing indigenous cultural forms and expressions beyond the Proscenium. In fact, the postcolonial intersection in Indian theatre was ushered in by rejecting ‘the modernity associated with western modes of representation’ and by asserting an ‘alternative postcolonial modernity based on premodern indigenous traditions of performance’ (Dharwadker 2019, 22). The concerns raised in the First Drama Seminar in New Delhi in 1956 on the need to create a ‘new’ theatre for the ‘new’ nation, that was self-conscious and self-reflexive, found expressions through movements such as People’s Theatre (already practised by IPTA), the Theatre of Roots and Third Theatre. Various forms of folk, traditional and regional performances were also revived to strengthen the drive towards Indianness in performance making—in terms of the use of performance elements, performers’ training, selection of performance space and content for dramatization. These performances have been mostly addressed to the commons of the society, where the issues and concerns of the grassroots are primarily explored.

One of the most significant engagements in the postcolonial Indian theatre has been with place as performance space, where place and person intersect to allow place to be a potential actant in the playmaking process as well as its meaning production. When a performance embodies social or historical situatedness beyond the Proscenium stage, it attains a wider provision to intersect with performance of protest, narrative of resistance, sociopolitical activism and unorthodox conditions. The environment of an open-air unorthodox performance space surrounds, sustains and contains the performance and contributes to its meaning production—creating an embodied experience for the spectators.  

Postcolonial Indian theatre has also witnessed the rise of applied performance practices where a play is developed through participatory workshop with non-actors belonging to a particular community in focus. Such productions are mostly research-oriented, workshop-based, community-centred and purpose-driven, where the entire playmaking process is shared by the participants, collaborators, facilitators or performers. Sometimes the barrier between the performers and the spectators becomes fluid and an intersection of body, space and environment is observed. Although the community performances in unorthodox performance spaces in local communities broadly diverge from the commerciality of the Proscenium convention, the lack of consistent financial support and enthusiastic collaborators poses a constant threat to their survival in India.

In this background, the conference seeks deliberations on the non-Proscenium forms and practices of theatre performances in postcolonial India, which shape a distinct Indian identity in terms of performance making. The performance forms and practices may be examined through diverse cultural, theoretical and theatrical discourses in the postcolonial Indian context. The seemingly overlapping performance practices and ideas listed below are only indicative and not restrictive in nature.  

People’s theatre: Nationalism, Cultural activism and the Mass

Indigenous performance: Folk, Traditional and Ritual

The Theatre of Roots: Rooted, Uprooted or De-rooted?

Street theatre: Politics, Propaganda and Social activism

Performance of protest: Art, Dissent and Performativity

Applied performance: Therapy, Education and Engagement

Participatory performance: Research, Workshop and Collaboration

Intimate performance: Body, Space and Proximity

Ecological performance: Ecology, Climate change and Green dramaturgy

Organic theatre: Nature, Embeddedness and Organicity

Site-specific performance: Art, Aesthetics and Environment

We invite abstracts of not more than 300 words from college/University students, research scholars and early career researchers to be emailed to the conference convenor at english.rkm@gmail.com. The names, contact numbers, email ids and affiliations should be clearly mentioned in the abstracts. Please write “SRC2024 Abstract” in the subject heading of your email.

Important Dates

Last Date of submission of Abstract: Friday, 20th September 2024

Notification of acceptance of Abstract: Wednesday, 25th September 2024

For queries: english.rkm@gmail.com

Convenor: Pranab Kumar Mandal, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Ramakrishna Mission Residential College (Autonomous), Narendrapur

Call For Research Articles on Film Studies in Southeast Asia, China, East Asia, and India's Northeast-Rising Asia Journal

 Rising Asia Journal invites Research Articles on Film Studies in the geographical areas of Southeast Asia, East Asia (Japan, China, the Koreas, and Taiwan), and India's North-East Region, on all aspects of these Asian societies. Authors may use any thematic or theoretical discourse such as gender, race, colonialism and post-colonialism, and others.

