Theatre in Times of Crisis, international symposium at University of Heidelberg (online)

Heidelberg University, Germany, 22 April 2022

Deadline for submissions:  10 March 2022

contact email: Dr. Nevin Gürbüz-Blaich nevin.guerbuez@stud.uni-heidelberg.de or nevin.gurbuz-blaich@web.de

On behalf of the English Department at Heidelberg University, we are convening an international symposium that will be held online via HeiCONF on 22 April 2022.

People have always redirected to the theatre for relief in times of crisis since theatre originated. Disasters such as pandemics have been highlighted on stage since the ancient Greeks. In the 16th and 17th centuries theatre organisations in London endured many closures because of the disruptions of the plague. The production of these iconic plays such as Shakespeare’s King Lear (written under quarantine), or Thomas Middleton’s The Revenger’s Tragedy, which were interrupted in their first run due to plague closures, is evidence of the enduring sense of drama. Against the background of the global crisis, we have all experienced in the last two years and in the course of moving to a more digitalized world, we invite doctoral candidates and early career researchers from all disciplines to submit abstracts for consideration. The conference aims to explore different modes and functions of drama, representation, and reflection in the age of transformation and how it has anticipated and responded to new forms of global human-induced crises in the twenty-first century.

Our keynote speakers are:

• Professor Dan Rebellato (Royal Holloway, University of London)
• Prof. Clare Wallace (Charles University, Prague)

Proposals can be on any topic on the relationship of contemporary theatre and drama with mass transformation, pandemics, and trauma. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to the following: Fear and anxiety, dystopia-utopia, psychology, capitalism, migration, spatiality, environment, disasters, etc.

The standard length of a talk will be 20 minutes.

We plan to publish the selected papers in an edited volume. To apply, please send your proposal not more than 300-words in length to: nevin.guerbuez@stud.uni-heidelberg.de  or nevin.gurbuz-blaich@web.de

Please mention your full name, level of study and name of university and faculty. The deadline for submitting your proposals is 10 March. We will respond to them by 20 March 2022.