4th International UTAD Theatre Research Conference

Borders & Boundaries

Date
10–12 September 2026
Venue
Marmara University, İstanbul
Host
Turkish Society for Theatre Research (UTAD), Marmara University, Department of English Language and Literature

Held in İstanbul at Marmara University on the theme “Borders & Boundaries”.

Following the academic success of our previous conferences (Origins, Existence, Tradition, Future, and Evolution), the 4th International UTAD Theatre Research Conference, hosted by Marmara University, invited scholars and practitioners to explore the central theme: “Borders & Boundaries.” In an era defined by global mobility, sociopolitical tensions, and digital transformation, the notion of borders holds renewed urgency. Theatre is a critical performative site where geographical, political, cultural, aesthetic, and epistemic boundaries are not only represented but actively negotiated, challenged, and redrawn. This conference sought to investigate how the dynamics of inclusion, exclusion, and separation transform theatrical practices and dramaturgical structures, encouraging research that crosses, dismantles, or establishes new boundaries within performance.

Political and Geographical Borders

  • The Borders of Identity: Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality, and Theatre
  • Politics of Visibility, Othering, and Minority Theatres
  • Disability, the Limits of the Body, and Performance
  • Censorship, Freedom of Expression, and Boundaries of Resistance in Theatre
  • Postcolonialism, Borderlands, and Theatre Studies

Identity and Societal Divisions

  • Border Security, Conflict Zones, and Representation in Theatre
  • Dramaturgies of Migration, Displacement, Refuge, and Exile
  • Transnational Theatre and Intercultural Collaborations
  • Border Walls, Checkpoints, and Performance Art
  • Cultural Diplomacy and Cross-Border Artistic Movements

Aesthetic, Formal, and Disciplinary Boundaries

  • The Limits of Theatrical Form: Transitions between Traditional and Contemporary Structures
  • Hybrid and Border-Crossing Performance Practices (Theatre, Dance, Music, Visual Arts)
  • Performance: Site-Specific Theatre and Public Space Interventions

Theoretical, Legal, and Epistemic Borders

  • Limits of Theatre Historiography and Overlooked Geographies
  • Disciplinary Boundaries of Theatre Theories and Border-Crossing Methodologies
  • International Law, Human Rights, and Theatrical Activism
  • Ethical Boundaries and Politics of Representation: What Can Be Represented?

Presentations were 15 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session.

Keynote speakers

  • Dr. Emma Cox Royal Holloway, University of London Humanitarian Reason, Theatrical Collaboration, and the Public Cultures of Migration Disaster Forensics
  • Dr. Rossella Nancy Maria Mazzaglia University of Bologna Reframing Borders Through Performance. From Situated Knowledge to Creative Agency
  • Dr. Adriana Iulia Waniek Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University From the Noh Theatre to Eugenio Barba’s Experimental Theatre – Connecting through the Actor’s Body

Honorary Committee

  • Tamer KaradağlıGeneral Director of Turkish State Theaters
  • Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin OkurRector, Marmara University
  • Prof. Dr. Sebahat DenizDean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Marmara University

Chairpersons

  • Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Çelikel
  • Prof. Dr. Önder Çakırtaş

Organising Committee

  • Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali ÇelikelMarmara University
  • Prof. Dr. Önder ÇakırtaşBingöl University
  • Prof. Dr. Başak AğınTED University
  • Prof. Dr. Bülent SezginBahçeşehir University
  • Assist. Prof. Dr. İlker ÖzçelikSüleyman Demirel University
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Belgin BağırlarAydın Adnan Menderes University
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat ÖğütcüAdıyaman University
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zümre Gizem YılmazSocial Sciences University of Ankara
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gamze Şentürk TatarMunzur University
  • Şaziye DağyapanThe Turkish State Theatres, Dramaturgy Office
  • Asst. Prof. Burak ÖzsözMarmara University
  • Asst. Prof. Cahit BakırMarmara University
  • Asst. Prof. Halise Gülmüş SırkıntıMarmara University
  • Asst. Prof. Mahinur Gözde KasurkaMarmara University
  • Res. Asst. Elif MuşluMarmara University
  • Res. Asst. İrem MollaMarmara University

Secretariat

  • Alina Boydak AşanBingöl University
  • Burak Raşit OçakSüleyman Demirel University