Call for proposals: Trialogue

Performing Peace: The Interplay of Shringara and Shanta in Indian Performing Arts

How do performing arts convey the idea of peace? This online symposium invites scholars, artists, and practitioners to explore the notion of peace as it emerges through the aesthetic languages of performance. We will delve into this theme by examining the dynamic relationship—be it one of tension or harmony—between the rasa of Shringara (love, beauty, desire) and that of Shanta (peace, serenity) within the framework of Indian performing traditions.

These two rasas, often perceived as emotionally distinct or even opposing, open up a rich space for reflection: Can love lead to peace? Does desire disturb serenity—or fulfill it? How do classical and contemporary performance practices negotiate these emotional states through movement, voice, rhythm, and gesture?

We welcome proposals from diverse disciplines, including performance studies, aesthetics, philosophy, anthropology, religious studies, and South Asian studies, as well as contributions from artists whose work engages with these themes through practice.

Topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Interpretations of Shringara and Shanta in classical Indian dance and theatre

• The evolution of these rasas in contemporary performances

• The political and ethical implications of performing peace

• Cross-cultural comparisons and resonances

• Cultivation of shanta and/or shringara in performances

• Different ways through which silence, pause or stillness play out in performing arts

• Embodied practices and the inner experience of aesthetic emotions

We welcome a variety of presentation formats, including:

• Spoken papers (20 minutes + Q&A)

• Dance or performance-based presentations (live or pre-recorded, followed by discussion)

• Hybrid formats combining theory and embodied practice

Submission Guidelines:

Please send a 250-word abstract (in English) along with a short bio to cppa.global@gmail.com by May 15th. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by May 20th.

Date of the event : May 31st or June 1st.

Join us in reflecting on how performance can shape, challenge, or soothe our understanding of peace.