Articles should be between 5,000 to 10,000 words in length, with footnotes, and Works Cited.

Authors are urged to visit the journal's website at www.rajraf.org to read the submission guidelines. 

Articles should be original, and should offer a new and innovative perspective.

Please send your articles to our Editorial Board Member Professor Tuan Hoang at tuan.hoang@pepperdine.edu as well as to our Editor-in-Chief Dr. Harish C. Mehta at hmehta76@yahoo.caRising Asia Journal invites Research Articles on Film Studies in the geographical areas of Southeast Asia, East Asia (Japan, China, the Koreas, and Taiwan), and India's North-East Region, on all aspects of these Asian societies. Authors may use any thematic or theoretical discourse such as gender, race, colonialism and post-colonialism, and others.

Articles should be between 5,000 to 10,000 words in length, with footnotes, and Works Cited.

Authors are urged to visit the journal's website at www.rajraf.org to read the submission guidelines. 

Articles should be original, and should offer a new and innovative perspective.

Deadline for submissions:  June 1, 2024

full name / name of organization:  Rising Asia Journal

contact email:  tuan.hoang@pepperdine.edu

Please send your articles to our Editorial Board Member Professor Tuan Hoang at tuan.hoang@pepperdine.edu as well as to our Editor-in-Chief Dr. Harish C. Mehta at hmehta76@yahoo.ca

Seeking Chapter Submissions: Going to the Movies with CS Lewis-#Cambridge Scholars Publishing

 Going to the Movies with C.S. Lewis, Call for Chapters

An edited collection tentatively titled “Going to the Movies with C.S. Lewis” is seeking chapter submissions. The book is expected to be published through Cambridge Scholars Publishing.  

Having been born many years after C.S. Lewis died I of course never had the opportunity to watch a movie with the man. However, over the years I feel, as many others probably feel as well, like Lewis accompanies me as I watch movies, read books, attend church services, and make other daily pursuits. Lewis’ works shape my thinking on many theological, educational, and cultural matters like few other authors’ works do.

This book is an attempt to take some of those insights from C.S. Lewis and apply them to film studies. It will explore the thought and theology of C.S. Lewis by connecting his work with film theory, specific films, and adaptations of his work. In many ways it is a book meant to explore how Lewis’ thought can help us view films.

The following categories are meant to act as general guidance for sections of the book:

1. Exploring Film Theory with C.S. Lewis
2. Exploring Individual Films with C.S. Lewis
3. Analyzing Lewis’ Life through Films of About Lewis
4. Analyzing Lewis’ Fiction through Adaptations of his works

Some chapter ideas that would fit into the above categories include, but are not limited to:

1. The Four Loves on film
2. Lewis’ approach to literature as a guide to approaching film
3. “On the Reading of Old Books” and On the Watching of Old Movies
4. Lewis’ idea of fantasy in relation to particular films
5. Ideas in his essays or books that relate to film studies, film theory, or individual films
6. The many different Narnia adaptations (comparisons between the versions or examinations of particular films as adaptations of the original stories)
7. Lewis’ thoughts on Christmas and Christmas movies (what would Lewis think of Hallmark Christmas movies?)
8. Lewis portrayed on film – how does this change the way he is viewed?

Again, these are only suggestions. Anything connecting Lewis’ thought with the cinema will be considered.  

Submission Procedure

Please submit a chapter proposal by March 31, 2024 which includes the following: title, abstract, and a short biography of the author(s). Proposals should be a maximum of 500 words written in English, using Microsoft Word format, Times New Roman, 12 pt. font. Please send the Word document as an attachment to the book editor (Bryan Mead, bmead@etbu.edu). Authors of accepted proposals will be notified and sent specific submission guidelines. Chapter contributions should be at least 4,000 words and will follow Chicago style (footnotes and bibliography). Submissions are welcome from early career researchers and established scholars.

If your proposal is accepted, chapter submissions will be due by September 15, 2024. Proposal acceptance does not guarantee chapter’s inclusion in the book.

