22/08/2017
The University of the Philippines Diliman, through the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA), College of Arts and Letters (CAL) and the Asian Center (AC), is hosting the Joint 2018 International Federation for Theatre Research Conference and Asian Theatre Working Group Colloquium 2018 (IFTR-Asia 2018) with the theme, "Bodies in/and Asian Theatres" from 20 to 23 February 2018.
Abstract submissions are now open. Deadline of submissions: 15 September 2017.
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
A growing interest on the body as a starting point of discourse is seen in the past decades. Even theatre studies has been involved on scrutinizing the body as an important performance aspect. In Western theatre practice, physical theatre is a well-articulated practical approach for understanding the body vis-à-vis theatre and performance. However, the increasing number of the most influential theorizations and conceptualizations has primarily, if not exclusively, focused on how the cultures in the West (Europe and the Americas) conceive it.
Taking the cue from Asianists like Bryan Turner, Zheng Yangwen, Rey Ileto, Vincente Rafael and Kuan-Hsing Chen, it is important to note that peoples in Asia experienced colonization, decolonization and now globalization albeit different modalities. These contexts, as these Asianists suggested and implied, are important socio-political and historical factors for understanding the Asian body. With this, "Bodies in/and Asian Theatres" is envisioned to contribute to the study of the body, particularly its functions and placements in the different cultural performances in the Asian region.
The conference seeks papers that answer these general questions: what do we mean when we talk about bodies in Asian theatres and performances? What do we mean when we talk about Asian bodies in different performances outside the region? How does theatre affect the way we think about the bodies of Asians?
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS And ROUNDTABLE PLENARY
Our keynote speakers include Dr. Susan San Kwan (University of California Berkeley), Dr. Julius J. Bautista (Kyoto University) and Ms. Agnes Locsin (Former Artistic Director Ballet Philippines). View more details of our keynote speakers.
For the roundtable plenary, we have invited renowned physical theatre practitioners and dramaturgs: Mr. Pichet Klunchun (Thailand), Dr. Lim How Ngean (Malaysia) and Ms. Eisa Jocson(Philippines).
Dr. Paul Alexander Rae (University of Melbourne) and Dr. Kathy Foley (University of California Santa Cruz) will facilitate the new scholars sessions.
