Call for Papers: PERFORMANCE STUDIES CONCLAVE 2025

Organizer: Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay

  • When: 3rd and 4th of March, 2025
  • Call for Submissions
  • Participation: Hybrid Mode
  • The deadline for submission of abstracts is 30th of January 2025
  • Open to early researchers and PhD students

The Linguistics, Literature and Performance (LLP) Group of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, is announcing a Call for Papers for a Performance Studies Conclave, focusing on Performance Studies in the Global South with an emphasis on the study of ritualistic practices, rites, festivals and ceremonies associated to cultures of divinity.

With roots in sociology, anthropology, psychology, philosophy and in more recent times, in pedagogic methods of performance studies, there is always a certain complexity, that interdisciplinary method awaits the study of such practices. Interestingly, the process of observation becomes incredibly challenging since the inquired subject is so vast, the observed methods and culture is also immense, with no general concordance on the basies of inquiry – starting from the idea as to what are and could be rituals, how do they work, what it feels like to perform a ritual or to participate in one, and what their functions are.

Especially in the global south, the areas such as rites, ritual practices, festivals and ceremonies are often dealt with an understanding of either lived experiences or the experiences of the keen. The research areas are usually associated and understood as part of everyday religious practice/culture and it is often taken for granted as most researchers are familiar with the formalities and structures of religious rituals. However, from disciplinary lens such as sociology, anthropology or performance studies it is quite the contrary and could be varied from each other depending on the research entry point. This conclave calls for research papers whose inquiry is on intangible culture, rituals, festivals and ceremonies that enter the field from primarily the disciplinary lens of performance studies but is not limited to it.

Topics could include, but are not limited to:

  • religious ceremonies and/or traditional rites
  • intangible culture heritage
  • material cultures of rituals, rites and performances associated to divinity
  • ceremonial processions and the community
  • documentation of rituals
  • rites of passage
  • dance and other bodily practices of traditional celebrations

We look forward to receiving submissions for 20-minute paper presentations from research scholars and graduate students. The conclave will be held on the 3rd and 4th of March, 2025 [a hybrid mode is possible, but not preferred]. Submissions are welcome from all disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 30th of January 2025.

A limited number of bursaries are available to help with travel costs and the accommodation to selected candidates. We particularly welcome applications from early researchers and PhD students.

Please send a 300 words of abstract and 250 words of bio-note or any query regarding the conclave to rajaram@iitb.ac.in by 30th of January 2025.

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