Theatre and Performance Research Association

This working group considers the ways in which new and emergent technologies bear upon contemporary theatre and performance practices. The group’s work inevitably concerns digital technologies, although its focus is not limited to a single technological paradigm.

Members of the group share research into

• Particular technological developments
• Particular applications of new or emergent technologies in theatre and performance
• Ways in which theatre/performance adapts or might adapt existing technologies
• Interactions of body and technology in media-driven performance
• New configurations and extensions of mise en scène and theatrical location made possible by telematic and other technologies
• Ways in which theatre/performance is defined by developments in technology, both in its modes of presentation and reception
• The creative processes and production outputs of practitioners/companies whose work can be seen as ‘technological’
• Relationships between new technologies, cultural production and artistic practices
• Specific problems or challenges that require technological solution

The group facilitates a range of approaches and conducts its work by way of both scholarly and practice-based enquiry. The input of professional practitioners is welcomed and space is given over to explore the needs and findings of those working with new/emergent technologies in contemporary theatre /performance. The group enables the gathering of individuals whose work concerns particular technical challenges and/or usage protocols (for example, in working with digital video or using ICT in performance) and there is opportunity for sub-groups to share their research at an appropriately specialist level. However, it is not expected that members are equally knowledgeable of particular technologies, usage protocols, equipment functions or technical vocabularies, and members will share their work with the group as a whole with this in mind.

The work of the group proceeds by way of email exchange, sharing of ideas, issues and difficulties, and occasional gatherings. The latter may be arranged in order to address and/or workshop a particular challenge, to discuss emergent techniques and/or share information and ideas regarding particular technical interfaces and their potential applications. The group meets at the annual TaPRA conference and may gather (potentially in smaller groupings) at other times depending on interest and availability.

Conference 2011: Call for Papers

Performative interfaces: do machines dream of electric sheep?

As a working group interested in the performative interfaces between humans and technologies, we feel that questions about how we interact with machines; the intimacy of that interaction and the immersive nature of these performances have been lost in a maze of theoretical dependency. Rather than looking at the humanity of the interaction, we tend to justify these interfaces through cerebral analyses based on various theories from Deeluze/Guattari’s rhizome to posthumanism. With this call for papers we would like to move away from this typology and invite performances and provocations, that address the multisensory exploration of the interaction between humans and machines. We would like the speakers and performers to explore topics of intimate human communication through the senses, touch, smell, sound, and tasting in innovative ways that talk about the people we are, and the machines we use. Or, in other words, what/how do we feel when interacting with machines and where can we find the ‘soul’ of the encounter within these performative interfaces?
We invite proposals for:

•    Performances or performance demonstrations (up to 1 hour)
•    Provocations, work in progress with discussion (30 mins)
•    We invite proposals from non-performance specialists

Confirmation of interest and abstracts of maximum 250 words should be sent to the convenors Mary Oliver ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and Carmen Szabo ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) by 3 May 2011.
We welcome questions and conversations prior to this date if any colleagues need advice and/or clarification on any aspect of the above. Please note that our group also welcomes participation at the conference from colleagues who not do wish to present and those from other disciplines whose work talks to these themes and subject field.

 Mary Oliver          This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Carmen Szabo    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it