Applied and Social Theatre
Ways Out: Power and Potencia in Applied Theatre Practices
In last year’s Applied and Social Theatre Working Group (ASTWG) gathering, our discussions were often focussed on the material realities and the power relations that constitute our applied theatre ecologies. We discussed, time and again, the power wielded by donors, granting agencies and the like, that seek to define these ecologies by necessitating “tangible outcomes … [resulting in] the adoption of simplistic models of change, increased potential for self-censorship, and diminished attention to artistry and experimentation.” (Mullen 2018, p. 55) We discussed, also, the myriad acts of resistance, subversion, and care that are undertaken by groups and individuals to survive and flourish collectively in unfavourable conditions.
Building on these discussions, this year’s ASTWG invites critical reflections on the nature of power and the processes of navigating power in applied and social theatre practices that shape the potential of these practices to imagine and enact alternative futures. In our contemplations about power, we are inspired by the writings of Veronica Gago (2020) who, drawing from Spinoza, understands potencia as a different, affirmative form of power, in the context of feminist strikes. Potencia is a dynamic concept that “defines our power to do, to affect and be affected by others,” as opposed to “static, constituted power” over bodies and entities. (Loc 96) Potencia “is not the power of the state or centralized parties, but rather a power based on our collective capacity to do.” (Loc 102) It is a counter-power that embraces indeterminacy and privileges the insubordinate urge to displace the limits imposed by neoliberalism, imperialism, and patriarchy.
We ask: How do we understand potencia in the context of specific applied theatre practices? How are the horizons of possibility expanded, if we embrace indeterminate potencia?
In the context of potencia and power, we welcome discussions around the tensions between positive indeterminacy, emergent processes, and the demand for efficacy and measurable deliverables. We are interested in instances of practice that embody “anti-project sensibilities” – “long-term commitment to relationships between individuals and groups from which a variety of micro-responses then emerge” and that cannot be contained within the firm limits of projects (Thompson 2020, pp. 147).
We invite abstracts that relate to or are provoked by the above discussion and/or the following prompts:
• Embracing potencia as a practice of “the alternate”
• Dissonances between relational practices and project-based imperatives
• Reconciling relational practices and project-based imperatives
• Balancing funding needs and subversive desires
• Economies overtaking ecologies
• Navigating power
• Queering applied theatre practices
• Participatory pedagogies and potencia
• Rethinking facilitator-participant power relations in Applied Theatre practices
• Posthumanism in applied theatre practice
Works Cited
Gago, V. (2020). Feminist international: How to change everything. Verso Books. https://www.amazon.com/Feminist-International-How-Change-Everything-ebook/dp/B082S2XPDN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=17CWNP5XBCFEL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4iIxqtoduRcsCJrWTMo7yA.6vI8UHTvUYMZr85597cb-1ZZF-tGznIiVIWHgtNPa1o&dib_tag=se&keywords=feminist+international+how+to+change+everything&qid=1737924477&sprefix=feminist+international%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-1
Mullen, M. (Ed.). (2019). Applied theatre : economies. Methuen Drama, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Thompson, J. (2020). Editorial. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 25(2), 147–149. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569783.2020.1738739
Preferences for types of proposal
We invite diverse modes of sharing research, including, but not limited to: short provocations, practice demonstrations, performative presentations or formal papers. Abstracts should be max. 300 words. Please also include a title and a short biography of max. 150 words.
For selected abstracts, we will request participants to submit more details about their work (working paper/excerpt of practice) 3 weeks prior to the presentation. The Applied and Social Theatre Working Group has been a close knit community in which peer responses and discussions are rich and engaging. We believe that if participants get to read each others’ papers ahead of time, we will be better placed to devote more of our time to discussions.
Proposals will indicate their first choice working group, but may also indicate if they are open to presenting in other working groups.
Proposal Submission Process
Submit your proposals by using the Abstract and Proposal Submission Form on the conference website by 10 March 2025. Your abstract should be max. 300 words and should be accompanied by a bio of max. 150 words.
How the TaPRA Conference Works
Our conference has two types of sessions: whole group sessions for all delegates and parallel panels of papers, performances, and interventions streamed by “working group”. The working groups focus on specific research interests and disciplines and set their own themes for each conference. These themes are detailed in the calls for papers for each group (linked above). There is also an opportunity to exhibit practice research in the TaPRA Gallery, also linked above.
A complete list of our 13 working groups is available on the TaPRA website. Most delegates choose a working group that aligns with their interests and use this group as their base for the conference, attending most or all of their slots, as the working groups meet multiple times. These sessions host presentations from long-standing members and new colleagues. However, you can attend sessions hosted by any other working group throughout the conference. The programme also includes open panels where attendees are encouraged to visit working groups sessions other than their own.
To speak, present, or perform at TaPRA, you will need to identify your preferred working group and submit a proposal that speaks to their theme. You can apply to one working group only. On the Abstract and Proposal Submission Form you can also indicate that you are willing for your paper to be considered by other working groups.
Conference Environment
In addition to whole group sessions, working groups, and open panels, the TaPRA Gallery and publisher stalls are open for most of the conference, and there are social and networking events at various moments. These include the conference dinner, which is not to be missed. It will mark TaPRA’s 20th Birthday and will be held at Fargo Village in Coventry to celebrate the city’s music heritage. There will be Caribbean food, sets from a Two-Tone Band and dancing aplenty.
Access
The 2025 annual TaPRA conference will be a hybrid event, facilitating participation by online delegates alongside those attending in-person. Since our 2021 conference we have been able to experience benefits of online conferencing, such as increased opportunity for international presenters, lower financial costs to participate, and greater accessibility for those with caring responsibilities. The 2025 conference at Warwick aims to retain the wider opportunities for engagement that online platforms offer, whilst also maintaining a space for in-person engagement and social interaction.
Schedule
- Applicants will receive decisions on their proposals on 11 April 2025
- Conference registration and accommodation bookings opens 12 May 2025
- Early bird registration closes on 30 June 2025
- Presenter registration deadline is 18 July 2025
- General registration closes 12 August 2025
Bursaries
Each working group has one bursary available for postgraduate and early career researchers. The bursary includes free conference registration and £300 towards conference travel and accommodation, to be disbursed after the event on showing proof of spend. If you would like to be considered for a bursary, please tick the relevant box on the Abstract and Proposal Submission Form, when submitting your abstract.
Other Calls for Papers
You can view the CFPs for all other working groups using the links below:
Audience, Experience and Popular Practices
Performance and New Technologies
Performance, Identity and Community