Theatre Studies, which also includes Dance Studies and Performance Studies, is an active and internationally oriented research environment.
The following five aspects characterize our research and teaching at Stockholm University.
The relationship between the performing arts and society: As researchers, we approach theatre, dance and performance as an event, which means that the performing arts should be understood in relation to their specific social and cultural contexts. This event-oriented understanding involves a dynamic approach to the interaction and communication between the stage and the auditorium that takes into account the audience’s different experiences, but also the material, organisational and cultural policy aspects that enable the events that our researchers analyse. Here we apply both contemporary and historical perspectives. Our research is also permeated and driven by a utopian desire to defend the importance of the performing arts for a functioning democracy. Therefore, we integrate research already in the education we offer. An example of this is the first undergraduate course, Contemporary Performing Arts, which thematises the relationship between the performing arts and the surrounding society.
A broad and inclusive understanding of theatre: Theatre scholars use an expanded and non-discriminating notion of theatre and our research focuses on amateur theatre, artivism, ballet and contemporary dance, children’s and youth theatre, burlesque, circus, feminist performance, independent ensembles, diva cult, puppet theatre, immersive theatre, Japanese Noh theatre, costume history, musicals, opera, performance art, political demonstrations, political theatre, popular culture, post-dramatic theatre, queer performing arts, performing arts criticism, spoken drama and Indigenous performing arts and performances, as well as theatrical events in the public space. This broad understanding of theatre is inspired by developments in the contemporary performing arts and is often positively highlighted by our international exchange students.
Bodies: The performing arts involve bodily practices. For theatre scholars, this means that our interest focuses on bodies and embodied actions in different spaces. Bodies express themselves in different ways; they age and are differently abled, perform a variety of gendered expressions and sexualities, have different class backgrounds, or might have technological implants, to name just a few. Bodies are also treated differently and are often subjected to violence and discrimination. To do justice to the complexity of bodies and bodily practices, our researchers use critical and interdisciplinary perspectives such as gender and queer theory, postcolonial studies and perspectives from children and youth culture in their projects. To this can be added affect theory, kinesthesia, and sensory studies. Theatre scholars have been instrumental in the development of these perspectives and have helped to anchor them in other research disciplines as well.
A cosmopolitan research environment: Theatre Studies, Dance Studies and Performance Studies as research areas constitute a cosmopolitan research environment. We have an internationally composed faculty body that speaks twelve different languages and actively uses these in their research. We have developed an International Master’s Program in Theatre and Performance Studies and are involved in a collaboration that provides a Nordic Master in Dance Studies. Theatre Studies has for several decades played a prominent role in the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR). Many of us have been and are involved in the Association for Nordic Theatre Scholars (ANTS), Dance Studies Association (DSA), European Association for the Study of Theatre and Performance (EASTAP), Nordic Forum for Dance Research (NOFOD) and Performance Studies international (PSi). Our researchers and doctoral students are editorial board members of some of the leading journals in the discipline: Theatre Research International; Nordic Theatre Studies; Teatertidningen; double: Magazin für Puppen-, Figuren- und Objekttheater; alt.theatre: cultural diversity and the stage; Nordic Journal of Dance - Practice, Education and Research.
Our researchers have a continuous collaboration across diciplines and departments, such as literature studies and children and youth culture. We also engage in an active exchange with performing arts educations and are open to collaborations with artistic researchers. Several faculty memnbers give regular guest lectures at Stockholm University of the Arts. In addition, we are involved in the Dance Museum and the Friends of the Music and Theatre Collections. To safeguard and deepen the dialogue between universities and performing arts practitioners, we collaborate with several theaters, including Giron Sámi Teáhter, Unga Klara, Tur-teatern, the Royal Opera and the Royal Dramatic Theatre. We regulalry invite performing artists as guest lecturers, both at basic and advanced level, to talk about their practice.
