Exploring the Borderlands: between performance arts, political theater and academic research
On 17-18th January, children born of war, artists and academics met at the University of Birmingham to explore the borderlands between performance arts, political theatre and academic research.
The participants explored the link between research insights and the genesis of performance art, and the nature of collaborations between academic researchers and performance artists. How do we facilitate those collaborations? What happens when the world of performances and the world of academia intersect? While the panels discussions and the keynote presentations invited the participants to share their experience of working in these borderlands, the interventions and infotainment sessions forced them to forget everything they knew and think out of the box.
The two-day conference offered a wealth of learning opportunities, but was also filled with emotion.
Different generations of Children born of war spoke during those two days, hoping to shed light on the experience of the Children born of war. Despite the fact that it's often difficult for them to talk about their experience, it's really important for them to help creating a better environment for the children born of war today.
Another part of the conference focused on a production under development, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER. This docu-dance-theater Production by Darrel Toulon and the alpha group, is a project constructed at the crossroads of performance arts, politically relevant theatre, and academic research, which aims to shed light on the experiences of Children Born of War. The children born of war who were present at the conference were very favorable to this project, hoping that it will bring the voices of children born of war together and create bridges between them.
Visit the alpha group website for more information on the THE NAME OF THE FATHER production.
The conference has been organised by the University of Birmingham, Children Born of War Innovative Training Network, and the alpha group, with support from AVL Cultural Foundation.