Research Luc Van Den Dries

Abstract

Traditionally, text and language have been central elements on the theatre stage. The first and foremost function of these texts was 'mimesis'. 'Mimesis' describes the use of the drama text as referring to, or evoking an external reality. Through the text the actors pronounce, characters of all sorts can emerge. Today, a broad range of theatre, performance, and dance practices do not employ texts for mimesis, but rather for kinesis. These texts do not imitate reality, but generate movement, because they are uttered in a distinctly rhythmic manner, and because the performers' bodies start to move on the rhythm of these texts. This project will offer the first, in-depth study of this recent tendency by examining how contemporary theatre, performance, and dance artists are rethinking the interaction between text and movement in ways that prevailing interpretative frameworks in academic research on the performing arts can hardly account for. The increased interest in what this project calls 'kinetic textuality' necessitates a different perspective on the relation between language and movement, that illuminates its underlying aesthetic strategies and makes the intertwinement between text and motion comprehensible.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: De Laet Timmy
• Co-promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Lambert Rosa

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The project 'Moving Language: An Investigation into Text's Kinetic Potential in Theatre', will examine the dominating presence of textuality within the work of certain contemporary artists and the way in which it triggers a new form of theatricality. The use of text in the work of, amongst others, Mette Edvardsen, Jan Lauwers and Abke Haring, is deeply influenced by dance aesthetics and therefore very distinct from traditional text theatre. Text is no longer used to produce the words of a certain character (mimetic), neither does it function as mere material presence, within the realm of other performative elements. The aforementioned artists make explicit use of text, in a way that is not conceivable by use of current theoretic paradigms on text. This peculiar status forces scholars to rethink and redefine theory on textuality and to connect it with concepts from performance studies, such as 'embodiment', 'presence' and 'spatiality', concepts that are less likely to be used in dominant theoretic contemplations on textuality. This project departs from this theoretical impetus and will work around the hypothesis that certain contemporary uses of text can be labelled as 'kinetic'. Therefore, the conceptualising of text from a mimetic/semiotic view will be connected with and replaced by a kinetic framework, which will enable performance scholars to study contemporary textual tendencies within the realm of physicality and spatiality. This research project is thus both practical and theoretical: by use of a selected corpus, traditional (theoretical) conceptions will be redefined to frame how textuality in contemporary text theatre 'moves' around the performative dynamic.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Lambert Rosa

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The ARGOS project intends to create the conditions for a new sharing of knowledge in the field of performing arts. It is based on an original collaboration between theatrical researchers, artists, students, cultural mediators and spectators. All of these participants will be gathered in communities to observe European creative processes on five fields: Belgium, France, Italy, Greece and Portugal. The mobility of these communities thus formed will make it possible to experience intercultural and inter-professional dialogue and to reinforce the skills and abilities of each participant, the hypothesis being that the experience of otherness and physical and symbolic displacement is a lever for transforming the members of these communities. During the 30 months of the ARGOS project, the academic, artistic and cultural partners are implementing five experiments that each give a place and a different role to these communities. It is a question of witnessing strong and singular artistic gestures on diversified European sites by experiencing the creative processes according to two great modes of relationship: the face-to-face and the digital. Indeed, some members of these communities will attend and participate directly in the creation process, when others will be associated by a streaming and live connection. With these two modes of presence, communities test different forms of observation: integrated observation with Teatro O Bando (Portugal) where the viewers are engaged in the sharing of a place and a time community; the participant observation with Chiara Guidi of the Societas Rafaello Sanzio (Italy and Greece), where the viewers act directly on the creative process; virtual observation with the National Theater of Brittany (France), where the viewers are equipped with virtual reality headphones and live the rehearsals in immersion; the creative observation with Au bout du plongeoir (France), where the viewers seize the materials and documents used by the artistic team to imagine a transmedia story of their experience; intercultural observation with Moussem (Belgium and Lebanon), where viewers are encouraged to experience the diversity of their cultural roots in perceptual practice.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project aims to investigate how the theatrical experience can be made accessible for blind and visually impaired patrons through audio description (AD), a specific audiovisual translation (AVT) mode that translates visual information into verbal information. Current audio description models focus mostly on rendering the story of a film or theatre performance accessible, and are therefore mainly inspired by narratology. Many aspects of a theatre performance such as the atmosphere, the aesthetics, the way actors physically "fill" their role, lighting, costumes, the use of video projections etc. are insufficiently taken into account. And it is precisely these features that are central to an integral theatrical experience. On the basis of a corpus of performances of Toneelhuis and NTGent this project will develop a new AD model that will allow for these intermedial features to be included in the translation for the target group. To this end, the intentions of the creative process will be integrated into the AD production.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Remael Aline
• Co-promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Roofthooft Hanne

