As audiences we increasingly find that our input has become indispensible to the process of performance-making. No longer sitting quietly in the dark, we have been pulled in and invited to take part. This two-day event brought together artists, academics and audiences in a shared exploration of the new trend. It was co-facilitated and organised with Duška Radosavljevic and Daisy Orton, in association with Chris Johnston (Argument Room/Rideout). The event was co-sponsored by the University of Kent's KIASH, CKP, and ETRN.
The event had three distinct and interconnected sessions. Firstly, a programme of presentations by artists and academics was curated from an open call. Secondly, The Argument room held a closed discussion with playwright David Edgar, performance-maker Anette Mees (Coney), and critic Jake Orr (A Younger Theatre); it was stramed online, and is available online here. During a third session, participants responded to the previous day and discussion, as well as actively exploring their work/research with the audience. This final session used interactive formats that adopted a similar structure to speed-dating.
More information about the event can be found here.