Aural/Oral Dramaturgies: Post-Verbatim, Amplified Storytelling and Gig Theatre in the Digital Age

在21世纪，当代现场表演和戏剧越来越关注探索言语和声音的潜力。该项目专注于言语、声音、声音和声音设计的听觉方面，取代了20世纪后期占主导地位的文学文体性（新写作）和/或肉体性（物理戏剧），成为现场表演的主要戏剧动力。一些著名的作品说明了这一趋势，包括罗伯特·勒佩奇的《Lipsynch》（2008），西蒙·麦克伯尼的《邂逅》（2016），还有，更有代表性的是，在英国被称为“演出剧院”的作品（由凯特·坦佩斯特、克里斯托弗·布莱特-贝利、基兰·赫尔利、拉什·达什、中间孩子等艺术家创作）。强调听觉/口语的趋势具有国际层面，可以在美国的Taylor Mac，阿根廷的Lola Arias，比利时的Valentijn Dhaenens的作品中发现其各种表现形式。其他值得注意的例子包括耳机剧场（Rimini Protokoll, Rotozaza, ZU:UK）等形式，通常被认为是一种沉浸式或参与式剧场。该项目采用广泛的方法，同时关注口头、听觉和当代表演交叉的例子，试图将这种趋势与21世纪初的逐字剧场联系起来，并认为制造者对言语和声音的重新兴趣应该被视为范式转变的一部分，而不是孤立的现象或不相关的当代表演亚种。这些趋势可以被理解为属于相同的范式，因为它们主要（尽管不是唯一）通过倾听的行为来吸引听众。该项目将采用跨学科的方法，汇集来自民族志、哲学、数字人文、音乐学、博物馆学、声音训练以及戏剧、表演和戏剧研究的见解和专业知识，从而发挥领导作用。它将包括原始的实地研究以及网络和公众参与活动。将建立一个由预先任命的指导小组和尚未召集的咨询小组组成的两层国际研究网络，以支持各种领导和公众参与活动。该研究员将与巴特西艺术中心（BAC）共同委托新工作，这将构成初级研究的一部分，同时还将与一系列来自其他学科的表演制作人和语音专家进行访谈。研究将通过播客、国际项目会议、期刊特刊、专著、研讨会和策展人专业实践文件等方式传播。作为创新合作研究活动的一个例子，该研究员将与声音制作人Tim Bano、研究网络成员以及BAC和Digital Theatre Plus （DT+）合作，创建一个12集的播客系列（“Lend Me Your Ears”），由DT+网站作为开放访问功能主持，以学术界以外的公众可以访问的方式处理该项目的研究主题。为了产生更广泛的影响，研究员还将与语音教练简·波士顿（Jane Boston）合作，根据该项目产生的研究成果创建一个公开演讲讲习班。此外，她将与V&A的策展人进行相关的知识交流，共同研究在策展实践中发展听觉戏剧的方法。所有这些活动将有助于产生适合广泛传播的各种知识和/或研究成果。

In the 21st century, contemporary live performance and theatre are increasingly concerned with exploring the potential of speech and sound. This project' focus on the aural aspects of speech, sound, voice and sound design replaces the late 20th century dominance of literary textuality (new writing) and/or corporeality (physical theatre) as the primary dramaturgical motors in live performance. Some notable works that illustrate this trend include Robert Lepage's Lipsynch (2008), Simon McBurney's The Encounter (2016) but also, more symptomatically, the works known as 'gig theatre' in the UK (by artists such as Kate Tempest, Christopher Brett-Bailey, Kieran Hurley, Rash Dash, Middle Child etc). The trend emphasising aurality/orality has an international dimension and can be detected in its various manifestations in the works of, for example, Taylor Mac in the US, Lola Arias in Argentina, Valentijn Dhaenens in Belgium. Other noteworthy examples that privilege the dramaturgical rather than a merely utilitarian or decorative use of sound in live performance include forms such as headphones theatre (Rimini Protokoll, Rotozaza, ZU:UK) ordinarily considered a form of immersive or participatory theatre.Taking a broad spectrum approach, but at the same time focusing on examples found at the intersection of orality, aurality and contemporary performance-making, the project seeks to also connect this trend to verbatim theatre of the early 2000s and to argue that the renewed interest of makers in speech and sound should be viewed together as a part of a paradigm shift, rather than as isolated phenomena or unrelated sub-species of contemporary performance. These trends can be understood as belonging to the same paradigm as they seek to engage the audience primarily, though not exclusively, through an act of listening.The project will provide leadership by taking an interdisciplinary approach to the topic bringing together insights and expertise from ethnography, philosophy, digital humanities, musicology, museology and voice training as well as dramaturgy, performance and theatre studies. It will involve original field research as well as networking and public engagement activities. A two-tier international research network consisting of a pre-appointed Steering Group and an Advisory Group yet to be convened will be engaged to support various leadership and public engagement activities. The Fellow will co-commission new work with Battersea Arts Centre (BAC), which will form part of primary research together with a series of interviews with a range of performance-makers and experts on speech and sound from other disciplines. The research will be disseminated through a podcast, an international project conference, a special journal issue, a monograph, a workshop and a professional practice document for curators.As an example of innovative collaborative research activity, the Fellow will work with sound producer Tim Bano, members of the Research Network and in partnership with BAC and Digital Theatre Plus (DT+), on creating a 12-part podcast series ('Lend Me Your Ears') to be hosted by the DT+ website as an open access feature, dealing with the research topic of the project in a way accessible to publics outside of academia. In order to foster wider impact, the Fellow will also work with voice coach Jane Boston on creating a public speaking workshop based on the research generated through this project. Additionally, she will engage in relevant knowledge exchange with V&A's curators to investigate together ways of developing use of aural dramaturgies in curatorial practice.All these activities will serve to generate different kinds of knowledge and/or research outcomes suitable for widest possible dissemination.