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Preparation of a project that delves into the creative processes of a carefully selected range of leading European theatre and dance artists, scrutinizing the procedures, media, and methods they employ for making work. Through a comprehensive survey of the different stages of artistic creation in theatre and dance, this study will develop the first integrative model for conducting genetic research in these domains. In contrast to literary studies, which has a fairly well established tradition in analyzing the genesis of literary texts (or what is called "genetic criticism"), there is currently no adequate methodological framework that captures both the scope and dynamic nature of creative processes in theatre and dance. As living art forms that typically involve embodied and intangible knowledge, theatre and dance require distinct methods for examining their coming-into-being. The project will build the foundations for genetic research on theatre and dance by opening up ground-breaking avenues for examining the key determinants of creative processes in these domains, including documentation, training, rehearsal, performance, and context. These layers of artistic creation will be assessed by means of an integrative and interdisciplinary framework that sets new frontiers for genetic research on theatre and dance.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The aim of this project is the development of a tool for evaluation of the performers' quality of movement. This tool will be used by artistic experts with a different background and tested on experienced performers from the company Troubleyn and novice performers of the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp. By using as well video's as 3Dreconstruction of video's, the movement's aspect is extracted from the context during a performing act. That way, experts blinded to the identity of the performer, may evaluate whether the quality of movement differences between novice and experiences performers.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Co-promoter: Roussel Nathalie

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This innovative research into theatre audio description (AD) for the blind and visually impaired (BVIP), set up in collaboration with 2 major Flemish theatres, identifies the challenges of AD for postdrama, and investigates their applicability to other genres & national contexts, laying solid foundations for follow-up PhD research, also on a European level, and contributing to the development of strategies to improve the BVIP's theatrical experience.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Remael Aline
• Co-promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project represents a research contract awarded by the University of Antwerp. The supervisor provides the Antwerp University research mentioned in the title of the project under the conditions stipulated by the university.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

General aim of this project: Throughout the years the Flemish theatre director Jan Fabre has developed a physical training method to prepare his dancers and actors for the stage. The method aims at creating a strong physical presence on stage and at heightening their expressie qualities. Some of the exercises Jan Fabre has developed within this training method have been the object of research in the past. This project aims primordially to disseminate his pedagogy by developing tools to introduce interested participants (actors, teachers, general audience) into his training methodology.These tools will also assure that Fabre's pedagogy remains accessible without his presence. The general aim of this project is therefor to develop pedagogic instruments that can transmit Fabre's training principles and that can help future generations of performers to get in touch with this most original physical training method.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The topic of this research project concerns the contemporary versions of the Regiebuch, or the 'director's notes'. In contemporary theatre, the classic theatrical notebook has disappeared together with the classic dramatic source text. A wide range of new forms of theatrical notebooks has filled that void, ranging from conceptual notes and sketches to a rich diversity of formats borrowed from other fields, such as scores, storyboards, sound tracks and video editing.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The main objective of this research project is to optimize the expressive power of actors / dancers. This is done on the basis of the training method of the renowned Flemish artist Jan Fabre based on a combination of inner experience and physical stress. This combined form is called 'biological acting' whick calls upon a strong commitment of the physical capabilities of the actors, and is regarded as a form of physical stress. This method is further refined in this project and parameterized on the basis of measuring stress through "Heart rate variability" (HRV), a measure of the amount of reserve that the physiology of the sympathetic / parasympathetic system displays in stress load. Also the expressive powers of the actor/dancer is measured using a neurological measurement of a test audience.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project represents a formal service agreement between UA and on the other hand Kunsten en Erfgoed. UA provides Kunsten en Erfgoed research results mentioned in the title of the project under the conditions as stipulated in this contract.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

