Scenography 2017

Full Name: Lucy Thornett

Annual Conference Theme (if applicable): Scenography and the Body

What were the main points that emerged from your WG this year?
We had a very successful meeting at the annual conference. The organisers at Salford were fantastically supportive of our desire to include a number of practice presentations and provided us with a black box space to use throughout the duration of the conference. We had paper presentations as well as performance, lighting and physical installations. This changed the nature of the discussion as we were able to have a shared experience of the scenographies we were discussing. Some of the key themes to emerge were around the agency of non human elements of scenography, acting in collaboration with and in the absence of human performers. The theme of scenography and the body also allowed for discussions around the politics of scenography, particularly in relation to feminist perspectives on the gendered body.

What was discussed at your business meeting?

We discussed publishing opportunities for members and our plans for an interim event in 2018 that would look ahead to the 2019 Prague Quadrennial. We also discussed further possible ways we can create a community that goes beyond the conferences, through using the new website differently and sharing calls etc through an email list.

Types of contributions:
Papers, performances, installations

Number of formal contributors (those listed in book of abstracts) 15

Approx. overall number of delegates who attended your WG Sessions 30
Composition of WG (PG, ECR, etc.)
60-70% PG, with a number of new postgraduate members joining the working group this year

Did you have any non-UK participants? Yes

If your WG hosted an Open Panel, do you have any feedback?

Our open panel worked well – particularly as we had one formal longer paper and an interactive lighting installation.

Any additional points or feedback not covered above?