Dialogic Evidence: Documentation of Ephemeral Events

This research project seeks to explore the possibility of a productive co-existence between performance and documentation practices. Historically, from the perspective of live arts practices, the role that documentation plays in the recording of performance has often been described as negative or destructive. This commonly held oppositional view is largely a reaction to economic values that emphasise the need for reproducible products. Such values are evident in forms of academic assessment and validation that privilege documents of performance over performance per se. This project aims to discover ways in which documentation practices can remain sensitive to the (often undervalued) temporary nature of performance. With this aim in mind, the project will engage in the collection, production, and analysis of multiple case studies that explore the diverse ways in which performance and documentation can work together. The project will result in three primary public outcomes: a peer-reviewed journal article; an audio-visual documentation case study on DVD, which will be accessible through relevant libraries and archives; and a web-based documentation case study. Through these publications the project aims to contribute towards an improved framework for assessing performance research, and provide clearer guidance for PhD students engaged in the documentation of live performance. Aspects of this research project may also be of interests to professional practitioners and members of non-academic institutions who are concerned with the preservation and representation of live arts practices.