Annual Conference hosted by

The School of Performing Arts (University of Malta)

7, 8, 9 March 2018

Keynote Speakers:

Sir Jonathan Mills, Programme Director of 2018 Edinburgh International Culture Summit

Prof. Maria Delgado, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London

Prof. Ann Cooper Albright, Department of Dance, Oberlin College and Conservatory, Ohio, US

The fifth Annual Conference of the School of Performing Arts (University of Malta) aims to generate debate on possible ways of articulating the relationship between Performance and Culture. Two inherently fluid phenomena, Performance and Culture resist fixity and limiting definitions when treated separately, and even more so when considered in tandem.  Instead of looking at definitions, contemporary thinking about Performance and Culture might be better served through the application of critical and conceptual frames, which offer a clear focal point while allowing for the integration of multiple perspectives, approaches, and understandings.

The conference in Malta invites scholars, practitioners, and cultural theorists to consider three such critical frames around which to reflect on Performance and Culture, namely Cities, Embodiments, and Technologies. Its aims are partly fueled by the 2018 European Capital of Culture, which next year will be held in Valletta, the capital city of Malta, and Leeuwarden, in the Netherlands. Capitals of Culture attract international attention to the way a particular city defines its identity, also within the framework of performance.

Presentations exploring (but not limited to) the following questions and themes are, therefore, welcome:

• How do the suggested three frames inform our understanding of performance and culture?
• In what ways do these frames interact together?
• How do institutional standards relate to artistic creativity and production?
• What possible historical approaches define interaction between performance and cultural practice and discourse? How are they relevant to contemporary performative initiatives in the public sphere?
• Which other frames invoke a relationship between performance and culture? How do these dialogue with cities, embodiments, and technologies?

Abstracts of a maximum of 300 words should be submitted by 7 December 2017 to the conference conveners, Dr Stefan Aquilina (stefan.aquilina@um.edu.mt) and Prof Vicki Ann Cremona (vicki.cremona@um.edu.mt). Acceptance will be confirmed by the end of the year. Kindly include a brief bionote and any technical equipment you might need. Primarily, the conference will take the form of conventional 15-20 minute presentations, but presenters wishing to suggest other forms of presentation are also encouraged to contact the conference conveners.