CFP - Children, Youth, and Performance Conference: Connecting Drama and Performance Research to Practice in the Lives of Young People

Children, Youth, and Performance Conference: Connecting Drama and Performance Research to Practice in the Lives of Young People

Young People’s Theatre invites proposals for our “Children, Youth, and Performance Conference,” which will be held in Toronto, Canada on Sunday, June 24, 2018.

Building on the Ada Slaight Education Centre’s strong focus on Theatre for Young Audiences and Drama-in-Education, the "Children, Youth, and Performance Conference" will bring together scholars, performers, and practitioners from different areas of the world. This conference is intended to be an exchange of knowledge, research innovations, and practical methods, examining the future applications and implications of performance work with, by, for, and about children and youth. This peer-reviewed conference will put performance research to work and discuss its effects on the lives of young people.

Proposals

We welcome proposals based on cutting-edge research, theories, and practices which focus on any of these five streams:

1. Drama, Justice, and Advocacy
2. Theatre by and for Young People
3. Global Perspectives on Children, Youth, and Performance
4. New Directions for Drama-in-Education
5. Youth Performance Across Disciplines

Each proposal should outline the presentation’s purpose, method, findings (for case studies and panels), and what will take place during the session. Please clearly indicate which conference stream your proposal best fits into, and which of the following formats your presentation will take:

Case Studies (15 minutes): These presentations should discuss case studies and projects relevant to one of the above conference themes. We welcome interactive, innovative presentation approaches, veering away from traditional "lecture-style" paper presentations.

"On-Your-Feet" Workshops (45 minutes): Workshops should be directly relevant to one of the conference themes, and welcoming to participants with varying levels of performance or research experience. Please ensure your workshop carefully adheres to the allotted timeframe (including all required set-up and/or take-down), as sessions will be back-to-back. Workshop presenters are responsible for their own materials and set-up. Please clearly indicate space needs (empty room, chairs, tables, etc.), and the specific activities that will take place.

Panels (30 minutes): We welcome panel proposals of three to five participants, showcasing initiatives and projects relevant to one of the above conference streams. Panels may include any combination of researchers, practitioners, performers, and/or young people, in a collaborative, discussion-style format.

Original Performance Pieces (up to 15 minutes): All proposed performances must fit within the allotted timeframe (including all required set-up and/or take-down). These pieces or excerpts should be original works created with, by, for, or about children and/or youth. Performances should be flexible for a variety of potential spaces (such as a classroom or studio) and should indicate specific resource needs (chairs, tables, etc.).

Your proposal should be no longer than one page, clearly stating the presentation title (20 words max.), presenter name(s) and bio(s) (100 words max.), the appropriate conference stream, the presentation format (workshop, panel etc.), and summary (250 words max.). Proposals must be sent directly to Abigail Shabtay, Conference Chair at conference@youngpeoplestheatre.ca no later than . Inquiries about facilities/accessibility can be directed to Karen Gilodo, Associate Artistic Director, at kgilodo@youngpeoplestheatre.ca. Accepted presenters must register and confirm attendance by the registration deadline to be included in the program schedule (registration details will follow letters of acceptance).