About Research
Deepening the dialogue between research and artistic practice - WG2: Urban Rituals, Performance, Street Theatre, and Music (Leader & co-leaders: Slavica Janešlieva, Hanna Musiol, Katarzyna Cytlak)
WG2 investigates how artistic and performative practices contribute to inclusive and sustainable urban transformation. Focusing on urban rituals, street theatre, and music. The group examines how collective and embodied forms of expression foster social connection, community participation, and environmental awareness, using dialogue and creativity as instruments for sustainable change in cities.
WG2’s work bridges research and artistic practice, exploring rituals as acts of community building, performances as spatial interventions, and music as a vehicle of shared memory and identity. Through case studies, collaborative projects and a planned workshop in 2027, the group underscores that sustainability is not merely a technical or economic challenge, but a cultural and social process driven by imagination, participation, and the arts.
Objectives of WG2
1. Deepening the dialogue between research and artistic practice
A key objective for WG2 is to further bridge the gap between theoretical inquiry and artistic experimentation. Rather than treating art as illustrative, the group can continue to position performative and creative practices as forms of knowledge production in their own right. Initiatives such as collaborative workshops, residencies, and possibility for 2027 in-person meeting offer valuable opportunities to explore how researchers and artists can co-create insights into urban transformation.
2. Expanding transnational and community-engaged collaborations
Given the group’s wide geographical reach, there is strong potential to develop interconnected case studies that engage local communities across different urban contexts. Building on existing projects—such as those focused on urban memory, soundscapes, and performative interventions—WG2 can foster comparative perspectives that highlight both shared challenges and locally grounded practices of sustainability and inclusion.
3. Consolidating collective outputs and shared visibility
Another important step is to strengthen WG2’s collective voice through joint publications, collaborative outputs and possibly of the shared digital platform. Documenting artistic and performative practices—alongside their social and spatial impacts—can help articulate the group’s contribution to understanding sustainability as a cultural and participatory process, while also supporting emerging researchers within the network.
