Czech Historical Avant-Garde in the European Context (Brno Theatralia
Conference 2021)
1–3 JUNE 2021 (ON-LINE)
Department of Theatre Studies
Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic
The international symposium BRNO THEATRALIA CONFERENCE 2021, hosted by the Department of Theatre Studies, Masaryk University (Brno, Czech Republic), is dedicated to historical avant-gardes and their development in Czechoslovakia and Europe. The aim is to reassess the Czech interwar theatre, built at the crossroads of the European avant-garde. This aim is closely related to the specific features of the avant-garde Theatres in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia...) and to the way the individual European countries influenced one another in this respect. We welcome, therefore, paper proposals focusing on historical avant-gardes in both Czech and European theatrical milieu from the perspectives of theatre studies, performing arts, dance, music, art history, architecture, cinema, photography, ethnography and folklore, literature, translation, etc.
The conference was planned to take place in 2020 on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the association of Czech avant-garde artists Devětsil. Founded in October 1920 in Prague, Devětsil (”butterbur”), the most influential Czech avant-garde circle, united artists across a wide range of both artistic and non-artistic fields: from architecture to performance, and from aesthetics to sociology. Its members, such as Karel Teige, Vítězslav Nezval, Toyen, Jindřich Štyrský, Adolf Hoffmeister, Josef Chochol, Jiří Frejka, Jindřich Honzl, Emil František Burian, Jiří Voskovec, and Jan Werich, were constantly following European avant-garde trends.
Only limited attention has been paid to the position and specificities of the Czech avant-garde in the European context. Hence, this will be tha main focus of the conference.
Registration (for authors and audience):
The organizers are pleased to invite you to the Brno Theatralia Conference like an audience as well. Please, if you are going to participate as spectator, register here:
The following topics are suggested:
o new approaches to the research of the European avant-gardes
o reception of the European avant-garde in the Czech milieu
o contacts and cooperations projects among the members of the Czech theatre avant-garde with the European avant-gardes
o reception of the Czech theatre avant-garde in Europe
o new approaches to the research concerning the Czech avant-garde
o the legacy of the Czech avant-garde theatre theory
o translation (from or into Czech) for avant-garde theatre
Further suggestions contributing to the dialogue are welcome and will be considered.
Scholars from different fields as well as theatre practitioners, translators, historians of art, stage designers and theatre critics are warmly invited to join us and participate in the event either as speakers or as audience.
Selected contributions from the conference will be published in a special issue of THEATRALIA (vol. 2022/1).
Paper proposals should include:
• the title of the paper
• an abstract of 250-300 words
• the name(s) of the author(s)
• contact address
• telephone number
• e-mail address
• institutional affiliation
• short biographical note (maximum 300 words)
Due to the epidemiological situation, the conference will be held as an on-line. Since on-line format is more suitable for shorter presentations, the participants are kindly asked to send their final papers before the conference starts (see “Important dates bellow“).The papers will be available to the registered participants at least three weeks before the start of the conference, so that they can get familiar with them. The requested length of the papers is 12500 – 16500 characters including spaces. The conference contributions shall consist of a ten-minute summary of the research results and followed by an extended debate.
Our team is happy to be working on the conference programme for our online event that would foster exchange of ideas and offer exciting experience of collaboration for our participants.
Important dates:
Please send your abstract that include the title of the paper, abstract, biographical note to the conference e-mail (below) no later than on 28 February 2021.
Conference e-mail contact: theatralia.conference@phil.muni.cz
Notification of abstract acceptance: 15 March 2021.
Final paper submission deadline: 30 April 2021.
Publication of the conference papers, accessible only to the registered participants at the website of the conference: 10 May 2021.
Conference e-mail contact: theatralia.conference@phil.muni.cz
Conference organisers:
1. Andrea Jochmanová (Academy of Performing Arts, Masaryk University): ajochmanova@mzm.cz
2. Mariana Orawczak Kunešová (University of Ostrava): mariana.kunesova@osu.cz
3. Kateřina Šalounová (Masaryk University): katerina.salounova@mail.muni.cz
Conference fee for speakers: without conference fee
On behalf of the project organising committee:
Pavel Drábek (University of Hull, Masaryk University)
David Drozd (Masaryk University)
Šárka Havlíčková Kysová (Masaryk University)
Andrea Jochmanová (Academy of Performing Arts, Masaryk University)
Mariana Orawczak Kunešová (University of Ostrava)
