Mezinárodní online konference Brno Theatralia 2021

The conference was intended to take place in 2020 on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the association of Czech avant-garde artists Devětsil. Founded in October 1920 in Prague, Devětsil (”butterbur”), the most influential Czech avant-garde circle, linked artists across a very wide range of fields, from architecture to performance, and from aesthetics to sociology. Its members, e.g. Karel Teige, Vítězslav Nezval, Toyen, Jindřich Štyrský, Adolf Hoffmeister, Josef Chochol, Jiří Frejka, Jindřich Honzl, Emil František Burian, Jiří Voskovec, and Jan Werich, were constantly following European avant-garde trends.

Web page of the conference is here.

Only limited attention has been paid to the position and specificities of the Czech avant-garde in the European context. Hence, this is the main question the conference shall seek to answer.

We propose the following topics:
– new results of research concerning the European avant-gardes
– reception of the European avant-garde in the Czech milieu
– contacts among the members of the Czech theatre avant-garde with the European avant-gardes; cooperation projects
– reception of the Czech theatre avant-garde in Europe
– new results of research concerning the Czech avant-garde
– the legacy of the Czech avant-garde theatre theory
– translation (from or into Czech)

Further suggestions contributing to the dialogue are welcome and will be considered.

Scholars from different fields as well as theatre practitioners, translators, historians of art, stage designers and theatre critics are warmly invited to join us and participate in the event either as speakers or as audience.

Selected contributions from the conference will be published in a special issue of THEATRALIA (vol. 2022/1).

Paper proposals should include:

• the title of the paper
• an abstract of 250–300 words
• the name(s) of the author(s)
• contact address
• telephone number
• e-mail address
• institutional affiliation
• short biographical note (maximum 300 words)

Due to the epidemiological situation, the conference will be organised as an on-line gathering. Since the on-line format is more suitable for shorter presentations, the participants are kindly asked to send their final papers before the conference start (see below: “Important dates“).The papers will be available to the registered participants at least three weeks before the start of the conference, so that they can get familiar with them. The requested length of the papers is 12.500–16.500 characters including spaces. The conference contributions shall consist of a ten-minute resume of the paper and – of an extended debate.

Despite the on-line format, we are very pleased to announce we are preparing a rich off programme.

Important dates:

Please send the proposed title of the paper, abstract, biographical note, and other relevant information to the conference e-mail contact (below) no later than on 28 February 2021.

Notification of abstract acceptance: March 15 2021.

Final paper submission deadline: April 30 2021.

Publication of the conference papers, accessible to registered participants and audience only, at the website of the conference: May 10 2021.

Conference e-mail contact: theatralia.conference@phil.muni.cz

Conference organisers:

1. Andrea Jochmanová (Academy of Performing Arts, Masaryk University): ajochmanova@mzm.cz
2. Mariana Orawczak Kunešová (University of Ostrava): mariana.kunesova@osu.cz
3. Kateřina Šalounová (Masaryk University): katerina.salounova@mail.muni.cz

Conference fee for speakers: 800 CZK / 30 EUR

On behalf of the project organising committee:

Pavel Drábek (University of Hull, Masaryk University)

David Drozd (Masaryk University)

Šárka Havlíčková Kysová (Masaryk University)

Andrea Jochmanová (Academy of Performing Arts, Masaryk University)

Mariana Orawczak Kunešová (University of Ostrava)