1st UTAD Conference

Origins

Date
14–16 September 2023
Venue
TED University, Ankara
Host
Turkish Society for Theatre Research (TSTR) and TED University

The Society’s first conference, held in Ankara with TED University.

The origins of theatre are thought to be as old as humanity itself. Whether to imitate its surrounding environment, try to understand its own existence within the greater cosmology, surpass death by re-enacting past behaviours and events of humans, or simply have some fun, the theatre has been an indispensable part of meaning-making and human existence.

Ancient amphitheatres, medieval pageants, thrust stages in outdoor and indoor theatres, stages with proscenium arches, forum theatres, streets, town halls, town meadows, royal courts, houses of nobility and commoners, and many more conventional and unconventional outdoor and indoor venues, all have witnessed the origins of theatres and dramatic conventions that aimed at the edification and delight of their audiences.

Folk drama, Sanskrit drama, Chinese drama, Japanese No plays, rituals in Ancient Egypt and the Near East, Old Turkic heroic drama, ancient Greek comedy and tragedy, Roman comedy and tragedy, classicist drama, realist drama, symbolic drama, post-dramatic performances, all came into being either as a result of or as a reaction towards local or global historical circumstances, artistic movements, or technological innovations. Therefore, the study of the origins of theatres in Eastern, Western, Southern, or Northern locations of the world is not only a study of theatre history but of human history itself.

Topics

  • Origins of theatre: Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, 18th, 19th and 20th century, Contemporary
  • Origins of theatre studies: department histories
  • Originators of theatre, performance and/or theatre studies: performers, directors, translators, academics
  • The origins of theatre and class, gender, race, ecology, posthuman studies, disability studies
  • Translation/adaptation and the origins of theatre and/or theatre studies
  • The origins of (re)interpretations of theatre in various media adaptations: film, TV, animation, music, new media

The conference was held in Ankara. Selected papers were to be published in a special issue of the ETKI Journal (e-ISSN: 2822-3950).

Keynote speakers

  • Prof. Paul Innes United Arab Emirates University Dramatic Origins, Dynamic Process
  • Prof. Ayşegül Yüksel
  • Prof. Joe Kelleher University of Roehampton
  • Prof. A. Deniz Bozer Hacettepe University

Honorary Committee

  • Mustafa KurtDevlet Tiyatroları Genel Müdürü / Director General of State Theatres
  • İhsan SabuncuoğluTED Üniversitesi Rektörü / Rector, TED University
  • Kezban ÇelikTED Üniversitesi Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi Dekanı / Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Chairpersons

  • Doç. Dr. Önder Çakırtaş
  • Doç. Dr. Taner Can

Organising Committee

  • Doç. Dr. Başak Ağın
  • Doç. Dr. Belgin Bağırlar
  • Doç. Dr. Murat Öğütçü
  • Doç. Dr. Z. Gizem Yılmaz
  • Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Michael D. Sheridan
  • Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Gamze Şentürk
  • Dr. Öğr. Üyesi İlker Özçelik
  • Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Oliver David Bevington
  • Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Şule Akdoğan
  • Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Yasin Çetin
  • Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Ömer Aytaç Aykaç
  • Öğr. Gör. Hacer Gürsul
  • Arş. Gör. Adnan Aydıntürk
  • Arş. Gör. Melike İrem Şimşek
  • Arş. Gör. Murathan Gündoğdu
  • Muhammed İkbal Candan

Scientific Committee (Türkiye)

  • Prof. Dr. Berna Ayça Ülker Erkanİzmir Demokrasi Üniversitesi
  • Prof. Dr. Deniz BozerHacettepe Üniversitesi
  • Prof. Dr. Erdinç ParlakIğdır Üniversitesi
  • Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali ÇelikelMarmara Üniversitesi
  • Prof. Dr. Mehmet TakkaçAtatürk Üniversitesi
  • Prof. Dr. Mine Özyurt KılıçAnkara Sosyal Bilimler Üniversitesi
  • Prof. Dr. Zekiye AntakyalıoğluGaziantep Üniversitesi
  • Doç. Dr. Bünyamin AydemirAtatürk Üniversitesi
  • Doç. Dr. Şebnem KayaHacettepe Üniversitesi
  • Doç. Dr. Yeliz Biber VangölüAtatürk Üniversitesi

Scientific Committee (International)

  • Prof. Dr. Bernadette AndreaUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
  • Prof. Dr. Farah Karim-CooperKing’s College London
  • Prof. Dr. Gary TaylorFlorida State University
  • Prof. Dr. Iulia WaniekDimitrie Cantemir Christian University
  • Prof. Dr. Joe KelleherRoehampton University
  • Prof. Dr. Jonathan Gil HarrisAshoka University
  • Prof. Dr. Jyotsna SinghMichigan State University
  • Prof. Dr. Martin MiddekeAugsburg University
  • Prof. Dr. Sarah KnightUniversity of Leicester
  • Prof. Dr. Simon C. EstokSungkyunkwan University
  • Professor Sir Stanley WellsShakespeare Birthplace Trust
  • Prof. Dr. Stephen GreenblattHarvard University
  • Dr. Deirdre OsborneUniversity of London
  • Dr. Siân AdiseshiahLoughborough University