Throughout the past decade, scenographic practice and performance design have continuously moved beyond the black box of the theatre toward a hybrid terrain located at the intersections of theatre, architecture, exhibition, visual arts, and media. This terrain and its spaces are constructed from action and interaction. They are defined by individual and group behavior, and are contrasted by distinct behavioral patterns.

It is proposed here that spaces that are staged in such a way –  spaces that are at the same time hybrid, mediated, narrative, and transformative – result from a trans-disciplinary understanding of space and a distinct awareness of social agency. These two factors of “expansion” are seen as the central driving forces in contemporary scenographic practice and thought.

With the aim of initiating and hosting an active and trans-disciplinary discourse on the notion of an expanding scenography, the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space presents a series of symposia Scenography Expanding 1-3 in 2010. Grouped under the overriding and programmatic title of Scenography Expanding, invited academic papers, artist’s presentations and expert workshop sessions will be looking to engage with notions of spectatorship, artists/authors, and curating in relation to the diverse artistic positions in contemporary spatial design.     
 
Scenography Expanding 1-3 will be followed up by a peer-reviewed publication comprised of selected speakers` contributions in the form of academic papers and visual essays. 

Scenography Expanding 1: On Spectatorship
Riga, February 25 – 27, 2010
New Riga Theatre, Lāčplēšan street 25
Open to registered participants only!

How are contemporary theories of spectatorship expanding by the increasingly hybrid spaces that we inhabit – in theatre (performance), architecture, exhibition, and media?  Is “space” becoming a governing factor in the negotiation between performers and spectators? Do hybrid spaces invite new agendas to be explored, performed, exhibited, and constructed? Does an expanding notion of scenography challenge/confirm established notions of live-ness and re-mediation?

Programme
Participants
Speakers biographies
Abstracts of presentations 

Working language - English.
Participation fee: speakers - free of charge, professionals - 20 euro, students - 5 euro.
The fee can be transferred or paid in cash on spot. Info: gundega@theatre.lv
We reccommend to stay at the official Symposium hotel - Albert Hotel, which will host also all Symposium key speakers. Please find rates and booking info here.
Organised by the Prague Quadrennial and the New Theatre Institute of Latvia

Key speakers:
Vit Havranek, curator (Czech Republik)
Solvita Krese, curator (Latvia)
Vera Mantero, choreographer (Portugal)
David Tushingham, dramaturg (UK)
Dellbrügge & de Moll, artists (Germany)
Árpád Schilling, director (Hungary)
Alan Read, theorist (UK)
Irena Sentevska, curator (Serbia)
Dorita Hannah, artist and professor (NZ)

Scenography Expanding flyer

Riga Symposium INFO list

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The symposia are part of the Intersection: Intimacy and Spectacle - a special international project of the Prague Quadrennial that explores performance and performativity as important elements of diverse art and cultural disciplines, focusing on performance design and scenography as interdisciplinary fields.  The project will consist of two central parts: research symposia as well as interactive installations/performance that will take place in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Latvia, Ireland, Great Britain, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Portugal during 2011 and 2012.

Intersection project is organized by the Prague Quadrennial (CZ) in co-operation with the New Theatre Institute of Latvia (LAT); the Irish Theatre Institute (IE); the Victoria and Albert Museum (GB); the BELEF Festival (RS); the Kretakör Theatre Company (HU); the National Theatre Prague (CZ); Ente Teatrale Italiano (IT); Kiasma Theatre, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art (FI); as well as the Institute of Design & Technology, Design Department, Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK (CH); the Escrita na Paisagem’s Festival de Performance e Artes da Terra (PT); the Centro de História da Arte e Investigação Artística (PT).

Intersection project is supported by the Culture Programme of the European Union.