Practising Emotions: Place and the Public Sphere – Call For Papers

Practising Emotions: Place and the Public Sphere
ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions Collaboratory
Wyselaskie Auditorium, Uniting Church Theology College, 29 College Crescent, Parkville VIC
6-8 August, 2015

Important dates:

  • Proposals submitted: Friday 15th May.
  • Outcomes of submission: Friday 29th May.
  • Registration deadline: Friday 26th June.
  • Collaboratory will run from 12 noon, Thursday 6th August.
  • Collaboratory closing session, 1pm, Saturday 8th August.

Collaboratory organisers: Jane Davidson and Lisa Beaven
Submissions and enquiries to: j.davidson@unimelb.edu.au

This collaboratory aims to explore how complex manifestations of emotion, and our understanding of these historically, played out in relation to public performance and the specifics of place across the last 400 years. The scope is deliberately broad aiming to explore how emotions have been distilled, rehearsed, delivered and received in the public sphere. How do theories of place and emotion intersect in the dynamics of both spontaneous and rehearsed performances in public squares, parks, city streets, open-air theatres, and landscapes? Street performances such as music, dance, theatre and acrobatics festivals will be explored alongside trials, executions, religious festivals, services and processions, as well as political events such as uprisings, protest rallies and natural disasters. How are urban spaces reconfigured by different events? How is our perception of place changed by performative practices? Historical events and the records of these events in image, text and sound are highly varied and contested. This collaboratory provides the opportunity to interrogate what research evidence of the practice of emotions in history consists of – its processes and the complex problems of interpretation it presents, but also extents this to the kinetic and more ephemeral realm of performance. We hope to combine some of the theoretical and methodological approaches that have been developed separately for studying emotions, performance and place, to better understand and interrogate the past.

Proposals:

We are accepting proposals for workshops (90 mins), discussion panels (90 mins) or single paper presentations (20 mins). Written proposals must not exceed 400 words and include the following: Name of author(s), affiliation(s), career stage (ECR, student, established researcher etc.), names of other participants (e.g., performers), format of presentation (workshop, papers etc.), title, aims, context, method, technical requirements (i.e. performance space etc.). Note that in the case of workshops, we shall encourage delegate participation from the floor, but if actors, singers, instrumentalists are required, these need to be included as part of the author/presenter team and proposal and rehearsed appropriately in advance of the event and may be limited by the nature of the venue.

Cost information:

A registration fee will be applied to cover the cost of refreshments during the days of the collaboratory. Evening meals and accommodation are to be arranged independently by delegates.

Collaboratory Fee:

  • Full $90
  • Student/unwaged $45

Research travel grants will be available for interstate speakers. These will assist with plane flights only.