Turkish Society for Theatre Research
Promoting theatre, performance and drama studies at national and international levels, for the benefit of all people.
Meet the SocietyAbout
The Turkish Society for Theatre Research (TSTR) is a non-profit scholarly and artistic association founded to advance theatre, performance and drama studies at national and international levels.
The Society brings together scholars working in departments of theatre, performing arts, language and literature, postgraduate researchers, actors, directors, playwrights, dramaturgs and translators. It seeks to make research on theatre history, theory, dramaturgy and practice more visible, to foster exchange between disciplines, and to bring this knowledge back to the stage. Since 2023 it has built a lasting platform for this work through international conferences, workshops, performances, online talks and publications.
Read moreWhat we do
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The International UTAD Conference
Every September we hold an international conference on a specific theme, hosted by a different university. Across four conferences – at TED University in Ankara, Bahçeşehir University Conservatory in İstanbul, Süleyman Demirel University in Isparta and Marmara University in İstanbul – we have welcomed hundreds of researchers from Türkiye and abroad, with keynote speakers including Paul Innes, Joe Kelleher, Frieda Ekotto, Siân Adiseshiah and Emma Cox.
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Workshops and performances
Our programmes go beyond paper sessions. We run practical workshops on actor training, voice and body, dramaturgy, theatre translation and participatory performance, and we programme performances that show what research looks like on stage – such as Pınar Yüksel’s “Listening to Sappho”, which wove Anatolian folk songs into Sappho’s poetry at the 3rd conference.
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Theatre Talks
Theatre Talks is our series of online conversations with people working inside the theatre. Guests have included Mustafa Kurt, Director General of the Turkish State Theatres, actress and playwright Zeynep Kaçar, and playwright Hannah Khalil. The series connects academic debate with the everyday realities of making theatre and opens it to a wide audience.
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Publications
We collect the work presented at our conferences in books of abstracts and proceedings and publish them in open access. Selected papers from the 1st conference were to appear in a special issue of the ETKİ Journal. In this way the discussions that begin at our conferences become a lasting scholarly record.
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We look to celebrate the essential power of the theatre to illuminate our common humanity.
Our values
- Continual Learning and Growth
- Inspiration and Transformation
- Representing All
- Collaboration
- Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
Leadership and Staff
Full team- Prof. Dr. Önder Çakırtaş Chair ocakirtas@beu.edu.tr
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Belgin Bağırlar Vice-Chair belgin.bagirlar@idu.edu.tr
- Prof. Dr. Bülent Sezgin Vice-Chair bulent.sezgin@bau.edu.tr
- Asst. Prof. Dr. İlker Özçelik Vice-Chair ilkerozcelik@sdu.edu.tr
- Prof. Dr. Başak Ağın basak.agin@tedu.edu.tr
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Öğütçü International Collaboration and Cooperation mogutcu@adiyaman.edu.tr
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gamze Şentürk Tatar Communication and Social Media gamzesenturk_26_01@hotmail.com
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Z. Gizem Yılmaz Publications zumregizem.yilmaz@asbu.edu.tr
- Asst. Prof. Dr. Ömer Aytaç Aykaç Translation and Production aytaco@yyu.edu.tr
UTAD Young Team
The young faces of UTAD! They bring energy, curiosity and a great deal of hard work to the Society’s everyday life. Ask a question, apply for membership or register for a conference, and you will most likely meet them first. The future of theatre research is in their hands.
Full team- Alina Boydak Secretary Bingöl University alinaboydak@gmail.com
- Burak Raşit Oçak Secretary Süleyman Demirel University burakrasit@outlook.com
Announcements
All announcementsThe Society’s new website is live
Our announcements, conference archive, team and membership details are now in one place.
Read moreNews from our members
Appointment
Vice President of TSTR Bülent Sezgin has Attained the Title of Professor!
Prof. Dr. Bülent Sezgin
Our Vice President, Bülent Sezgin, has attained the title of professor. We offer him our sincere congratulations.
Project
Belgin Bağırlar Joins an EU COST Action
Doç. Dr. Belgin Bağırlar
Our Vice-Chair has been accepted to three working groups of COST Action CA23149 on anti-gender politics.
Appointment
Gamze Şentürk Tatar promoted to Associate Professor
Doç. Dr. Gamze Şentürk Tatar
Congratulations to Gamze Şentürk Tatar, who runs our communication and social media.
Writing
Our new website is live
Announcements, events, publications, the team and news from our members are now in one place.
Join the Society
Scholars, postgraduate students, artists, educators and everyone who works for the theatre are welcome to join. Our members help shape our conferences, workshops and publications.
Become a member