Performing The World 2012—was a terrifically diverse and united gathering of 450+ performance activists from 38 countries. With about a hundred concurrent sessions and four plenaries, so much richness of practice was showcased and shared. And in an ensemble process fitting the international performance community, even more was continuously created over three days (and beyond).
The success of PTW 2012 belongs to its participants and presenters—and to its hosts. Nearly 200 volunteers—poor, working class and middle class young people and adults—staffed PTW 2012. Another 100+ across the five boroughs of New York City were housing hosts, providing attendees with a place to sleep (often a living room couch) and come home to each night. These experiences—for South African theatre professors, Brazilian teachers, youth workers from Peru, Park Avenue businessmen, unemployed mothers in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, non-profit managers in Manhattan’s East Village, and high school students in Harlem—were not only once in a lifetime developmental moments for individuals, but were recognized as embodying the methodology of the sponsoring organizations and their community. As one participant wrote upon returning home after PTW: “The village of volunteers that you have is the best credit to the work and the philosophy of the organization that you represent.”

In this environment, new kinds of conversations between and among diverse voices were created: between the academy and grassroots activists; between diverse cultures; between different views on the nature of social transformation and the means of achieving it; among words and movement and touch.

Psychology and theatre have been in dialogue throughout PTW’s history. This year, “The Therapeutic Power of Performance” featured seven leading play and performance activists and psychologists from Taiwan, France, Colombia and the US who explored with each other and the audience the developmental potential of the therapeutic turn in performance and the performance turn in therapy. [Click here for video]

Another ongoing theme of PTWs is performance as an approach to youth development, particularly poor youth and youth of color. In addition to dozens of sessions on the topic, this year nearly a hundred PTW participants joined 200 young people at their All Stars Talent Show Workshop in Harlem. In addition, youth organizers from nine countries participated in a pre-conference training in how to bring the All Stars Talent Show to their communities.

Creating dialogue on and with the academic discipline of Performance Studies and the social change methodology of performance activism also took center stage this year. Talks by Richard Schechner and Dan Friedman set the stage for “What is Performance and How Do We Know It?” a plenary in which they and five others discusses the challenges to Performance Studies scholars and to performance activists.

Details for PTW 2014 will be posted in the summer 2013.  In the meantime, check out the photos and videos from PTW 2012.