GOBSMACKED – Call for Postgraduate Students Researching Performance

Saturday 20th November, 10am - 8pm

GOBSMACKED is a one-day conference that will take place on 20th November, 2010 at Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL). Part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council's (AHRC) Beyond Text programme, it is organised by QMUL PhD candidates Johanna Linsley and Helena Walsh.

Writing in 1962 Susan Sontag stated: “To describe a Happening for those who have not seen one means dwelling on what Happenings are not.” Set within this context of a critical loss for words, GOBSMACKED focuses on the ways in which experimental performance practices that fall within the brackets of ‘live art’, ‘performance art’ and ‘body art’ may elicit a failure of language. In titling our conference GOBSMACKED we purposefully draw on the reputation of these performance categories for that which is shocking, explicit or provocative. However, we wish to consider the many other ways in which experimental performance practice can effect a failure of speech amongst those who experience it.

During the conference, academic panels will alternate with artists presenting on relevant aspects of their practices. These include: Aine Phillips, Silke Mansholt, Chris Goode, Mat Fraser, Lena Simic, Helena Hunter, Brian Lobel, UnionDocs.

We are seeking 15-minute papers or presentations from postgraduate students researching Live Art. We encourage innovative forms and approaches.

Deadline 5pm, Friday 22nd October gobsmacked.conference@gmail.com.

Successful applicants will be informed by Friday 29th October.

Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS

Update on Wednesday 17 November, 2010 by Openned

Please note the start time is 9am, not 10am as originally stated.