Editor Information: Bryan Mead, Ph.D, is Assistant Professor of English at East Texas Baptist University where he teaches film studies, literature, and composition. He is the author of Writing in Film Studies, From Professional Practice to Practical Pedagogy (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2024). Bryan has also published many essays in journals such as Journal of Religion & Film, Journal of European Popular Culture, Americana: The Journal of American Popular Culture, Intégrité: A Faith and Learning Journal, and Film & History. His essays have also appeared in edited volumes such as J.R.R. Tolkien and the Arts: A Theology of Subcreation (Square Halo Press, 2021), Representations of Sports Coaches in Film: Looking to Win (Routledge, 2017), and The Arts of Memory and the Poetics of Remembering (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2016).

Call For Articles on - #Affect Studies, #BlackStudies, #Critical #Disability Studies, Critical #Race Studies, Digital #Humanities, #Environmental Humanities, #Media Studies, #Medical #Humanities, Sound Studies, #Transgender Studies, #Asian Canadian Studies, #Black Canadian Studies, #Canadian #Literature, Canadian History, Canadian Studies, #Diaspora Studies& #Indigenous Studies. - University of Toronto Quarterly

University of Toronto Quarterly (UTQ) is currently seeking submissions. Established in 1931, UTQ publishes innovative and exemplary scholarship from all areas in the humanities. The journal welcomes articles, in English or French, on art and visual culture, gender and sexuality, history, literature and literary studies, music, philosophy, theory, theatre and performance, religion, and other areas of the humanities not listed here. As an interdisciplinary journal, UTQ favours articles that appeal to a scholarly readership beyond the specialists of a given discipline or field. The editorial board is especially interested, although not exclusively, in research that addresses topics of particular relevance to Canada. UTQ is therefore enthusiastic about submissions in Asian Canadian Studies, Black Canadian Studies, Canadian Literature, Canadian History, Canadian Studies, Diaspora Studies, and Indigenous Studies. The journal, more broadly, embraces research that engages interdisciplinary sites of scholarly inquiry, such as Affect Studies, Black Studies, Critical Disability Studies, Critical Race Studies, Digital Humanities, Environmental Humanities, Media Studies, Medical Humanities, Sound Studies, Transgender Studies, and emergent fields within the humanities. UTQ is published by the University of Toronto Press.

Submissions should normally be between 7,500 and 12,500 words in length inclusive of footnotes and bibliographic material. Additionally, all submissions should be accompanied by an abstract (150-250 words). UTQ’s house style is based upon the MLA Handbook (7th edition), so please format submissions in accordance with MLA bibliographic guidelines. Substantive or discursive amplification should appear in judiciously selected footnotes. All text, including footnotes and Works Cited, should be double-spaced. Please do not justify right margins.

UTQ does not accept research that has already been published, nor does the journal accept submissions currently under consideration elsewhere. The journal does not publish poetry or fiction.

Please anonymize submissions by removing all self-identifying information from the article, including acknowledgements and self-citations (reference your own scholarship as you would any other scholar). When saving the file, remove all personal information from the file on save.

UTQ commissions external reports to assess the quality of each submission. The journal receives numerous submissions and only submissions that the editorial board deems most appropriate for the journal, and most likely to receive recommendations to publish from experts, are sent out for peer review. The review process is doubly anonymous. Authors should expect to receive a response in the form of an editor’s report that collates relevant and useful information drawn from 2 to 3 external reports alongside the internal comments of the editorial board. Peer review takes approximately three to four months.

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UTQ regularly publishes special issues on the range of subjects listed above. If interested in proposing a special issue and serving as its guest editor, contact the editor, Professor Colin Hill, at colin.hill@utoronto.ca

Please send all submissions and inquiries to utquarterly@gmail.com

Deadline: Jan 14 2024.

