Performance Philosophy School of Athens, a two-day symposium of lectures, workshops and performances organized by Stefania Mylona in collaboration with Michael Klien was held 10.00-21.00 Saturday 15^th and 11.00-19.30 Sunday 16^th March 2014 at Ε.Δ.Ω. in Keramikos in Athens and in association with Performance Philosophy.

 Performance Philosophy School of Athens introduced current concerns of performance philosophy in Athens. It aims brought together people, both nationally and internationally, who are interested in the emergence of Performance Philosophy as a field. Its main objective was to develop new creative dynamics in thinking and performance and explore the potentialities presented by Performance Philosophy in the face of local and global sociopolitical change.

Presenters: Dr Sophia Lycouris (UK), Dr Anna Tsichli Boissonnas (GR), Dr Bojana Cvejic (CR), Dr Sozita Goudouna (GR), Dr Konstantina Georgelou (NE), Dr Sophia Efstathiou (NO), Dr Danae Theodoridou (BR), Dr Mischa Twitchin (UK), Dr Paul Clarke (UK), Dr Michael Klien, Dr John Blamey (UK), Stella Dimitrakopoulou (UK), Stefan Apostolou-Holscher (GE), Owen G Parry (UK) and Giorgos Gyparakis (GR).

As an alternative site of learning, the symposium focused on creative, performative and alternative tropes of learning about and through performance philosophy. Instead of teaching performance philosophy, it worked as a site of 'doing' performance philosophy in order to create new understandings of it. Attention was given to creating space for thought and reflection that engaged us into creatively thinking of new ways of making and learning through performance philosophy.

Some of the questions addressed:

- How to make sense of philosophy in relation to performance?

- How to understand philosophical rhythms, dynamics, images, and uses of language, spacing, timing and the shaping of philosophy?

- How might artists create philosophical thinking?

- Can there be performance philosophies as a kind of meta-philosophy and/or how might artists 'philosophize'?

- How can philosophical - or not - ignorance as a state of a lack of knowledge become a prerequisite to learning?

- How could we by identifying our ignorance add creatively to knowledge formation?

- What might ignorance teach us as a site of performance of the intellect?

Performance Philosophy School of Athens also involved: alternative teachers, collective thinking, post-dramatic learning, archaeologies of sense, philosophies of culture, philosophical beats, proximity learning, post-thematic lessons, choreographies of thought, movement questions, thinking qualities, jumping into beginnings, tasting theories, phenomenologies of knowledge, masters of affects, subtexts, foot-notes, practice-based plagiarism, post-continental mistakes, affirmative arguments, paradoxa of difference, existential assignments, alternative sub-missions, deterritorialized prerequisites, ethics lessons, amphitheatres of perception, experimental curricula, dys-courses, deconstructions of knowledge production, experimental notations, philosophical marks as well as assessment theatres of unknowing touching upon 'πίστευε και ερεύνα', 'μακάριοι οι  πλούσιοι το πνεύματι'.

In association with Performance Philosophy http://performancephilosophy.ning.com/

In-kind support of E.D.W.   http://e-d-w.gr/

Supported by Prosenghisi and Domaine Zafeirakis

bio: Stefania Mylona, practitioner-scholar in performance philosophy and performance dance studied communication at the American College of Greece, performed with Magnitis Dance Company and was awarded a BA in dance in Athens (GR). On a scholarship awarded from The State Scholarships Foundation of Greece (I.K.Y.) she completed an MA in European Dance Theatre Practices at Laban and a PaR PhD in performance studies entitled Dancing Sculptures: Contractions of an Intercorporeal Aesthetic (2011) at the University of Surrey. During her PhD study, she lectured in dance at the Dance and Cultures HE program and became an associate of The British Higher Education Academy. She received the Glynne Wickham Award from SCUDD (UK) and the Graduate Award from SDHS (US) while presenting her research and performance practice internationally. Currently she is working as a freelance movement teacher, artist and scholar.   

bio: Michael Kliën¹s artistic practice encompasses interdisciplinary thinking, critical writing, curatorial projects, and centrally, choreographic works equally at home in the Performing as well as the Fine Arts. His works have been performed and situated in many countries across the world. Commissions include Ballett Frankfurt, ZKM (Karlsruhe), Tanzquartier Wien and the Vienna Volksoper; exhibitions include IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art) and Hayward Gallery (London). He received a PhD from the Edinburgh College of Art in 2009 and, as a committed teacher, has been lecturing about his findings at numerous distinguished academic and non-academic institutions. He has been co-founder and Artistic Director of the London based arts group Barriedale Operahouse (1994‹2000) and Artistic Director/CEO of Daghdha Dance Company (2003‹2011). Based in Greece and Ireland, he is currently working as an independent artist. www.michaelklien.com