Two-day symposium at Coventry University that will interrogate the future of performer training, specifically within Higher Education. The focus will be on theatre and dance training and education. 

Key practitioners and academics will provide some unique perspectives on the relationship between different forms of practice, theatre making and performer training, and on the rationales and purposes that might underpin such practices.

There will be opportunities to be involved before, during and after the event at Coventry – the aim of the event is to provoke action, collaboration, connection and change. We are looking to see what we might need to do in order to enable performer training to best respond to the challenges of the future.

The over-arching themes for the event will include:

·        Who should have access to what training?

·        What should be the quality of connection between teacher and student? How should we be working together?

·        What skills will performers need in the 21st century?

·        How important will online technologies be to the future of performer training?

·        What does training for a global environment mean?

·        Do we need a different kind of training for a different kind of theatre?

·        What should be the relationship between training and the performance industries, and/or the communities within which it is situated?

·        Who else should training engage with?

·        What role does research have to play?

The sessions will be grouped to allow ample discussion around the various provocations and live contributions from guest speakers. Sessions will be captured and responded to by critical listeners, and outcomes posted on the Theatre Dance and Performance Training blog site. The event will aim to ensure that time is given to fully examine and discuss the implications of the provocations – sessions will also focus on what next, what changes, what needs to happen.

The follow up activity will enable continued discussion, interaction and engagement through the blog site, as well as the fostering and establishment of new collaborative networks to pursue resultant change, innovation, research and practice.

Confirmed Contributors Include:

Paul Kleiman, HE Senior Consultant and Visiting Professor

Scott Graham, Artistic Director, Frantic Assembly

Kristine Landon-Smith, Director & Educator

Josette Bushell-Mingo, Artistic director for The Swedish National Touring Theatre

Jonathan Pitches, Professor of Theatre and Performance, University of Leeds

Simon Murray, Senior Lecturer Theatre Studies, University of Glasgow