International Conference on East Asian Theatres | Poland

Entitled "East Asian Theatres: Traditions - Inspirations - European / Polish Contexts", the sixth conference organised by the Polish Institute of World Art Studies (and its predecessor, the Polish Society of Oriental Art) dedicated to East Asia will be held at the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, Krakow, Poland, an ASEMUS member, on 20-22 October 2015. The conference is associated with the opening of a new permanent exhibition of the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology Europe - Far East Gallery, which will exhibit the art of China, Korea and the Asian continent, as well as the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the national theatre in Poland. The conference will be accompanied by an exhibition connected with this topic, being prepared by Manggha together with other Polish museums. This will be the first of the six conferences to focus fully on theatre, although theatre themes have appeared in the programmes of previous conferences devoted to individual countries in the region (Japan, China, Korea, etc.). Poland has a long tradition of artistic and theatrical contacts with the countries of East Asia: China and Korea. In the 17th and 18th century, the Jesuits’ theatre reached for the themes from the history and religion of China and Japan. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Poland was visited by prominent actors such as Sada Yakko and Mei Lanfang, as well as ensembles – Peking opera, nō and kabuki theaters, Korean pansori artists. For the leading creator of the Polish 20th century theatre, Jerzy Grotowski, the Chinese theatre became an important source of innovative inspirations. Presently, research on the theatre and art of East Asia is conducted in major scientific centers in Poland – University of Warsaw, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun. East Asian art collections are featured by National Museums in Krakow, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw, the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow, whose collection includes many exhibits related to Japanese theater, and the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw with its rich collection of theater puppets and masks from many countries. Organisers of the conference invite experts in the history and theory of theatre, theatre culture, art history, aesthetics, ethnology and cultural anthropology of East Asia to attend the conference. The following topics will be addressed:

• Spectacle, including actor-character; the viewer and the audience; realism, symbol convention;
• Theatrical plastics and iconography, including building, interior, stage machinery; set design, costume; advertisement; etc.
• Theatre - cultural contexts, including theatre and social context; theatre vs. politics; theatre vs. religious life and rituality; theatre and gender;
• Relations between East Asian theatres with the world / Polish theatre, including Chinese diaspora theatrical forms and their relationships with local cultures; reinterpretations of tradition in contemporary East Asian theatre; reception of East Asian theatres in Europe; reception of European theatres in East Asia; European avant-garde theatre and East Asia; etc.

The conference will be held in English. Abstracts of maximum 250 words addressing one of the themes outlined above should be sent by 30 June. For additional information about the conference and the call for papers, visit http://www.world-art.pl/img_upl/pdf_info_konfeath_english_4.pdf For registration, please visit http://www.world-art.pl/img_upl/pdf_pdf_east_asian_theatres_-_conference_form.doc