The ‘co-‘ in co-creation involves mutual dependencies that tend to be overlooked in the discourse on artistic collaboration within the field of contemporary theatre and dance. Autonomy and heteronomy are often intertwined in areas that are crucial for the dynamics of collaborations such as trust, recognition or the determination of value. Hence the paradoxical notion of heteronomous autonomy, which will be illustrated in the lecture from various points of view. What is ultimately at stake in artistic collaborations is an insurmountable ontological vulnerability or precariousness.

The lecture is open to the public.

Rudi Laermans is a Professor of Social Theory at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Leuven, Belgium. From its early beginnings in 1995, he was also a guest teacher at P.A.R.T.S., the Brussels-based international dance school directed by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. He has published widely in both national and international journals and books within the areas of social theory, cultural sociology and the sociology of the arts. Also active as a critic and essayist, he has written numerous articles on contemporary dance. He recently published an encompassing study on contemporary dance, Moving Together. Theorizing and Making Contemporary Dance (Amsterdam, Valiz, 2015).

Danae Theodoridou is an Assistant Professor of Theatre and Performance in the University of Groningen (NL) and a performance maker and researcher based in Brussels. She completed her practice-led PhD on dramaturgy and performance making in Roehampton University (London). She teaches in various university departments and art conservatoires, publishes internationally and presents her artistic and research work in different contexts in Europe. She is a co-creator of the three-year research project Dramaturgy at Work and a co-author of the project’s forthcoming book publication (Amsterdam, Valiz, 2017). More information: www.danaetheodoridou.com

Betina Panagiotara is a dance researcher and journalist. She is pursuing her PhD at the University of Roehampton (London) looking at contemporary dance in Greece during the socio-political crisis, focusing on artistic practices such as collectivity and collaboration. Her PhD research is supported by the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation. She works with festivals and artists in research and production, and as journalist for local and international media. Her research interests are artistic production modes, politics, history, and animation in performance.