Prague Quadrennial Symposium: ‘Technologies’ in theatre, performance, and exhibition design

Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space announces an open call for the upcoming autumn PQ Symposium:
Technologies in theatre, performance, and exhibition design
October 16–17, 2024, Prague

We aim to bring together performance designers, scenographers, makers, artists, and researchers who work with and on technologies; to explore their multi-dimensional dynamic theatre, performance, and exhibition design.

Whether old or new, high or low, digital or analogue, technologies, or different tools, instruments, devices, equipment, machines, and machinery, are potential and potent resources in the scenographic process. The recent technological developments that require more specialized knowledge and expertise have brought on the need and the opportunity for scenographers and designers to collaborate with scientists, engineers, and industry partners. While pushing the boundaries of what is possible in performance, employing these most advanced technologies is conditioned by access, stemming from material, institutional, and political conditions in which we produce art.

We welcome proposals addressing the following questions:

• What kind of technologies do we currently use in theatre, performance, and in exhibition design?
• To what ends do we use technologies?
• Can we think of technologies in a more expanded and less normative way?
• How do scenographers, performance designers and makers collaborate with scientists, engineers, and industry partners?
• What technologies do scenographers, performance designers and makers use in contexts of precarity with limited financial resources?
• How have been technologies present and represented at the Prague Quadrennial throughout its history?

Welcomed contribution formats are:

• Individual papers (15 minutes)
• Flash Talks (8–10 minutes)

The deadline for the symposium proposals is 20 April 2024.

Please read carefully the open call guidelines and submit a description of your talk (max 250 words) a short bio (max 50 words), a title of your talk and an indication of the chosen format. The symposium will be held in English. Upon request, we can provide guidance and support to speakers whose first language is not English.

The Symposium is organised by the Prague Quadrennial team of the Arts and Theatre Institute and is supported by the Ministry of Culture Czech Republic and the NextGenerationEU - Czech Recovery Plan.