Performance Philosophy School of Athens

[Stefania Mylona]

 

Performance Philosophy School of Athens, a two-day symposium of lectures, workshops and performances organized by Stefania Mylona in collaboration with Michael Klien to be held 10.00-21.00 Saturday 15^th and 11.00-19.30 Sunday 16^th March 2014 at Ε.Δ.Ω. in Keramikos and in association with Performance Philosophy invites artists and scholars interested in the relationships of performance and philosophy to participate. Entrance is free so there will be priority upon arrival for registration. Registration will take place on Saturday 15^th March 9.30-10.00. Additionally, please note that lunch will be provided and that the event will be recorded so, by registering you provide permission for recording and reproducing the material.  

 Performance Philosophy School of Athens aims to introduce current concerns of performance philosophy in Athens, emanating from the undisputed importance of Greece in the field of philosophy. It aims to bring together people, both nationally and internationally, who are interested in the emergence of Performance Philosophy as a field. The proposed symposium will invite artists interested in philosophy and philosophers interested in performance to participate in a mutual understanding of the current concerns of this emerging and fast growing field. Its main objective is 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.

In line with the above we have already programmed, Dr Sophia Lycouris (UK), Dr Anna Tsichli Boissonnas (GR), Dr Bojana Cvejic (CR), Dr Eve Katsourakis (UK), Dr Sozita Goudouna (GR), Dr Konstantina Georgelou (NE), Dr Sophia Efstathiou (NO), Dr Danae Theodoridou (BR), Dr Mischa Twitchin (UK), Dr Paul Clark (UK), Dr John Blamey (UK), Stella Dimitrakopoulou (UK), Stefan Apostolou-Holscher (GE), Katerina Paramana (UK), Owen G Parry (UK), Giorgos Gyparakis (GR), Theo Prodromidis (GR) and Miriam Simun (US)

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

The two-day event will address the ways in which performance artists engage with and find inspiration from philosophical perspectives. Some of the questions to be asked (but not only) will be:

- 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 work with and artistically respond to philosophical perspectives?

- 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 be 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?

Some possible thematic exploration of the conceptual intersections between 'thinking' and 'making' Performance Philosophy School of Athens could involve: alternative teachers, collective thinking, philosophical dramas, post-dramatic learning, archaeologies of sense, philosophies of culture, philosophical ignorance, doubt, philosophical beats, philosophical demon-stration, proximity learning, philosophical schools of thought, post-thematic lessons, content vs con-texts, durational classes, the weight of philosophy, philosophical work-shops, caring as thinking, choreographies of thought, movement questions, thinking qualities, jumping into beginnings, tasting theories, phenomenologies of knowledge, masters of affects, subtexts, foot-notes, dramatourgies of quoting, practice-based plagiarism, post-continental mistakes, meta-philosophy as after philosophy, affirmative arguments, paradoxa of difference, performances of semblance, assessing being, existential assignments, processes of submitting, alternative sub-missions, deterritorialized prerequisites, ethics lessons, amphitheatres of perception, twisted students, experimental curricula, dys-courses, deconstructions of knowledge production, imaginative concepts, experimental notations, philosophical marks and grades as well as assessment theatres of unknowing touching upon 'πίστευε και ερεύνα', 'μακάριοι οι  πλούσιοι το πνεύματι'.

The symposium's language will be English.

Performance Philosophy began as a working group of Performance Studies international conference and had its inaugural conference as an independent organization in 2012 at the University of Surrey (UK). Due to the high interest towards Performance Philosophy the international committee offered awards for local interim events in Athens among others happening in Paris-Sorbonne, Groningen, Prague, Beirut, London, Wisconsin and Peru.

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

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

In-kind support by Dr Sozita Goudouna and Art Professionals in Athens Residencyhttp://artprofessionalsinathens.wordpress.com/ 

Supported by Prosenghisi and Domaine Zafeirakis

More information:

http://performancephilosophyathens.wordpress.com/

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 organizing Performance Philosophy School of Athens symposium in association with Performance Philosophy while 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