Between Then and Now: Performing Archives
June 23 – June 24
The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, 23-24 June 2026
Convened by the Performance Research Group, Manchester School of Theatre, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Following on from our previous conference, Scoring Performance/Performing Scores (2023), Between Then and Now: Performing Archives is interested in exploring how the archive can be a score for future development, how it can be reactivated, reanimated or re-enacted. This research also suggests a recall from the past to the present and we are particularly concerned, in the current political climate, with work that affords a consideration of temporality at a time when archives are being erased.
The conference will interrogate the role of the archive in shaping, capturing, echoing, and contextualising performance, and to bring this area of thinking and practice into productive dialogue.
Please find a brief schedule here. We are expecting about 25 papers, presentations, performances and exhibitions over the two days. We have a small number of spaces available for academic and artistic colleagues and PhD students who would like to attend, but because of the size of the room and catering, these places are limited. If you would like to attend on either Tuesday or Wednesday, please sign up at the form below. If you have questions, please contact the Performance Research Group at performanceresearch@mmu.ac.uk.
Tuesday 23rd June
9:30 Assemble
9:45 Welcome
10:00 Keynote presentation – Karen Christopher
11:00 Morning Coffee
11:30 Session One – Papers with Q&A
12:45 Lunch
13:45 Session Two – Performances with Q&A
15:00 Coffee Break
15:30 Session Three – Performance Presentations and Q&A
16:45 Move to bar
17:00 Session Five – Performances
18:30 End of day
Wednesday 24th June
9:30 Assemble
10:00 Welcome
10:15 Session Five – Papers with Q&A
11:30 Coffee Break
12:00 Session Six – Papers with Q&A
13:15 Lunch break
14:15 Session Seven – Performance Presentations and Q&A
15:30 Afternoon coffee
15:45 Keynote presentation – Matthew Spangler
17:00 Thank you and goodbye
Free