THE NEW PROJECT 'GOING FORWARD'
Across the territories commonly referred to as "Canada," people of all cultures -- Indigenous, newcomer and settler -- have always practiced performance. In distinctive languages and varied contexts, performance has been used to reinforce and to disturb community values, as communities speak both to themselves, and to one another. The study of performance history is the study of history itself, and studying history through the lens of performance enriches understanding of the many cultures present in these territories.
While other arts may generate objects such as paintings, sculptures and physical books, performance is fundamentally an event, both ephemeral and immaterial. By neglecting this difference, scholarship and archival practices have missed out on the nuances and complexities of performance history, and the contributions of many groups have been left out of the conversation altogether. These include Black, racialized and Indigenous communities, LGBTQ2S+ communities and people with disabilities. Popular and community supported performance is often overlooked. So are dance, improvised performance, and the many other forms of performance which do not leave behind scripts.
Gatherings: Archival and Oral Histories of Performance responds to these interconnected issues by developing and mobilizing knowledge about the unique nature of performance. We plan to create a partnership consisting of: artists, researchers, galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM), universities and community partners, with the support of three advocacy organizations (Canada's Theatre Museum/Musée canadien du théâtre; Playwrights Canada Press; and Dance Collection Danse).
Our objectives are threefold:
1) to promote access to archival performance history research;
2) To implement ethical practices in oral history collection and preservation;
3) To apply advances in digital humanities scholarship, enhancing public access to diverse performance histories.
We will experiment with new methodological approaches in performance research, while applying theoretical advances in the fields of race, gender, and Indigenous studies. These activities will foster lasting connections and build capacity for scholars, partner organizations, artists and the audiences they serve.
Research will be disseminated through a range of scholarly channels: publication, symposia, conferences, publicly advertised and accessible workshops, as well as creative events and exhibitions at both the regional and national levels. Through reciprocally beneficial partnerships, the intangible cultural heritage of performance will be reactivated---for a new generation of scholars, artists, curators and publics, building awareness of the critical role performance has played, and continues to play, in shaping and reimagining societies in these lands.
What is missing from this Picture:
The range of communities creating performance and preserving the resulting documents is far greater than any one project's ability to provide a service, or even real communication. We acknowledge this, and will work to make connections with as great a range of researchers, institutions, artists, archivists as we can, with the goal not of including everyone directly in our project--this is not feasible--but to consult on how our project can serve their needs. We intend our Advisory Board to assist in this process, and we are establishing that Board now.
