European Journal of Theatre and Performance Announces Special Issue on Higher Education in Performing Arts
The European Journal of Theatre and Performance is calling for contributions to a special issue exploring the role of higher education in dance, theatre, and performance across Europe, with a submission deadline of December 1, 2026. Guest editors Annelies Van Assche, Hanna Järvinen, and Timmy De Laet aim to investigate the foundational influences of educational institutions on artistic practice.
Higher Education is integral to the professional landscape of contemporary dance, theatre, and performance, yet it often remains underrepresented in academic discourse. The special issue will delve into how art schools, conservatoires, academies, and universities shape the understanding of important concepts such as the body, authorship, and professional conduct among emerging artists. Key questions will address the pedagogical methods, values, relationships, and institutional cultures that inform educational practices within the performing arts.
This investigation seeks to uncover the “backstage” dynamics of educational settings. It will explore an array of themes, including how norms around equality and equity related to gender, class, ability, and race are perceived in curricula, audition processes, and assessment methods. These informal and formal aspects of education are key in determining whose artistic work is recognized and what practices gain legitimacy within the field.
While many studies focus on specific pedagogical techniques, this special issue shifts the emphasis to the broader institutional and organizational contexts that influence pedagogical outcomes. Recent scholarship has begun scrutinizing these foundational elements, examining concepts such as student-centered learning, decolonial approaches, and the intersection of educational practices with creative industries.
Potential topics for submission include the impact of the Bologna Process on arts education, the evolving standards for faculty qualifications, and the role of artificial intelligence in training and assessment. Contributors are also encouraged to consider how notions of artistic excellence and professionalism are transmitted through educational systems and how these may vary by country and institution.
The guest editors invite proposals that offer ethnographic and interview-based insights, linking everyday educational practices to broader institutional and historical frameworks. Submissions should be original works not submitted elsewhere, written in UK English, and approximately 500 to 700 words, accompanied by a brief author biography.
Interested authors should submit their proposals by email to the guest editors by the specified deadline. If accepted, authors will have until March 1, 2026, to submit a draft of their articles, which will undergo a double-blind peer review process.
For further details, including submission guidelines, prospective contributors can refer to the European Journal of Theatre and Performance’s website.
