Performative Inquiry

Founder & Director: Ashkan Kheilnejad

Presented at universities across Iran since 2017

Mission Statement

These workshops are specifically designed for theatre students in academic institutions. Given that educational programs in Iranian colleges still predominantly operate on traditional and conventional formats, these workshops aim to fill existing educational gaps. My goal is to familiarize students with contemporary performance concepts and provide them with the necessary tools for critical and creative thinking in theatre. Through these experiences, I strive to create a dynamic and interactive educational environment that enhances students' artistic and cognitive abilities, preparing them for the challenges of the modern theatre landscape. One of the expected outcomes of these workshops is to motivate students and encourage them to explore the diversity of contemporary theatre on a global scale.

Program Overview

This program centers on Performative Inquiry, emphasizing performance as a critical and reflective practice. Through the theories of figures such as Richard Schechner, Hans-Thies Lehmann, Erika Fischer-Lichte, and Patrice Pavis, students will discover how each performance acts as a form of thinking that reflects on its own structure. Understanding how performance forms are constructed is crucial for analyzing the roles of text, director, and actor within the theatrical landscape.
This structure enables participants to delve deeply into contemporary performance theories, fostering critical discourse and exploration in their practice. They will engage in activities such as group discussions, collaborative projects, and practical exercises that challenge conventional theatre approaches, providing opportunities for in-depth exploration of materials and concepts.
By the end of this program, students will have a foundational understanding of contemporary performance theories and their practical applications, allowing them to pursue these ideas further in their professional activities. They will also be equipped with the skills necessary to construct performance texts from diverse materials in the workshop entitled, ‘Text as Material’. Moreover, they will be enabled to create a high-participation, multi-voiced space for theatre-making in, ‘Directing as Collective Practice’, and gain a new understanding of the performer's potential through the ‘The Performer as Dramaturg’ workshop. Ultimately, these workshops empower students to leverage the richness of contemporary theatrical practices and encourage meaningful engagement in the field.

Venues and Collaborations

Performative Inquiry: Text as Material

In this workshop, participants will explore the text as a material, engaging in comprehensive training to uncover the latent possibilities within various textual forms. They will develop essential skills for deconstructing texts into effective tools for their performative experiences. Through group exercises, students will learn how to analyze and reimagine both narrative and non-narrative texts, transforming them into impactful components of their performances. Additionally, by studying post-dramatic plays, participants will investigate how various textual elements coexist and interact, ultimately creating a cohesive performative piece. By the end of this workshop, they will acquire the skills necessary to construct a performance text, based on Various substances.

Performative Inquiry: Directing as Collective Practice

In this workshop, participants will explore directing as a collaborative process, understanding it not just as an individual role, but as a shared practice that actively involves the creative input of every team member. Through structured group activities, students will develop theatrical works within a democratic framework that values and integrates all contributions, creating an environment where Various voices shape the performance. This setting encourages critical reflection on their roles and fosters a culture of active listening, adaptability, and mutual respect. Participants will recognize the inherent value of each individual's perspective, enriching the creative dialogue. Additionally, they will learn that directing involves creating an empowering space for all participants to influence the outcome. The workshop culminates in a group performance that embodies this unified vision and demonstrates how collaborative approaches lead to more dynamic and engaging theatrical experiences.

Performative Inquiry: The Performer as Dramaturg

In this workshop, participants will explore the concept of the actor as a dramaturg, enhancing their skills in creating meaning and sensory experiences within their performances. This approach sees the actor as more than a mere performer of text, Through their physicality, they actively shape the structure of the performance. The workshop emphasizes the body as a primary tool of dramaturgy, engaging participants in exercises to cultivate their physical abilities, enabling them to respond effectively to the stage's demands. By deepening their connection to their bodies, students will learn to integrate physical expression with textual and spatial elements. By the end of the workshop, participants will elevate their dramaturgical capacities, gaining a new understanding of acting rooted in collaboration with other performance elements. The workshop culminates in a short performance piece that merges personal stories with theatrical elements, challenging the actor's sense of self, as a vital component of dramaturgy, and highlighting the transformative power of the actor's embodied presence in the creative process.

Achievements

Each time this event takes place at a college, it draws participation from students across different faculties. This inter-university interaction fosters new artistic and social networks, creating opportunities for collaboration among students of different backgrounds to produce joint theatrical works for student festivals.