Call for Co-Editor
ephemer – Journal for Performance and Theater Research
International Peer-Reviewed Journal Inaugural Issue: "On Theater Manifestos"
The history of theater is a history of reinvention. The renewal of theater has, at the very latest, become a central concern for theater practitioners and theorists since the early 20th century. It is no coincidence that the historical theater avant-gardes rose to this challenge in an unprecedented manner, responding with a level of engagement and intensity rarely matched since. The political, governmental, social, cultural, and technological upheavals following World War I served as crucial catalysts for rethinking what a new theater could and should look like. Tadeusz Peiper expressed this urgency in stark terms in 1930, declaring it "outrageous" that we should be forced to "bind the hands of other arts" in order to rescue theater, for "either theater is a vital necessity for society, and thus irreplaceable, or it is not—and then it should die!"
The historical avant-gardes were determined not to let theater die, and as a result, we now have access to a wealth of theater manifestos from across different theatrical traditions, each preserving radical visions for the stage. Time and again, social transformations seem to create the conditions for the search for a "new" theater. This is evident when we recall the radical and revolutionary theatrical ideas of the 1960s and 1970s, as exemplified by Carmelo Bene, Augusto Boal, Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Handke, Ernst Jandl, and Ariane Mnouchkine.
Theater and its manifestos are inextricably linked to broader social transformations, shaped by their historical contexts and driven by an urgent impulse for change. While drawing direct analogies between past and present risks overlooking the specific historical conditions that define each era, what emerges from this very contingency is a sense of continuity. This continuity is rooted in the understanding that theater, if it is not to devolve into mere historical preservation, must remain a site of constant reinvention—especially in an age shaped by digitalization, artificial intelligence, climate crisis, and the resurgence and normalization of nationalist and far-right ideologies.
About ephemer – Journal for Performance and Theater Research
ephemer seeks to address a significant gap in the dissemination of research at the intersection of theoretical and practice-based approaches in the arts and humanities. As a forum for outstanding, innovative, and interdisciplinary scholarship, the journal aims to actively shape both contemporary and historiographical discourses in the broad field of the performing arts. Its primary focus lies in publishing both scholarly essays and artistic research contributions.
ephemer is a multilingual journal committed to cultural and linguistic diversity in academic discourse. To ensure accessibility and intellectual richness, all articles will be published both in the language preferred by the author and, where applicable, accompanied by an English translation. Each issue will feature:
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Four peer-reviewed scholarly essays
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Two contributions from the field of artistic research
Call for Co-Editors: Role and Application Requirements
We are seeking a co-editor for this inaugural issue who will work closely with the editorial team in shaping the volume and identifying suitable contributors.
Applicants should submit the following documents:
• An abstract (2,000 words) outlining their vision for the issue "On Theater Manifestos," including key thematic and methodological considerations.
• A brief CV, including a list of the applicant’s four most recent publications (preferably peer-reviewed), a record of the last five academic presentations given, and the applicant’s current academic position.
ephemer will be published by Böhlau Verlag in both print and open-access formats. All articles will undergo a rigorous peer-review process, and the editorial team will be supported by an international advisory board.
Permanent Editors
Prof. Dr. Silke Felber (University of Arts Linz, Austria)
MMag. Dr. David Krych (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria)
International Advisory Board
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Prof. Dr. Inge Arteel (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium)
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Associate Prof. Dr. Michael Bachmann (University of Glasgow, UK)
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Prof. Dr. Zbigniew Feliszewski (Uniwersytet Śląski Katowice, Poland)
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Dr. Aneta Glowacka (Uniwersytet Śląski Katowice, Poland)
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Prof. Dr. Nicole Haitzinger (Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg, Austria)
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Prof. Dr. Ulrike Hanstein (University of Arts Linz, Austria)
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Associate Prof. Dr. Karen Jürs-Munby (Lancaster University, UK)
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Prof. Dr. Doris Kolesch (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany)
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Assistant Prof. Dr. Teresa Kovacs (Indiana University Bloomington, USA)
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Prof. Dr. Bojana Kunst (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Germany)
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Dr. Darko Lukic (Zagreb, Croatia)
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Prof. David Martyn (Macalester College, USA)
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Dr. Viktoria Metschl (Universität für Angewandte Kunst Wien, Austria)
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Prof. Dr. Maria Oikonomou-Meurer (Aristotéleio Panepistímio Thessaloníkis,
Greece)
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Prof. Dr. habil. Artur Pełka (Uniwersytet Łódzki, Poland)
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Dr. Julia Prager (Technische Universität Dresden, Germany)
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Prof. Dr. Freddie Rokem (Universitat Tel Aviv, Israel)
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Dr. Irena Šentevska (Beograd, Serbia)
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Associate Prof. Dr. Rina Tanaka (Kyōto sangyō daigaku, Japan)
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Associate Prof. Dr. Brendon Woolf (New York University, USA)
Submission Deadline & Contact
Submissions should be sent by June 1, 2025 to office.ephemer@kunstuni-linz.at.
For further information, please visit our website https://ephemer.kunstuni-linz.at/ or contact us by email.Prof. Dr. Silke Felber (University of Arts Linz)
https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/organisational-structure-1/i…- cultural-studies/department-of-cultural-studies/team-/lecturers/silke-felber
andMMag. Dr. David Krych (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna)