Textual Poetics

  

A Discursive Analysis of Canon Debates in Post-war Flemish Theatre (1945-2010)

Research project
Fellow: Hoet Ciska
Principal investigator: Van den Dries Luk
Tags: Performative and Textual Poetics
Duration: 01/10/2011 - 30/09/2013
This project investigates repeated debates over what is to be called a theatre classic in Flanders between 1945 to the present. It does so not only because such debates have never been seriously investigated although they have occurred at regular intervals in post-war Flemish history; but also because such debates are revealing of a broader, fundamental uncertainty of the place and meaning of theatre (subsidies) in society: should theatre strive for social relevance, or should it only be 'art as art'?
Similar questions are now on the table in various European countries experiencing an outburst of public discussion on how national identity, shared values and artistic heritage (should) speak to each other.
 
A recent Flemish illustration of this is the 'repertoire debate' that kicked up dust during the last theatre season. Through a discursive analysis of these debates in Flemish history and on the basis of a digital archive of journal articles and cultural policy documents, the present project will attempt to sketch evolving conceptions of theatre classics, their impact on subsidy decisions and theatrical practice, and the ways in which the resulting theatrical canon interacted with the construction of a Flemish identity in Belgium.

The Status of the (Re)translated Intertitle in the Restoration and Presentation of Silent Film

Research project
Principal investigator: Paulus Tom
Tag: Textual Poetics
Duration: 01/01/2010 - 31/12/2011
When restauring silent films with translated intertitles film archives are confronted with ethical, aesthetic and practical problems. Due to the scarcity of scientific research with a focus on the status of translated intertitles, restauration procedures are often ad hoc, i.e. they lack a uniform, scientific approach. By describing, categorising and analysing existing silent films and their translations, the present research project aims to help develop procedures for a scientifically founded restauration of both photographic and textual material.

Theatre without Continuity: The Text in Postdramatic Performance Arts

Research/publication project
Fellow: Swyzen Claire
Principal investigator: Vanhoutte Kurt
Tag: Textual Poetics
Duration: 01/01/2009 - 31/12/2010
The development of theatre in the twentieth century can be seen as a transition from ''dramatic'' theatre to ''postdramatic'' theatre. Whereas current research mainly emphasises the physicality of postdrama, this project aims to explore the consequences on the way text is handled in contemporary theatre practice.
The focus of this practice based research is on the specific way time elapses in current postdramatic narratives.