Call for Papers - St. Petersburg

                                               

                                                                                                                        August 2003

 

 

 

Dear Colleague,

 

As you may know, our Working Group -- the Scenography Working Group of the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR/FIRT) -- fosters scenography research as a discipline within the wider field of theatre research, focusing on the interconnection between visual arts, architecture, theatre space, and performance.  In addition to our meeting at the annual FIRT Conferences, we hold a bi-annual international meeting, focused each time on a specific theme.  We met in Prague in 1999, in Cracow in 2001 and again in Prague in June 2003.   At our meetings, we use the format of discussion forums or workshop, with abstracts and papers distributed in advance. This format enables the participants to engage in in-depth analysis and exchange of ideas.  Selected papers from our meetings are published as articles in separate volumes on specific themes.  The first issue of our Theatre Arts Journal, a scholarly refereed publication, is planned for late fall 2004.

 

As the number of the participants in our meetings is growing larger and larger, four young scholars have joined Irene Eynat-Confino (Tel-Aviv University) as conveners of the Scenography Working Group:  Stephen Di Benedetto from the University of Houston, Dominika Larionow from the University of Lodz, Valerie Lucas from the University of Surrey, and David Vivian from Concordia University.  Together, we are already preparing our meeting in May 2004 in St. Petersburg, at the FIRT Conference.  Our coordinator for this meeting will be Stephen Di Benedetto.

 

We invite you to offer a paper at the sessions of the Scenography Working Group at the next FIRT Conference in St. Petersburg in May 2004.  The general theme for our sessions will be  Performing Partners: The Director and the Designer, as you will see in the attached Call for Papers.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

 

We are looking forward to seeing you in St. Petersburg.

 

With best wishes,

 

The Conveners of the FIRT Scenography Working Group

Stephen Di Benedetto ( sdi_benedetto@yahoo.com)

Irene Eynat-Confino   ( eynconf@post.tau.ac.il )

Dominika Larionow  (  larionow@gazeta.pl )

Valerie Lucas    ( e.cottis@btinternet.com )

David Vivian   ( dvivian@runbox.com )

 

 

 

 Call   for   Papers

 

Performing Partners: The Director and the Designer   

 

Scenography Working Group Meeting

                International Federation for Theatre Research Conference                                     

        May 22  -  May 27, 2004   St. Petersburg

                             

The Scenography Working Group of the International Federation for Theatre Research invites submissions of Abstracts for our sessions at the forthcoming IFTR/FIRT meeting in St. Petersburg.

 

Within the larger theme of the conference, our sessions will focus upon fundamental questions regarding the interaction between the director and the designer and its effects on theatre space and performance.  We wish to explore the following issues:  What is the nature of collaboration between designer and director?  How do design teams implement directorial concepts?  How are issues of mise-en-scène addressed by the designer?  Prior to the advent of the director, who held this role and how did this affect the design production process?

 

Papers on these issues and related topics may be proposed within the following areas:  history of scenography in performing arts; scenographic theory and practice; costume design; lighting and sound design; design for dance and multimedia performance; mask, puppet, and object theatre; contemporary live art and visual theatre companies.

 

Please send by November 1, 2003 a 250-word Abstract to Stephen Di Benedetto, Convener (sdi_benedetto@yahoo.com).  Please include your professional affiliation and a brief curriculum vitae. 

 

Abstracts of the papers will be distributed to the participants well in advance of our meeting.  Instead of reading their paper, participants at our sessions will be asked to give a 15-minute presentation of their work, including visual material (we will try to provide simultaneous translation for participants who do not speak English at all).  A selection of the finished papers (5000 to 7000 words each) will be published in our Theatre Arts Journal, a scholarly refereed publication.

 

More information about the FIRT Conference can be found on the FIRT website (www.firt-iftr.org/firt/home/jsp).  The conference is open also for those who are not FIRT members.  Registration forms can be obtained by writing to Prof. A. Chepurov (alextr@nkl.spb.ru).   When filling the Registration Form, please do not forget to specify that you wish to present your paper at the sessions of the Scenography Working Group.