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.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Hoet Ciska

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project investigates how the term 'repertoire' (or theatre classics) is used as a political instrument in the texts of and discussions between theatre makers, critics and policymakers in the field of Flemish theatre from 1945 to the present. In the past theatre season the question which repertoire should be played on Flemish stages (or not) was hotly debated. Such debates are symptomatic of canon discussions in other disciplines. They are invariably controversial since they put a nation's cultural identity at issue. The actual debate, however, failed to topicalise identity explicitly. Moreover, repertoire has been the subject of much disagreement in post-war Flemish theatre history, while research on how this term has been instrumental in cultural politics is as yet lacking. Via a quantitative and qualitative discourse analysis the project at hand strives to provide insight into the evolving relations between policymakers and the theatre sector against the backdrop of a cultural community negotiating its own canon. On the basis of six digital corpora consisting of journal articles and policy documents between 1945 and today, it will be possible to determine who says what on repertoire and why, which interests support various definitions, and which definitions prove to be decisive.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Hoet Ciska

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The aim of the project is to fill a notable gap in Flemish theatre history. Methodologically, three innovative approaches are chosen to tackle the rise and evolution of a distinctive performance practice in social, political, and theatrical life. Depending on the size and nature of the performance, this genre is designated as open-air theatre, mass spectacle, or choral drama. The research project will study the performance history, discursive development, and social and political impact of the genre.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Co-promoter: Peeters Frank

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This research questions the relevance of the "Performative Turn" in aesthetics for the opera. In a theoretical part, the central concepts are critically investigated. In a historical-aesthetical part, the reception of Pelléas et Mélisande by the musictheatre is reinterpreted in the light of this pardigmatic change in (opera-)aesthetics. A third part focuses on the practical consequences of this turn for the contemporary staging of opera.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Co-promoter: Berg Christian

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This research project takes a closer look at the development of a new methodology of acting in the interdisciplinary context of performing arts. Specific research methods are fieldwork, the study of relevant literature and the creation of a workshop. The project strives to paint a more precise picture of the (necessary) skills of this new breed of performer, which in turn could have an innovative effect on art education and theatre studies.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The project aims at providing an adequate theoretical framework for abject images and performances in late twentieth-century theatre. The resulting concepts will be applied to two case-studies of abject theatre: the work of Sarah Kane and the performances of the Italian Socetas Raffaello Sanzio. The first part starts out with an investigation of the fundamental concept abject art, more specifically obscene and morbid theatricality, to denote firstly sexually abject images and secondly images connected to death, disease, cruelty and anatomy. In order to provide a connection to existing research in the visual arts and literature, the performances will be analysed as to their images, speech and actions. This will open the possibility of specifying the aesthetic impact (Wirkung) of obscenity and morbidity in the performance arts. After this clarification the project follows two distinctive paths. The first path focuses on the concept of representation. We will consider if obscene and morbid images are best understood as `heterogenous' images, following the lead of Georges Bataille, or as the result of a specific perceptive mechanism which `obscenicizes' the represented objects, following the studies on the abject in art by Julia Kristeva. In the course of this investigation the question will also be considered why so many of the artists connected with abject art stress the ritual or sacred dimension of the representation of abject objects. The second path takes the concept of performativity as its starting point. In this research phase abject performances are no longer considered as primarily representational, and instead we analyse how they actively involve the spectator in the obscene or morbid acts performed on stage. Various examples of cultural performances (Singer) such as animal sacrifices or ritual mutilation, which inspired performance artists in the second half of the twentieth century, will serve as the focal point for treating this question. Closing the theoretical section we turn to some concrete examples of abject theatricality. The work of Sarah Kane is considered first. Starting out from the statement of George Steiner that the possibility for tragedy has vanished in the postmodern age, we propose to consider Kane's pieces as just such `postmodern tragedies'. The tension generated by representation and peformance of the abject is central to this investigation. The second case-study centers on the work of Romeo and Claudia Castellucci's Socetas Raffaello Sanzio. Their performances are studied in the light of Antonin Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty, a main inspiration they acknowledge themselves. Whereas Artaud's work is limited to abject speech and images, however, their work will be seen to incorporate the important addition of the `grotesque body' in the framework of Artaud. The research project finally considers other examples of abject theatricality in late twentieth-century theatre, such as the work of Heiner Müller, Jan Fabre and La Fura del Baus.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Crombez Thomas

