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<b>Brecht in the Anthropocene: 18th Symposium of the International Brecht Society (Univ. of Victoria, Canada; July 22-26, 2026)</b></div>
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The extent of human ecological impact is so great that it is measurable as a geologic imprint on our planet. We are now in an entirely human-made geologic epoch, the Anthropocene. The 18th Symposium of the International Brecht Society aims to respond to the
present moment of global ecological crisis through a comprehensive ecocritical engagement with Bertolt Brecht that explores the role of nature in his writings; the relevance of the intertwinement of human and non-human life in his social and political critique;
and the significance of Brecht’s aesthetics and theatre methods for contemporary, environmentally engaged literature, art, music, film, theatre, and arts-based environmental activism. In what ways can Brecht’s writings and theatrical praxis constitute a framework
for a demystified and politically engaged aesthetic response to climate change? Can Brecht’s works and theories serve as a methodology of critical inquiry and practical intervention?<br>
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The Symposium aims as well to interrogate the concept of the Anthropocene itself: Can placing Brecht in the Anthropocene enact a generative Verfremdung to open new approaches for grappling with the present crisis of planet Earth? As a contested term, the Anthropocene
needs to be examined critically. While it accurately captures human ecological impact in terms of geologic time, it obscures the nuances of human history and does not differentiate between the Eurowestern extractive, colonial mindset and other knowledge systems
and relational ways of existing as part of the more-than-human world. The Anthropocene is also too broad a concept to allow for complex insights into the intersection of environmental justice with other forms of oppression and injustice.<br>
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Alternative concepts strive to offer more complicated perspectives and narratives. Columbian Exchange identifies the global reach of European colonialism as the starting point of this new geologic era. Capitalocene focuses specifically on capitalism as the
main driver of environmental destruction, whereas Donna Haray’s concept of the Chthulucene offers a utopian, kin-centric framework for de-centering the Anthropos altogether. How can we situate Brecht in this conceptual landscape? Are there blind spots in his
oeuvre? What can Brecht contribute to a critical engagement with these frameworks and how do these different frameworks enrich our approach to Brecht’s writings?<br>
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The location of the 18th IBS Symposium also brings into sharp focus the urgency, complexity, and politics of how we situate ourselves in the Anthropocene and with what stance we intervene as scholars, teachers, artists, activists. The University of Victoria
is located on the unceded territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt) Peoples, near some of the last remaining ecological havens on the planet, surrounded by ocean, old growth forest, and volcanic mountain ranges. This land and the territory
of the entire West Coast region is a contested space, where memory of the historical trauma of genocidal colonialism is dynamized by Indigenous Resurgence and the culturally, socially, and politically unsettling process of Truth and Reconciliation. The environmental
change and the decolonial process cannot be separated from the history of capitalism in this region as a site of ongoing environmental conflict.<br>
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How can an awareness of the complexity and politics of this location inform our approaches to repositioning Brecht in the Anthropocene? Brecht does thematize colonialism and its ecological impact, but indigeneity is a blind spot in his works. Yet grappling
with the Anthropocene must acknowledge a decolonial lens. What would a decolonial approach to Brecht look like? Are there ways of placing Brecht in dialogue with Indigenous and non-Western knowledge systems?<br>
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We envision four thematic pillars through which to engage the topic of Brecht in the Anthropocene, including but not limited to:<br>
1) Nature: We do not seek to impose a restrictive or romantic definition of nature, but rather invite ideas, arguments, and provocations on such questions as: What is the significance of nature in Brecht? To what extent is Brecht a Naturlyriker? How is his
nature writing embedded in wider frameworks of criticism of capitalism, fascism, politics, etc.? We also envision examinations of core Brechtian concepts, such as Verfremdung or Gestus, which are forms of de-naturalization. What is the underlying concept of
nature and what can it contribute to debates around climate change? Is there a Brechtian Gestus of environmental activism or ecological consciousness?<br>
2) Human/Non-Human: Human nature is a central topic throughout Brecht’s writings. For Brecht this is not a metaphysical but a social question. The Dreigroschenoper / Threepenny Opera accordingly does not ask what human nature is, but rather how people survive.
