The aim of the conference is to explore the dynamic intersections among the works of Shakespeare, contemporary artistic expressions, and modern-day activism.

If there is something that artistic practices, social activism, and university education share, it is their common goal of inspiring people to address the challenges that our increasingly complex societies face. From theatrical performances that challenge societal norms to visual art that speaks to the heart of human experience, from Foucault’s subjugated knowledges to the #metoo and #blacklivesmatter movements, this polyphony of empowering practices in which creativity, scholarly rigor, and activism coalesce is the ideal territory to foster reflection, provoke dialogue, and inspire action. Indeed, perhaps it is time to do what Edgar suggests in King Lear: “speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.” The result could be as groundbreaking as it is revolutionary.

There are many examples that might illustrate the potentiality of the crossovers between artistic practice, activism, and academic research. For example, in 2003, consider the London-based company Cardboard Citizen collaborated with refugees and asylum seekers from Albania, Kosovo, Zimbabwe, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries in a production of Pericles, in which the original play’s themes of family separation and reunion got intertwined with the real narratives of exile and survival of the migrant community. The show caught the attention of the Royal Shakespeare Company, leading to a larger theatre project that highlighted the life stories of migrants and taught audiences to empathize with their experiences.