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

In the research project various strategies of body representation and imagery in contemporary Belgian theatre (especially that of the last decade) will be analysed. The resesarch project is focused on the shift from the visual interventions of the eighties where body is performed as a closed formal and visual entity, to the new ways of performing the body in the last decade. The new ways of of contemporary non-autonomous, connected, terminal, weak, in-between, even obsolete body will be analysed in the connection to the contemporary Belgian theatre. Various ways of performing the body will be approached by the help of a specific and innovative methodology and theories on contemporary performing in the light of the new understanding of hybridity, terminal identities, artificiality etc. They could disclose the complex role of performing in the contemporary culture - as that of the main field where we can currently articulate and find strategies of contemporary bodies. Characterised by an innovative searching for various ways of performing, the 'Belgian example' can help us understand the most recent occupations of contemporary performing arts.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Kunst Bojana

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The project aims at providing an adequate theoretical framework for abject images and performances in late twentieth-century theatre. The resulting concepts will be applied to two case-studies of abject theatre: the work of Sarah Kane and the performances of the Italian Socetas Raffaello Sanzio. The first part starts out with an investigation of the fundamental concept abject art, more specifically obscene and morbid theatricality, to denote firstly sexually abject images and secondly images connected to death, disease, cruelty and anatomy. In order to provide a connection to existing research in the visual arts and literature, the performances will be analysed as to their images, speech and actions. This will open the possibility of specifying the aesthetic impact (Wirkung) of obscenity and morbidity in the performance arts. After this clarification the project follows two distinctive paths. The first path focuses on the concept of representation. We will consider if obscene and morbid images are best understood as `heterogenous' images, following the lead of Georges Bataille, or as the result of a specific perceptive mechanism which `obscenicizes' the represented objects, following the studies on the abject in art by Julia Kristeva. In the course of this investigation the question will also be considered why so many of the artists connected with abject art stress the ritual or sacred dimension of the representation of abject objects. The second path takes the concept of performativity as its starting point. In this research phase abject performances are no longer considered as primarily representational, and instead we analyse how they actively involve the spectator in the obscene or morbid acts performed on stage. Various examples of cultural performances (Singer) such as animal sacrifices or ritual mutilation, which inspired performance artists in the second half of the twentieth century, will serve as the focal point for treating this question. Closing the theoretical section we turn to some concrete examples of abject theatricality. The work of Sarah Kane is considered first. Starting out from the statement of George Steiner that the possibility for tragedy has vanished in the postmodern age, we propose to consider Kane's pieces as just such `postmodern tragedies'. The tension generated by representation and peformance of the abject is central to this investigation. The second case-study centers on the work of Romeo and Claudia Castellucci's Socetas Raffaello Sanzio. Their performances are studied in the light of Antonin Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty, a main inspiration they acknowledge themselves. Whereas Artaud's work is limited to abject speech and images, however, their work will be seen to incorporate the important addition of the `grotesque body' in the framework of Artaud. The research project finally considers other examples of abject theatricality in late twentieth-century theatre, such as the work of Heiner Müller, Jan Fabre and La Fura del Baus.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Crombez Thomas

