Performance and Science

This working group serves the growing scholarship and performance practice relating to science-engaged performance and research. Thus, the working group allows for a range of intersections between performance and scientific disciplines, including but not confined to:

• The performance of science: representations of scientific knowledge and understanding, and of scientists, in practices ranging from theatrical performance to popular science events.
• The science of performance: the deployment of scientific research methodologies to performance practices.
• Science as performance: the role of the scientist conceived of as a performance within professional as well as dramatized settings.
• Performance as science: performance training and creative methodologies as forms of scientific discourse.

Both ‘performance’and ‘science’ are defined inclusively. For example, ‘performance’ may include theatre, dance, live art, puppetry, applied performance, digital practices, music and spoken word, as well as the ‘performance of everyday life’. Scientific disciplines may include psychology, social science, anthropology as well as ‘harder’ sciences (physics, chemistry, mathematics). The working group was established in September 2015.