T-MIGRANTS – Perspectives on Historical Theatre Migration Research

We also offer online participation, here is the Zoom link:
https://stockholmuniversity.zoom.us/j/64310893103

Berenika Szymanski-Düll.

Abstract

The tragic images of people fleeing the war in Ukraine once again bring the phenomenon of migration to the global attention and remind us that Europe has always been affected by migration movements. In the 19th century, for example, the continent itself was the starting point of massive emigration, in the course of which thousands of Europeans left Europe for economic reasons, due to political and religious persecution or as settlers in the course of the strengthening colonialism. But there have been many migrations within Europe in this period as well. The fact that a large number of migrants were theatre professionals at the time is still largely unexplored.

In this talk, I aim to follow on from this point and give an insight into the ERC research project T-MIGRANTS, which is investigating European theatre migrations in the period from 1850 to1918. In this context, I will discuss the complexity of the term 'theatre migrant', present our research interests and research approaches, and give an insight into our database.

About Berenika Szymanski-Düll

Berenika Szymanski-Düll is Professor in Theatre Studies with focus on transnational theatre history at LMU Munich and leads the research project “T-MIGRANTS – Crossing Borders: The Agency of Nineteenth-Century European Theatre Migrants” (www.t-migrants.com) funded by the European Research Council. She is also the executive editor of the peer-reviewed journal Forum Modernes Theater. Her research is characterized by a strong interdisciplinary approach and situated at the crossroads of theatre, history and society.