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Call for Papers: Scene 

ISSN 2044-3714 | Online ISSN 2044-3722 

2 issues per volume | First published in 2013

Special Issue: Australian Scenography 

This special issue aims to provide space to consider the state of scenography and performance design within Australia, ranging across creative practice, pedagogical approaches and evolutions, and research inquiry. On the cusp of a new decade, Australian performance finds itself within the context of a turbulent political landscape, which has seen the devaluation of the arts at a federal level and instability in the funding landscape, as well as ecological disasters from fires, floods and drought; persistent humanitarian crises and an inability to reach humane solutions for those seeking asylum in our country; and finally, the pernicious impact of European settlement and the marginalisation of First Nations and indigenous voices. 

Against this backdrop, this special issue welcomes contributions on the state of Australian performance and their scenographies. It presents perspectives on the evolution and diversification of design practices and philosophies tied to the unique Australian experience, across a range of performance genres including dance, theatre, opera and inter- and transdisciplinary practices.

Submissions could address the following points: 

• Indigenous and First Nations scenographic practice and approaches 

• Scenography and pedagogy within the Australian academy 

• Scenography as politics/politics as scenography within Australia 

• Critical considerations of diversity and representation within Australian performance design

• Researching on and through scenography 

• Critical reflections on the history and development of Australian scenography 

• The influence of Australia’s climate disasters on the creation of the scene, as well as responses to Tanya Beer’s notion of ecoscenography (Beer, 2016) 

• Aural scenography and designing the sound of Australian theatre 

• The function of ‘new media’ technologies within Australian scenographies and the impact of emergent tech on design, space, audiences and performers within digital performance 

• Australian approaches to space including site-specific and immersive performance design

• Costume and Australian scenography 

• Lighting Australian performance Submissions could be in the form of essays, case studies of practice, interviews and roundtables capturing diverse perceptions on Australian design. 

Deadline for full paper submissions 31 January 2021. 

Please submit to Christine White: christine.white@dmu.ac.uk