Performing Greece 2016: 2nd Annual International Conference on Contemporary Greek Theatre - 03/12/20

Following the successful Performing Greece 2015, the 1st Annual International Conference on Contemporary Greek Theatre in the UK, the conference returns to Birkbeck, University of London in 2016. This year has seen a rise of theatrical interest in contemporary Greece, judging from the National Theatre production of the Greek-British Alexi Kaye Campbell’s play, Sunset at the Villa Thalia, which explored the tense relations of UK and US with Greece at the time of the Junta, but also highlighting issues of immigration and cultural appropriation; and also with the Royal Court’s staging of The Things you Take with You by Greek playwright Andreas Flourakis, a play that responds to the refugee crisis and Greece’s involvement. In addition, we see an increasing number of Greek artists based in the UK who explore, through their art, contemporary issues that reflect on Greek and European identity, Brexit, immigration, and respond to the socio-political issues of our times. This conference is therefore an invitation for people, both academics and theatremakers to come together and reflect on the rise and significance of contemporary Greek theatre and its relation to European and global culture.

FECHA/DATE/DATA: 03/12/2016

LUGAR/LOCATION/LUOGO: Keynes Library, School of Arts, Birkbeck College, University of London (London, England)

ORGANIZADOR/ORGANIZER/ORGANIZZATORE: Dr. Christos Callow Jr (University of London); Andriana Domouzi (University of London)

INFO: web - performinggreece@gmail.com

INSCRIPCIÓN/REGISTRATION/REGISTRAZIONE: Gratis/ free/ gratuito Inscripción aquí/registration here/registrazione qui

PROGRAMA/PROGRAM/PROGRAMMA:

10:00-10:30: Registration & Coffee

10:30-11:30 Keynote. Evi Stamatiou (Lecturer in Musical Theatre, University of Portsmouth): “An Artist's Belonging and otherness in Post-Brexit Britain”

11:30-12:45 Performance, Philosophy and Identity in the 21st Century

-Dr. Stella Keramida (University of Reading): ‘‘Performance narratives and Representations of the Greek identity: An examination of the genre of Performance in Greece’’

-Lizeta Makka (PhD Candidate, Brunel University): ‘‘The necessity of a figure: the philosopher as performer’’

-Presentation of Purged by playwright Chris Vlachopoulos

12:45-13:45: Lunch break (own arrangements)

13:45-15:00 Contemporary Reception of Ancient Greek Myth and Drama

-Dr. Ioannis Souris (University of Exeter): ‘‘The river Lethe: an English and Greek interpretation of the myth’’

-Andriana Domouzi (Royal Holloway, University of London): ‘‘The Metahuman in Greek Theatre: science fiction motifs in Medea by Vasilis Ziogas’’

-Performance with actress Lia Kostinou (Drama Centre London)

15:00-15:15: Coffee Break

15:15-16:30 Future Theatre: Metaphysics, Ideology, and Science Fiction

-Dr. Evangelos Konstantelos (SOAS, University of London): ‘‘Transmutation of Metaphysics into Ideology: Challenges to Theatre’’

-Dr. Christos Callow Jr (Birkbeck, University of London): ‘‘Longing for the future in times of crisis: the rise of science fiction theatre in contemporary Greece’’

-Presentation of Superhero by playwright Andreas Flourakis