Call for Submissions｜WSD 2025 Research Symposium, October 2025

World Stage Design 2025 and the OISTAT Research Commission invite submissions for presentations at the WSD' 25 Research Symposium: Scenographic Heritage, Design Futures, & Sustainability. The Symposium is part of ScenoFest at World Stage Design 2025 in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, October 2025.

The Research Symposium is scheduled on Oct 20th, 10am-6pm local time (location to be advised)

We invite proposals for presentations that reflect the three core themes of WSD' 25 – Scenographic Heritage, Design Futures, & Sustainability. The Symposium aims to provide a space to feature global voices on theatre and performance design, architecture, and technology research. We wish to support a wide-ranging discussion on the symposium themes, and therefore call for submissions on the following suggested themes:
 

• future theatre design heritages;
• scenographic materials, past and future;
• performance technologies both past, present and future;
• keeping and curating performance design knowledges;
• decolonizing design knowledges and futures;
• digital archives and the preservation of design heritage, and the survival of digital knowledges and archives;
• engaging the archive in contemporary scenographic practice;
• Artificial Intelligence and the impact on performance design practice, research, education, ethics, careers and more;
• ecoscenography;
• climate change and its impact on local, national and global performance design practice, research and education;
• the sustainability of performance design careers, including the notions of sustainability of physical and mental wellbeing;
• sustainability of design practice/research/education in general, either within the academy/institutions or professional 'industry'.

By way of acknowledging the numerous thematic links with the previous WSD’22 in Calgary with its thematic focus on indigenous ways of knowing; ecoscenography; and multiple realities, the symposium welcomes continuations of the research, conversations, collaborations and ideas shared throughout the previous World Stage Design.

Beyond the Symposium themes, we seek to further discussions on the role, function, impact and potential of ‘research’ – in all its forms and meanings – within our scenography, theatre architecture and technologies. We hope to provoke discussion on the following:

• What is the role of research?
• What is the state of research in scenography, theatre architecture and technologies?
• How can research inform and evolve in relationship with design practice and education?
• How can research further our understanding of theatre and performance design, architecture, and technology, as well as document the diverse range of cultural and creative approaches to performance design, architecture and technology around the world?

Possible formats for presentations include:

• Paper presentations (15mins)
• Flash-talks or Research-in-progress updates (7 minutes)
• Poster presentation. Please contact Symposium organisers will provide further information around size
• Panel discussions. We are open to proposals for panel discussions, but will need to consider the number of proposals and time restrictions on the event. Please outline your proposal idea, including speakers, in your proposal and we will contact you.

 

Apply to participate
Complete the online submission form before March 23rd, 2025.

Please note all submissions will need to align with the Symposium themes of Scenographic Heritage, Design Futures, & Sustainability. Refer to the suggested themes and sub-themes above.

Researchers of all stages, from all disciplines, are welcome to apply. We especially encourage current research students and early career researchers to apply.


Presentation mode
The Symposium is an in-person event.
However, we are committed to sharing a diversity of perspectives on research, and acknowledge that international travel to this event may not be possible. If you are interested in sharing your research through a pre-recorded video hosted online and made available to Symposium participants, please contact Symposium Co-convenor Tessa Rixon before completing this form on tessa.rixon@qut.edu.au. Please note your presentation will still need to align with the Symposium themes of Scenographic Heritage, Design Futures, & Sustainability. Please note pre-recorded talks are not able to be screened during the Symposium, but will be made available for participants to watch online.

The working language of the symposium is English.

Important dates*:

• Abstracts due via online submission: Midnight March 23rd, 2025
• Notice of successful application: Mid April 2025
• Release of presentation schedule: August 2025
• Presentation materials (PPT) due for submission: October 1st, 2025
• Symposium Date: Oct 20th, 2025, 10am-6pm local time.

*Please note deadlines may be subject to change, and the Convenors will notify applicants of any changes.  

Special affiliated issue of Critical Stages/Scènes critiques
The OISTAT Research Commission has partnered with Critical Stages/Scènes critiques to produce a special affiliated issue. Publication date is June 2027, and therefore the symposium may act as a research incubator for new publications/collaborations ahead of calls for papers for the special issue in 2026.

Symposium Convenors
Dr. Tessa Rixon (OISTAT Research Commission Chair. Senior Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology, Australia) Please direct queries to tessa.rixon@qut.edu.au
Dr. Slađana Milićević (OISTAT Research Commission Vice-chair. Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia.)
Kathleen Bell (DMA كاثلين بيل, Lead Tutor Research and Singing, Sharjah Performing Arts Academy)
Michelle Bohn (Programme Supervisor, Performance Design, Set & Costume MFA, Sharjah Performing Arts Academy)