Theatre Studies and Centre for the Humanities (CfH) of Utrecht University jointly present this Masterclass with Laura Cull.
This Deleuze and Performance Masterclass will provide an introduction to the immanent ontology of Gilles Deleuze by way of a discussion of his writing on two key theatre practitioners: the Italian actor and director Carmelo Bene, and Antonin Artaud. Specifically, the masterclass will provide an exposition of some key Deleuzian concepts, such as 'the body without organs' and the notion of 'the minor'. Inspired by Bene and Artaud, particular attention will be paid to the use of the voice in performance and the political value that Deleuze attributes to the 'minor usage of language' that we find in both practitioners work.
Dr. Laura Cull is Lecturer in Performing Arts at Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK. She is editor of Deleuze and Performance (Edinburgh University Press, 2009) and author of a number of articles including “How Do You Make Yourself a Theatre without Organs?: Artaud, Deleuze and the Concept of Differential Presence” (Theatre Research International). Forthcoming publication projects include the monograph Theatres of immanence: Deleuze and the ethics of performance (forthcoming with Palgrave); an issue of the journal Performance Research entitled “On Philosophy and Participation” (co-edited with Karoline Gritzner), and the edited collection Manifesto Now! Instructions for Performance, Philosophy, Politics (forthcoming with Intellect and co-edited with Will Daddario).
Laura is Secretary of Performance Studies international (PSi) and Chair of the PSi Performance and Philosophy working group. Trained as an artist, Laura is also developing a practice-based aspect to her research, which has culminated in performances at the ICA (2008) and the Serpentine Gallery, London (also in 2008, with the artists’ collective SpRoUt).
Participants are expected to have read two preparatory articles in advance to the masterclass. These texts will be sent to participants after application.
