Intellect

Further Reading

TaPRA is a British research association founded in order to foster and sustain research in all theatre, performance and related areas in British and Irish Universities and allied institutions.

This initiative is, in part, a response to the competitive, and divisive, climate that has developed incrementally over the past decade within British theatre research as a result of the RAE and other government policies. So in short, TaPRA’s ethos is in many ways linked to Intellect’s and as such our stand received a lot of attention, in fact people were leafing through our volumes before I had finished unpacking my boxes! 

Most of the delegates were aware of Intellect and were eager to talk and find out more about us, our history and mission. There were a number of academics present with links to Intellect – many of whom I was fortunate enough to meet –these include Paul Allain, Roberta Mock, Phil Smith, Toni Sant, Daniel Meyer-Dinkgrafe, Sozita Goudouna and Jennifer Parker-Starbuck.

Sales were good and interest in our forthcoming publications was high. Walking, Writing and Performing sold well as did Serious Play and there was a lot of interest in Studies in Theatre and Performance as well as Applied Theatre and Directors & Designers. I think this was due to a number of reasons: firstly some of our authors and contributors were doing a sterling job rounding up potential buyers and subscribers and pointing them in the direction of our stand and secondly, on closer inspection of the conference abstracts we are publishing progressive and pertinent titles in the performing arts. For example, there was a lot of currency and interest in applied theatre, site specific performance and scenography, three areas that we are currently publishing books in.
 

The conference included

- a performance by The FATHoM Project, choreographed by Adam Benjamin

- a conference buffet & cruise on the Tamar River

- a conference reception at Han's Oriental Restaurant

- a film screening of Grotowski's The Constant Prince

- an introduction to the University's Immersive Vision Theatre

- a 'twalk' in Plymouth's historic Royal William Yard by Phil Smith (Wrights & Sites)

- a screening of Complicite's The Street of Crocodiles from the V&A Theatre Archive

and one-to-one performances by Sam Rose.

The TaPRA 2009 Conference Organisers were: 

Roberta Mock, Lee Miller and Victor Ramirez Ladron de Guevara