Widening the River: Communicating Performance Research Beyond Scholarly Communities

Friday, June 10 – Saturday, June 11, 2022

University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge (Alberta)

Presented with the support of a SSHRC Connections Grant, the Gatherings Project, and the University of Lethbridge.

Event Program

Mootookakio’ssin: Niitsitapi Digital Project

Dr. Josephine Mills, Danielle Heavy-Head, Christine Clark, and Melissa Shouting (University of Lethbridge)

What are the current waves of research into the performance history of the Pacific Northwest?

Patrick Blenkarn, Eury Chang and Selena Couture discuss how they make and interpret the archives of the Pacific Northwest region’s performance practices. Moderated by Gatherings Co-Investigator Heather Fitzsimmons-Frey

How do archives collect and preserve performance histories?

University of Victoria Archivist Lara Wilson and theatre historian James Hoffman speak about the challenges and opportunities of collecting, preserving, donating, and interpreting performance related archival materials.

What approaches do the Pacific Northwest region’s museums, archives, and galleries take to the preservation of performance histories?

Katherine Bunn-Marcuse (Burke Museum of Natural History), Michelle Jacques (Art Gallery of Greater Victoria), Lou-ann Neel (Royal BC Museum) and Lara Wilson (University of Victoria Archives) come together to speak about the approaches to performance at work within their own institutional contexts. Moderated by Gatherings Co-Investigator Sasha Kovacs

What is the approach taken by artists and arts organizations to the documentation of their own legacies? Amy Bowring (Dance Collection Danse), Carolyne Clare (Simon Fraser University), Matthew Payne (Theatre SKAM) and Janis LaCouvée (arts advocate) come together to discuss best practices for the preservation of artistic histories. Moderated by Symposium Co-organizer Priyanka Chatterjee (PhD Student, University of Victoria)

What is the role of the archives for performance-makers and creators? Kathy Carbone (University of California Los Angeles), Lindsay Delaronde (University of Victoria) and Danette Boucher (Histrionics theatre) come together to address how performance animates archival knowledge.

Symposium Organizing Team:

Dr. Sasha Kovacs (Assistant Professor, University of Victoria)

Dr. Allana Lindgren (Associate Professor, University of Victoria)

Priyanka Chatterjee (PhD Student, University of Victoria)

Special thanks to our event volunteers:

Kyra Oser, Harry Lin, Nisha Sharma, Dennis Gupa, Erin Boulter, Vjosa Mala, Atefeh Zargarzadeh, Emily Friesen, Taiwo Afolabi

Video footage by Logan Swain and Conor Farrell

Photos by Annie Konstantinova

Events