For further information concerning our editorial policies, please refer to this document which provides supplemental information about copyright and images.

https://www.utpjournals.press/journals/utq/journal/authors

utquarterly@gmail.com

CFP: Contemporary Theatres of the Indian Sub-Continent: Perspectives and Prospects-Thespian Magazine(ISSN 2321-4805)

 In the introduction to her edited anthology, Modern Indian Theatre (2009), Nandi Bhatia pointed to the increasing number of critical works devoted to the history and development of modern Indian theatre. Such works, Bhatia argued, were crucial in reconstructing an Indian theatrical past and in dispelling oriental myths about modern Indian theatre. According to Bhatia, “. . . it indicates a growing interest in Indian theatre history and points towards the need for more work that subjects this highly pluralistic diverse field to critical scrutiny” (xii). The first decade of the twenty-first century saw the publication of crucial critical works on the historiography of Indian theatre which included Nandi Bhatia’s Acts of Authority/ Acts of Resistance(2004), Aparna Dharwadker’s monumental Theatres of Independence (2005), Vasudha Dalmia’s Poetics Plays and Performances: The Politics of Modern Indian Theatre (2006) and Erin B Mee’s Theatre of Roots: Redirecting the Modern Indian Stage (2008). Around the same time appeared Syed Jamil Ahmed’s Achinpakhi Infinity (2000), a major work in studying the indigenous theatre traditions of Bangladesh. These signposts have inspired theatre scholarship in diverse fields in the next decade leading to works that have addressed the plurality of theatre in the Indian sub-continent. The richness of theatrical and performative forms in the Indian sub-continent have expanded considerably in the contemporary times, manifesting a plural and vibrant theatrical culture that awaits further interpretation. 

While contemporary theatres and performances in the Indian sub-continent have been exploring the proscenium space in diverse ways, they have also moved out of the proscenium into alternative spaces, into the experimental realms of installation art and performance. These have resulted in greater engagement with immersive, intimate and interactive theatre practices where the ‘fourth wall’ has come down and the audience have been immersed into the play itself. What have been the ways in which audience reception has transformed in new experimental performance forms? How have contemporary theatres explored the proscenium space? How has alternative theatre spaces emerged? Did the widespread pandemic of Covid-19 foster the search for new spaces of performance? What emergent social and political issues are being addressed by the contemporary theatres? How ‘political’ is today’s theatre? How far do marginalised groups represent themselves and/or are being represented in contemporary theatre? How have the legacies of traditional and classical theatre been carried on in contemporary theatres? How far can the theatre discourse centring around Natyasastra be applied as a critical/theoretical context in today’s theatre? What are our theatrical ‘futures’ and ‘prospects’?                     

Premised on the above thoughts and questions, the proposed title invites scholarly articles on various issues related to contemporary theatre and performance in the Indian sub-continent. While we consider the phenomenon of performance as an inclusive concept ranging from daily life’s performance observations through indigenous tradition and classical to avant-garde initiatives, there are innumerable areas to be explored in the realm of the sub-continental performance tradition with the support of diverse theoretical tools from Natyasastra to recent theories. Once we see theatre and performance as a product of social process and its craft as a product of extensive enquiries to discover new expressive idioms, immense potential for further research and enquiry emerges. The frequent crossover of Indian theatre with various international criticism and streams of writing from the second half of the twentieth century onwards has also considerably impacted the contemporary scenario, which is a subject of intensive study. The call for papers and articles thus aims to address the plurality of Indian Sub-Continental theatre and drama, and its multiple streams that have variously contributed to the rich repository of Indian Sub-Continental performance practices.

