Our Out of the Wings monthly readings are, as we have often stated, incredibly simple. We meet, we read a play out loud, we discuss. But out of this simplicity, complex questions emerge about theatre translation, directing a performance of a translated text and the information that actors, directors and audiences need to know about the process. The Out of the Wings one-day Forum arose from a desire and need to create a space where we could explore these questions in greater depth with a range of researchers and practitioners.
This year in the Forum on 30th July, we particularly want to focus on and recognise the work that theatre translators and their translations do in the world, beyond the stage. Translators might go on to train other translators in formal and informal educational settings, translators might be involved in festivals as a dramaturge or in other roles, and texts might be performed around the world at events unknown when the translator first puts pen to paper. In the Forum, we aim to identify these different roles and have an open discussion about how theatre translators and practitioners move between these different roles and at the same time, identify the wide range of opportunities on offer.
The concept of worldmaking, refers to the imagined worlds created by dramatists and performed on stage as a play. It also refers to the work that translators, researchers and practitioners do in enabling cultures to come into contact with one another through the practice of translation and this cultural exchange can create new worlds. This concept is at the heart of the Language Acts and Worldmaking project, one of the collaborators in the Forum, along with Translation Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. This means that the day will be extremely varied and discussion is prioritized so each of the panelists will present a 10-minute intervention or performance and then take part in a round-table discussion, which will also include the audience. The programme is really exciting and this year the Forum includes graduate students, theatre companies and international performers, as well as a workshop co-led by the Translators Association at the Society of Authors. This is a really valuable opportunity to learn from one another’s experience and create new ways of working collaboratively.
Come and join us on 30th July. Booking details and info https://ootwfestival.com/conference-2019/
Sophie Stevens, Forum Organiser and Translator of Her Open Eyes by Raquel Diana