The answer typically is that humans survive through dehumanization of others and themselves. Is there an ecological dimension to the dehumanizing realities of life in capitalism? Where does the current surge in AI technology—capitalism’s version of the post-human—fit
into how we define the human and the non-human? Does Brecht’s awareness of the precarity of human life extend to an awareness of the precarity of non-human life? What would rehumanizing people entail, and how would that affect people’s relationship to the
non-human?<br>
3) Theatre Praxis: We are interested in the generative potential of Brecht’s theatre methods for contemporary environmental art and activism. There are limits to how far we can stretch the relevance of Brecht's own writings to the debates and imperatives around
environmental justice and climate action, but how useful are his methods for artists and activists today? How can we place Indigenous ways of knowing in dialogue with Brecht or artists whose works have been influenced by Brecht? We see great potential in performance
practice, particularly how Brechtian methods are currently being adapted or challenged by practitioners in climate-conscious theatre today, especially in the Global South, such as South Asia, Latin America, and Africa, where Brecht’s tools intersect with radically
different aesthetic and political contexts. The Symposium also invites a deeper and intentional engagement with Indigenous dramaturgies and ecological worldviews, both as a critique of Brecht’s blind spots and a means to reshape our thinking about storytelling,
land, and performance.<br>
4) Rupture and New Directions: How can we actualize or adapt Brecht for our times? Do artists, scholars, educators, and engaged citizens still find a use value for Brecht in contemporary forms of resistance, activism, and practice? Our current moment is one
of rupture and uncertainty, an ecological state with no analogue in the past. This calls for new ethical frameworks for global stewardship. Yet the response often is resistance to change and a clinging to visions of the past that fuel discourses of catastrophe
and doom, which only further entrenches resistance to change. What utopian impulses are there in Brecht’s works that can inspire us to imagine a more just and habitable existence in the future? How can we relate to (and/or criticize) Brecht as we seek to center
the periphery and include other ideas and voices that have been marginalized? Can we use Brecht to shift attention to the urgency of climate change discourse? Lastly, we are interested in the accelerated changes since 2020 in this post-Covid world, e.g.: the
radical reordering of global politics toward authoritarianism, the erosion of democratic and cultural institutions, and/or the slide from globalization and free trade to overt crony capitalism and transactional politics.<br>
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The symposium will also feature a rich cultural program, including keynote speakers, an optional guided nature walk, networking sessions, performances, as well as thematic and place-based workshops.<br>
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We invite proposals for individual papers, ideas for complete panels, manifestos, performances, research posters, creative sessions and workshops, and provocations on any of the above topics or themes. In the spirit of deep intellectual and cultural exchange,
the symposium will be held in person at the University of Victoria, BC. However, the symposium organizers wish to include as many participants as possible and, if there is need or interest, may organize a limited number of hybrid sessions. Please indicate
in your proposal if you absolutely require this remote option as a precondition for your participation.<br>
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The primary conference language will be in English, but German presentations are also welcome. Please submit abstracts for 20-minute presentations (250-300 words), abstracts for poster sessions (150-200 words), suggestions for panels with three participants
or suggestions for performances (250-300 words) by August 31, 2025 to: brechtanthropocene2026[at]gmail.com. We expect to notify presenters of the conference committee’s decision by late October 2025. We very much welcome the participation of graduate students
and early-career colleagues. Please contact the Symposium co-organizers Elena Pnevmonidou (epnev[at]uvic.ca) and Kristopher Imbrigotta (kimbrigotta[at]pugetsound.edu) with any concerns or questions.<br>
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Symposium participants are strongly encouraged to become members of the International Brecht Society. The conference fee will be $CAD 170.00 (CAD 90.00 for students, retirees, and the unwaged). We hope to attract funding to provide a limited number of travel
bursaries. A selection of the proceedings from the Symposium will be published in the Brecht Yearbook. We very much look forward to receiving your proposal and to welcoming you to Victoria in the summer of 2026!</div>
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