 

Papers are invited (but not limited to) the following sub themes/ topics:

• Current trends in research on Indian Sub-Continental theatre, performance and drama
• Historiography and Post-Independence Indian theatre and drama
• Women in the theatre, performance and drama of the Indian sub-continent
• Queer identities in the theatre and drama of the Indian sub-continent
• Gender inclusivity in the theatre and drama of the Indian sub-continent
• Theatres of Protest
• Theatre In Education
• Political theatre
• Theatres of Alternative spaces: Immersive, interactive and intimate theatre experiences
• Relevance of Indigenous performance practices in Contemporary Theatre
• Beliefs and motifs of Tribal theatrical traditions and its relevance in contemporary practices  
• Urban-Folk theatre
• Theatres of Ritual/Ritual Theatre
• Covid-19 and the theatre and drama of the Indian sub-continent
• Theatre of Roots
• Environmental theatre
• Theatre from the Margins
• Contemporary Indian theatre and Drama
• Post-Independence Indian theatre and Pedagogy
• Regional theatre and criticism
• Playwrights and Theatre Directors of the Indian sub-continent.
• Wide practices of Amateur Theatre/Mobile Theatre in the Sub-Continent

 

Full articles within 5000 words (approx.) conforming to the latest MLA style guidelines should be sent along with a short bio-note (within 250 words) to thespian.articles@gmail.com.

Last Date of Submission

20 December 2023

 

For details, please strictly follow the guidelines provided on the website.

http://www.thespianmagazine.com/guidelines

 

Work Cited

Bhatia, Nandi, editor. Modern Indian Theatre: A Reader. Oxford UP, 2009.  

ISTR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 8-10 FEBRUARY 2024 Redefining the Stage: Exploring Digital Transformation in Performance Cultures

It is proposed to have a dynamic exploration of the theme 'Redefining the Stage: Exploring Digital Transformation in Performance Cultures” amongst researchers and theatre practitioners from all over the World. This interdisciplinary conference aims to examine the implications of growing digital intervention in various forms of performance, including cinema, theatre, television, and other digital platforms. It also aims to address the recent debates surrounding the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence and other tools in the performing arts.

Growing digital intervention in various cinematic and stage performing arts is defining a new paradigm in performance culture. Digital intervention in performance culture refers to the incorporation of knowledge based systems and cognitive technologies into various aspects of cultural performances, including theatre, dance, music, and other forms of artistic expression. This integration enables content creators and artists to blend traditional artistic practices with advanced computing tools such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Interactive Experience for the viewer, and more. By doing so, entertainment shifts from being a passive experience to being immersive and interactive for audiences, breaking down the boundaries between the performer and the viewer.

This approach opens up new avenues for creative exploration, allowing artists to experiment with novel forms of storytelling, visual effects, and audience engagement. Immersive Technology interventions can transform the spatial dynamics of performances, enabling artists to manipulate the environment, lighting, and visuals in real time. This dynamic interaction between technology and performance fosters a symbiotic relationship that enhances the overall artistic impact, thereby creating an environment of Extended Reality.

However, new challenges like maintaining the authenticity of live performances, addressing technical glitches, and ensuring inclusivity in digital experiences must be navigated. Also, Artificial Intelligence is already threatening to take over many jobs in the performing art domain, making several writers, editors and craftsmen redundant. The changing scenario throws up questions that workers of the creative world never faced in the past, namely, ‘Has the time come when the machines that we have made have become smarter than mankind?’ Nevertheless, the fusion of digital technology with performance culture offers a transformative and evolving landscape that continues to redefine how cultural expressions are conceived, executed, and shared in the digital age.

We welcome abstracts addressing a wide range of themes and areas, including but not limited to:

1. Technological advancement and evolution of performance art
2. Reality, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality in performance arts
3. Digitalization and its impact on live performance practices
4. Immersive experience and audience engagement in art.
5. Hybridity and syncretism in digitally created/altered performances
6. Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights of artists in the digital era
7. Customized ambience in performance arts: Intelligent Sound and Light design
8. Technological collaboration in digital restoration of art archives
9. The changing landscape of Marketing and Distribution of Art
10. Ethical issues in AI assisted performance cultures
11. Multimedia transgression in live performance practices
12. Personalized digital entertainment and alienation in Society

Deadline for abstract submission: 21 October 2023

Prof. Vikas Kapoor

Conference Coordinator

istr.str@gmail.com

For Registration and other detail see the website: www.istr.in