PARIP 2003

National Conference: 11-14 September 2003

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This section of the PARIP website is being updated with papers from the conference; photographic documentation of moments during the conference; and transcripts from audio recordings of discussion groups and plenary feedback sessions. Check the contributors’ section regularly for updates.

OUTLINE

The national PARIP conference took place between 11 and 14 September 2003 at the University of Bristol. There were 165 delegates and 40 presentations across the performing media.

PARIP received proposals that addressed the 6 themes chosen collaboratively by the various PARIP communities throughout the UK:

• 'How does 'practice as research' problematize notions of 'professional' and 'academic' practices?'
• What might be the various epistemologies of and knowledges generated by practice as research?
• What kinds of resourcing/plant/infrastructures are needed for practice as research?
• What makes an instance of practice ‘count’ as research? Does practice as research involve different methods as a result of its framing as research as distinct from ‘pure’ practice?
• How might the multiple locations of practice-as-research knowledges be conceptualized and assessed/evaluated/judged? And who decides?
• Must practice as research include some form of disseminable ‘reflection’ or is the practice in performance/screening contexts sufficient to stand as research outputs? What might be the role of documentation across media?

The conference built on the 2001 PARIP symposium to provide space for multi-modal presentations focused on specific practices and themes. In other words, the conference was intended to demonstrate that questions accruing around practice as research per se can be explored through specific performance practices — dance, film, TV, theatre, radio, digital arts, etc. — in addition to critical writing practices. Therefore, we particularly welcomed submissions that proposed to address the above themes across the range of performance practices, as well as through critical writing practices.

STRUCTURE

The conference comprised a mix of keynotes and extended workshops that provided every delegate with the opportunity to explore in depth each of the six themes. Performances / screenings / demonstrations / papers were embedded within the workshop structure. Each workshop comprised three elements: a 45-minute-long performance / screening / demonstration / paper by an individual or group; a 15-minute-long performance / screening / demonstration / paper by an individual or group; and an hour-long discussion. PARIP regional fora organized a number of sessions.

Delegates were also be assigned to a discussion group of approximately 30 participants. These groups met each afternoon to discuss the workshops attended by individuals in the group in order to develop key themes to feed back to the plenary discussion hours at the end of each day. By the close of the conference the groups identified a number of points of action which may be taken forward by PARIP.

Evening performance/screening events were also being organized to inspire further discussion and collaboration.

SUBMISSION, EVALUATION AND ACCEPTANCE

The deadline for submissions was 7 February 2003.

Submissions were assessed by the inter-institutional PARIP Advisory Group according to three main criteria:

• Relation between submission and conference themes
• Diversity of practices in relation to the field of submissions as a whole
• Consideration will also be given to ensuring that there is a working balance among: relative seniority of artist-scholars; regions; practices; and other differences/abilities