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Borderlines

Established in 2013, our annual interdisciplinary Borderlines conference focuses on the ways in which performance and the arts engage with thresholds, liminal experiences, fluidity, overlap, dialogue and encounter, and the territorial pursuit and transgression of borders and boundaries. Inspired by perspectives stemming from the political, the philosophical and creative processes, Borderlines provides a space to consider the means by which performance responds to the turbulent world surrounding, shaping and shaped by us, in the past and present, as well as contemplating possibilities for the future. It has been particularly concerned with: how performance might negotiate or embrace different modalities of fear; the aftermath of acts and events inducing fear; repetitious or long-term protest and challenge; strategies of hope and care as a means of negotiating the ruptures caused by a world of post-truth politics and environmental crisis; the capacity to find freedoms within and against various boundaries. 

Borderlines welcomes the sharing of research in a variety of forms (papers, performances, work demonstrations, videos, artist talks and provocations) and provides a dedicated postgraduate panel to facilitate first time presenters or emerging scholars to share their research. 

Borderlines has featured fascinating and provocative keynotes from: Professor Lynette Goddard (Royal Holloway), Dr Sarah Gorman (Roehampton), Professor Geraldine Harris (Lancaster), Professor Jen Harvie (Queen Mary), Professor Deidre Heddon (Glasgow), Professor Roberta Mock (Plymouth), Professor Jennifer Parker-Starbuck (Royal Holloway) and Dr P.A. Skantze (Roehampton). Amidst the challenging context of CV-19, it offered a highly successful virtual summer 2020 series of talks and events by inspirational artist-scholars, including Traci Kelly, Nike Jonah, Penny Slinger, Thomas Talawa Prestø, Alesandra Seutin and Miss Tempest Rose

Borderlines tile photograph by Elizabeth Short.