Conference: End(s) of Empire: Place, Politics, Performance

Organized by Dr Sarah Hoover, Dr Siobhán O’Gorman and Dr Kevin Wallace, and kindly supported by the Creative Futures Academy and Film EU European University, IAThe DT will host End(s) of Empire: Place, Politics, Performance on 5th & 6th June 2025.

This is the annual conference of the Irish Society for Theatre Research, but will be interdisciplinary in scope. It connects communities of practice, bringing together Irish and international artists and researchers to consider the following questions: What are, or have been, the roles of creative and performing arts in negotiating the end(s) of empire or their continuation? How can creative practice, as well as research for and about such practice, illuminate our understanding of place and politics as they relate to empire? What decolonial strategies have been employed or envisioned by artists and cultural organizations, and to what end? What roles do performing and creative arts play in perpetuating or exposing embedded structures that sustain racial, class and related privileges? To explore these questions, the conference features panels including practice presentations and talks on such topics as mediatization, government policy and the arts, adaptation, art and justice, and (re)imagining place – with time for discussion at the end.

Full schedule is available HERE.

There will be two keynote speakers for this event: Dr Elaine Sisson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Culture and Academic Lead for the Creative Futures Academy, Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Laoghaire; and Dr Siân Adiseshiah, Professor of Literature, Politics and Performance and Head of English, Loughborough University.

The conference title is a deliberate pun on what might be called the decolonial end of history, the mirage or sleight of hand in the last century called ‘the end of empire’. It also connects with the motives of new forms of imperialism ranging from neocolonialism, to globalization, to cultural imperialism. The locale of Dún Laoghaire (which was called Kingstown from 1821 to 1920), like others throughout the island of Ireland, is marked like a palimpsest by remnants of its contested and imperial past, now overlaid with signifiers of current global markets and new forms of empire and imperialism. As such, the location itself will echo questions pertinent to how the ghosts of history continue to haunt the present.

New Moon, a film installation made by refugee artists living in Ireland, will be screened in IADT’s new Digital Media Building throughout the conference. With a wine reception, book launches and early career researcher initiatives providing additional networking opportunities, this event shares knowledge and expertise for the enhancement of practitioners, educators and the cultural and creative sector as a whole. Come join in on some good-natured controversy! Further details and a link to register are available on the ISTR website, here.