Call for papers
The Association of Independent Theatre Practitioners for Children and Young People (ATINA), in collaboration with the International Network of Theatre Researchers for Children and Young People (ITYARN) and RIA (International Adolescence Network), members of ASSITEJ International, are organizing the 8th INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF RESEARCHERS AND CRITICS IN THE PERFORMING ARTS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE (AEIJ) with the aim of stimulating the development of research in this field at both national and international levels.
The 7th Forum will take place from 4 to 8 October 2027 in Buenos Aires.
Since the very beginning, the Forums have sought to make a theoretical contribution to professionals in the field, stimulating the development of new trends and enabling reflection on the challenges facing the performing arts for children and young people in the 21st century. During the event, various theoretical frameworks for critical analysis will be proposed, and the role of theory in practice and of practice in theory will be discussed.
The theme of the 8th Forum is:
WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THEATRE FOR ADOLESCENTS?
Creating for adolescent audiences has always been a difficult task. In the 21st century, the speed of social and technological changes has made it even more complex. A gap is opening up – or at least it feels as though it is – between adult creators and the audience of digital natives. There is no common ground amongst artists regarding what the performing arts mean for teenagers. Are they projects co-created with young people, who act as both authors and performers in their own productions? Is this the only way to engage an audience of peers? Are they projects devised for them by adult professionals? Or is a specialized approach not even necessary, since teenagers are perfectly capable of watching theatre intended for adults? What can theatre contribute to teenagers’ development, their sensibilities, their knowledge and their integration into society?
The questions, as well as the angles from which to approach this topic, are many and varied. We do not expect to have answers, but rather proposals which, from different angles and points of view, help us to reflect on and understand theatre and performance for this very particular audience.
The papers to be presented may be based on theoretical research as well as personal experiences, provided that the latter involve reflection on the issue at hand, with the corresponding theoretical justification.
The programme will include lectures, paper presentations, plenary sessions, round-table discussions and debates led by researchers and creators from AEIJ organizations in various countries.
The Forum will take place in person and will be streamed online. Active participation—including the presentation, reading and discussion of papers—will only take place in person at the Forum.
The working languages are Spanish/Portuguese and English, with translation provided.
Participants and exhibitors will also be able to attend specially selected performances from the local programme and side events such as dramatic readings and/or workshops.
For further information, please contact infoatina@gmail.com
GUIDELINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF PAPERS
Submission of Papers
Participants:
Researchers, creators, teachers and students of any nationality may submit papers.
Language:
Abstracts may be submitted in Spanish, Portuguese or English.
Papers will be presented in their original language, but a translation into Spanish or English, as appropriate, will be required once they have been accepted.
Topic:
“WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THEATRE FOR ADOLESCENTS?”.
Titles and Abstracts
These must be submitted by 1 March 2027 and must not exceed 300 words.
The abstract must include the topic of the paper, the research methodology to be used, the structure of the paper and a brief bibliographical reference.
Please provide the title of the paper, the presenter’s first name and surname, the institution where they work, city and country, email address, telephone number, and a brief CV of no more than 200 words, including the most recent work and/or project in which they participated.
Joint papers may be submitted.
PLEASE UPLOAD YOUR ABSTRACT HERE
Proceedings
The proceedings of the International Forum of Researchers and Critics of Performing Arts for Children and Young People will be published in print or digital format with an ISBN number
Evaluation Committee
It will be composed by members of ATINA and ITYARN.
Translations
The translation into English or Spanish/Portuguese of the final paper, as applicable, must be submitted in Word format by 1 SEPTEMBER 2027.
Cost
No registration fees will be charged for the presentation and reading of papers.
Travel, accommodation, meals and tickets to performances will be at the participant’s own expense.
For enquiries, please contact infoatina@gmail.com
Organisers:
ATINA, ASSITEJ’s representative in Argentina, has been carrying out a wide range of activities since its creation in 2002, both nationally and internationally, with the aim of promoting the development of the performing arts for children and young people in our country and integrating them into the international scene. Its work takes the form of organising festivals, forums, workshops, a library, and both national and international meetings. ATINA is a member of the Ibero-American Network for Theatre for Children and Young People (AEIJ).
https://infoatina.wixsite.com/atina
ITYARN (International Network of Researchers in Theatre for Children and Young People) is ASSITEJ’s international network of researchers. ITYARN’s aim is to promote research into theatre for young audiences (children and young people) through the exchange of academic material, essays and lectures, symposia and festivals.
https://ityarn.wordpress.com/about-ityarn/
RIA (International Network on Adolescence) is ASSITEJ’s recently established professional network, which works to raise the profile and develop the performing arts for and with adolescents around the world through virtual and face-to-face meetings, publications and the promotion of projects carried out in each country. @red_adolescencias
