[Candrama] International Federation for Theatre Research Dramaturgy Working Group Call for Papers

[Sandberg, Stephanie]

Could you please send out or post the following CFP to your organization?

Call for Papers: IFTR 2026 – Translation, Adaptation, and Dramaturgy (TAD) Working Group
IFTR World Congress 2026, Melbourne, Australia
6-10 July 2026
Conference Theme: What Theatre Does
Launch of Call for Papers: 1 August 2025
Deadline for Abstract Submissions: 15 November 2025
Notification of Acceptance: 30 December 2025
Translation, Adaptation and Dramaturgy (TAD) is an interdisciplinary Working Group whose members research within the respective fields of theatre translation, adaptation and dramaturgy and, more interestingly, at the intersections of those, combining interests in the local and the global, historical and contemporary, text and performance, theory and practice, critical theory, cultural studies, ethics, politics and aesthetics. The group works towards both individual and shared outputs, involving short- and long-term collaborations, as well as an ongoing commitment to rigour, curiosity, and new ideas.
2026 Conference Theme: What Theatre Does
Theatre, dance, and cultural performances all do things – they are, in themselves, ways of doing. However, climate change, conflict, competition for resources, and the emergence of polarizing discourses and new technologies are leading to complex realignments that impact the kinds of performances being created and how we understand them historically. We are called upon to ask anew what Theatre does and to present answers that are compelling, persuasive, and impactful.
Call for Papers
We invite contributions that critically engage with this theme through the lenses of translation, adaptation, and dramaturgy. We particularly welcome work that explores how translation, adaptation, and dramaturgy shape or are shaped by the performative political, social, technological, and ecological challenges of our time, examines the impact of performance on audiences, institutions, and communities, locally and globally, reflects on the adequacy of our disciplinary methods and theories in understanding what Theatre does today, and offers new perspectives on the distinctiveness and transformative potential of performance.
Possible Topics Include (but are not limited to):


  *   Borderlines between translation, adaptation, and dramaturgy – how they interact and inform one another. Are translation, adaptation and dramaturgy still useful frameworks and concepts to apply to contemporary theatre?
  *   Methods and methodologies: rethinking disciplinary tools for contemporary challenges
  *   Ethics and aesthetics in contemporary dramaturgical, adaptational, and translational practice
  *   Technological disruption and its impact on dramaturgical, translation and adaptation practices
  *   The role of dramaturgy, translation, and adaptation in addressing climate change, conflict, and social justice
  *   Translation, adaptation, dramaturgy, and the shifts in global political power
  *   Open call: We also encourage submissions on any aspect of translation, adaptation, and dramaturgy
Submission Guidelines
We welcome full-length papers of up to 3000 words that will be distributed in advance to all participants. Abstracts should be submitted via (awaiting information)
Deadline for submission of abstracts: 15 November 2025
Deadline for bursary applications: (awaiting information)
Acceptance: Applicants will be informed of acceptance by 30 December 2025
Working Group Practice
Translation, Adaptation, and Dramaturgy is a semi-open group, in which papers are distributed to participants for reading before the conference. Presenters provide brief overviews of their papers (five to ten minutes) during the Working Group sessions, followed by an extended discussion that engages all participants. This approach allows for debate and the collaborative exchange of ideas. We are committed to creating an open and inclusive space for a broad range of topics at various stages of development, including works in progress. Postgraduate students and early-career scholars are especially encouraged to contribute their work.
We often receive many proposals. Where it is not possible to schedule a paper within the allocated time slots for the working group, the convenors will propose papers to the organizers for inclusion in General Panels or the New Scholars Forum instead.
Further Information
For information about the general conference, please check the IFTR website at https://iftr.org/conference. Please also check for updates on the Translation, Adaptation, and Dramaturgy Working Group page at https://iftr.org/working-groups/translation-adaptation-and-dramaturgy.
If you have questions about the group or about attending, please contact the working group convenors: Stephanie Sandberg (sandbergs at wlu.edu<mailto:sandbergs at wlu.edu>). You can also reach us at our Working Group email address: transdapturgy.iftr at gmail.com<mailto:transdapturgy.iftr at gmail.com>.
Your knowledge and research on translation, adaptation, and dramaturgy are of great interest to us! Please join us in Melbourne to share your work.
Kind regards,
Stephanie Sandberg


Dr. Stephanie Sandberg
Associate Professor of Theatre and Film
Theater, Dance, and Film Studies
Washington and Lee University
616-706-2134

Book time with Sandberg, Stephanie: Meeting with Stephanie Sandberg <https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/22194ae64bcc4918bd5ee2c5cccdd5fe@wlu.edu/meetingtype/X8UHvPG130yT8OyUtJ5p4w2?anonymous&ep=mcard>

Current Project: Directing THE COMPASSION PROJECT: A Ten-Part Docu-Series


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