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This reserach project will focus on the development of Flemish theatre in the second half of the twentieth century, a period which brought major changes in the Flemish theatre system. It will deal with the demand, the functioning, de characteristics, the structure and the evultion of the Flemish theatre system. Methodologically the reserach project combines Bourdieu's sociological theory with a performance analytical one.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

In this project the dramaturgical function of sound design in contemporary performing arts is examined. In recent theatre dramaturgy images of the body are coupled with sound-images. In that respect, mechanisms which are responsible for the connection of these concepts, should be analysed. By means of electro-acoustical sound theory one can check if physical and technical parameters or mechanisms are transposable into dramaturgical tools and principles, and vice versa.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Important moments in the international theatre history are marked by revolutions in the use of Christian mythology (classical tragedy, baroque and romantic drama). Even in the alleged 'postmetaphysical' age concepts like 'subjectivity' and 'mythical reasoning' remain keystones of cultural studies. Especially the recent history of Flemish theatre can be seen in terms of its stance on religion. A historical parallel between the two main stages gives insight into that evolution. The first period (1965-1975) is known for the aspirations of an avant-garde that articulated the ideas of Grotowski, Artaud and Brecht with regard to notions as authenticity and emancipation. Interesting casestudies regarding myth are in the second period (1985 up till now) the works of Alain Platel, Jan Decorte, Erik De Volder and Filip Vanluchene. Working hypothesis is that the first period brings into playan antithetical position towards Christian mythology, whereas the second period reflects the untenable essence of antithetical logic. Recent theatre in other words puts forward the impossibility of binary oppositions by indicating the structural ambivalence of idealism in itself.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Vanhoutte Kurt

Research team(s)

• Research Centre for Visual Poetics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

An inquiry into the representation of the banal/everyday body in the scenic arts, using viewpoints and concepts of sociology, cultural philosophy and cultural studies which deal with everydayness and its inherent theatrical qualities. Goal: developing a conceptual framework that is able to describe the complex and historically mediated transformation of the theatricality of everydayness to everydayness in theatre. Corpus: case studies of the 20th century theater avant-garde, with special attention to Jan Lauwers, Jan Fabre, Alain Platel and Meg Stuart.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: De Belder Steven

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Starting point:The deficiency of the existing dancefield in Antwerp. Although there are a lot of dance initiatives in this province, there is no co-operation between them. Purpose:Mapping the field of the dance organisations in Antwerp and investigating their individual differences and means of co-operation. This thorough field study will enable the development of proposals which can organize and optimize the synergism between the different dance organisations active in this field, which can be sustained by the province policy. Working method:Literature research, function analysis of all the actors in the field, analysis of the province policy, formulation of the policy proposals.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

An inquiry into the representation of the banal/everyday body in the scenic arts, using viewpoints and concepts of sociology, cultural philosophy and cultural studies which deal with everydayness and its inherent theatrical qualities. Goal: developing a conceptual framework that is able to describe the complex and historically mediated transformation of the theatricality of everydayness to everydayness in theatre. Corpus: case studies of the 20th century theater avant-garde, with special attention to Jan Lauwers, Jan Fabre, Alain Platel and Meg Stuart.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: De Belder Steven

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The sixties and its important social and pedagogic changes influenced Dutch and German children's literature considerably. Until this radical revolution the moralizing and conservative children's literature fitted perfectly into the educational machinery. Starting from this age of protest, children's literature is dominated by the emancipation of the child to a mature, critically thinking, full member of society. This project will investigate if this common point of view is not to be modified and will argue that ruptures are not so absolute. The project will analyse in which way this socio-pedagogical (r)evolution is reflected in and inspired by a new anti-authoritarian, anti-moralizing youth literature. For the nineties we will examine whether the authority patterns outlined in children's literature follow the recent pedagogical shift to a new orientation, away from the anti-authoritarian ideal of a free education.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

In the era of electronic image processing, traditional patterns of cultural representation are under review. This project will carry out a research into that change of paradigm in the artistic and receptive context of theater. Within the scope of theater semiotics, the dramatext, the scene and the theatrical body will be connected to postmodern mediatheory.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Vanhoutte Kurt

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This study investigates the sociocritical powers of the Flemish so-called 'political theatre' put in an historical perspective. In which way does the contemporary critical theatre relate to the original Agitpropmovement of Brecht and Piscator? From poststructuralist philosophy (Foucault, Baudrillard, Derrida) a methodological frame is devised which will test the critical content of each generation. Case studies on the work of STAN and Jan Decorte will clarify the development of political theatre in Flanders during the last fifteen years. The hypothesis is that 'political theatre' today can no longer be identified as clearly as it used to be.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: De Boeck Christoph

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Analysis of the poetics of postmodernism in theatre, by means of the anlysis of communicative patterns during the production and rehearsal processen of postmodern performances. The research will also focus on comparing the results of the analysis with the characteristics of the performance, its criticism and the theoretic discourse. The research aims at refining the anaytic tools in postmodern theatre performances.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The aim of this research project is to place Fabre's work in a multi-disciplinary and International context. The central point is a crucial sign in bis work: the representation of the body. This research project has an interdisciplinary character: the figuration of the body will be studied on the intersection of performance and plastic arts, of language and televisual media. The representation of the body will be placed in a larger socio-cultural context: we will specifically adress the question of how the body is used in a communicative space governed by the (new) media.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This course offers a general introduction to various aspects about children's literature and the literary science and criticism that deal with children's literature. Lectures are given by Flemish specialists on the domain of children's literature: its analyzing, its editing, its teaching in class. Our partner in this project is "Nationaal Centrum voor Jeugdliteratuur, NCJ, Antwerp ". An overview from a historical and thematic point of view at the beginning of the course will offer a frame of reference for the guest lectures which focus on more specific issues. The course also aims at a clarifying of the relationships between pedagogics, psychology, sociology, philosophy,, cultural anthropology and children's literature.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The central point of this research project is the discussion of the body as an ideological signsystem. The representation of the body in various artistic disciplines will be places in a larger sociocultural context : we will specifi-cally adress the question of how the body is used in a communicat ive space governed by the (new) media. This research project also wishes to place a number of internationally known Flemish artists within this context.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

In the era of electronic image processing, traditional patterns of cultural representation are under review. This project will carry out a research into that change of paradigm in the artistic and receptive context of theater. Within the scope of theater semiotics, the dramatext, the scene and the theatrical body will be connected to postmodern mediatheory.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Vanhoutte Kurt

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This study investigates the sociocritical powers of the Flemish so-called 'political theatre' put in an historical perspective. In which way does the contemporary critical theatre relate to the original Agitpropmovement of Brecht and Piscator? From poststructuralist philosophy (Foucault, Baudrillard, Derrida) a methodological frame is devised which will test the critical content of each generation. Case studies on the work of STAN and Jan Decorte will clarify the development of political theatre in Flanders during the last fifteen years. The hypothesis is that 'political theatre' today can no longer be identified as clearly as it used to be.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: De Boeck Christoph

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Dora Van der Groen is responsable for theatre training at the Antwerp Academy for Dramatic Arts. Her school is said to have delivered a new generation of actors with a considerable influence on today's theatre in Flanders and Holland. This research project aims at editing her 'acting lessons' so that they become available for a larger audience.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

Project type(s)

• Research Project