Dr Katerina Paramana
Senior Lecturer in Theatre
- Theatre
- Theatre, Music and Film/TV
Research area(s)
- Contemporary: Performance, Theatre, Choreography/Post-Dance
- Live Art
- Political Economy
- Performance, Critical, Political, Social, and Cultural Theory
- Ethics and Social Justice
- Spectatorship and Participation
- Affect and Collectivity
- Capitalism, Biopolitics, Neoliberalism
- Bodies, Politics, and Well-being
- Continental Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Indigenous Philosophies
- Practice-as-Research
- Racial Capitalism, Migration, Homelessness
Research Interests
In broad terms, Katerina's interdisciplinary research is concerned with the socio-political and ethical dimensions of contemporary performance. It brings into conversation performance, political economy, critical theory, philosophy, and cultural and social theory. Her current research focuses on the relationship between performance and political economy. She is interested in how bodies affect and are affected by political economies at micro and macro levels and in the ethico-political challenges that contemporary performance practices propose to the political economies in which they are created and presented.
Katerina has received funding for her theoretical and practical research from the Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, AHRC, The British Society of Aesthetics, Santander Universities, Gasworks Gallery/Pedro Lagoa, and the Hellenic Centre of the International Institute of Theatre, as well Research Seminar Series, BRIEF, and BRIL Research Awards from Brunel University of London. For example, in 2022 - 2023, Katerina curated and organised the research seminar series 'Performance and Political Economy: Bodies, Politics, and Well-Being in the 21st Century', for which she received a Research Seminar Series Award from Brunel University, and, in 2023, she was shortlisted for a Research Impact Award. In 2021, she received the 'BRIL' Research Award ('Brunel Research Interdisciplinary Lab') for an interdisciplinary collaborative project with Brunel colleagues, while in 2019 she was awarded the research ‘BRIEF Award’ (‘BRUNEL RESEARCH INITIATIVE AND ENTERPRISE FUND’) as PI of a research project on political economy and performance. Her book (2021, Paramana and Gonzalez eds.) was published with Bloomsbury Academic, while the volume Art and Dance in Dialogue: Body, Space, Object (2020, Whatley, Sarah, Racz, Imogen, Paramana, Katerina, and Crawley, Marie-Louise eds.) was published with Palgrave Macmillan. Her research has also been refereed academic journals including Performance Research, Contemporary Theatre Review, GPS: Global Performance Studies, Dance Research, and Filozofski Vestnik. She was an Associate Researcher with , an AHRC-funded creative research project and collaboration between University of Roehampton, London, Goldsmiths, University of London, and the Live Art Development Agency, investigating the cultural value of performance (directed by Adrian Heathfield, Gavin Butt, and Lois Keidan). Katerina also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE) at Coventry University, and from 2015-2018 she was a Participating Artist of Sadler’s Wells Summer University, which was led by Jonathan Burrows and Eva Martinez.
Katerina has international leadership experience in research and education. She is editor of the journal section 'Political Economy and the Arts', the new section she has developed for , the refereed journal of the Cultural Studies Association, USA (2022 - present); the issue Performance and Political Economy: Bodies, Politics and Well-Being is in press for Lateral journal's Fall 2024 13(2) issue. She is also book series co-founder of theDance in Dialogue (Bloomsbury Academic), which she co-edited for its first three years (2018 - 2021), publishing its first four books. She is an assessor on the and is on the Editorial Board of Body, Space, & Technology journal. She has also served on the Board of Directors of and on the Executive Committee of the Society for Dance Research. She serves on , which she co-founded. She is also an Member and Mentor, has examined PhD projects in UK and Europe, and is a member of consultation, research award, programme revalidation, promotion, and tenure committees internationally.
draws on theatre, the visuals arts, and dance and takes the form of performance, installation-, and lecture-performance. Through its consideration of the relationship between image, body, time, context, and the encounter with the spectator, her work explores the political, philosophical, social, and ethical dimensions and potentials of performance. It has been presented in theatres, studios, and galleries in the ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥app, US, and Europe, in venues such as Gasworks Gallery, The White Building, ]performance s p a c e [, Laban Theatre, The Place, and Toynbee Studios in London; the Institute of Design at Stanford University; the Kultuhuset in Stockholm; Galeria Boavista in Lisbon; and the Michael Cacoyannis Theatre in Athens. Her practice, which is in dialogue with her theoretical research, is also informed by her experience collaborating as a performer with various companies and artists in the ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥app and the US (e.g. Tino Sehgal, Ivana Müller, The Famous Lauren Barri Holstein, Bojana Cvejic and Christine De Smedt, Janez Janša, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Nejla Yatkin, Deviated Theatre, Lea Anderson, Simon Vincenzi, and Risa Jaroslow). She has performed at venues including the Barbican Theatre, National Theatre Studio, Tate Modern, Southbank Centre, Laban Theatre, and Siobhan Davies Studios in London; the Michael Cacoyannis Theatre and Duncan Dance Research Centre in Athens; the Kennedy Centre, Kogod Theatre, Greenberg Theatre, Kay Theatre, GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, Dance Place, and the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.; the Chicago Cultural Centre and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Centre in Chicago; and the Lincoln Centre in NYC.
PUBLICATIONS
(for full texts visit page)
Books
- (Monograph In Press and ; 2025) Paramana, Katerina. . London: Routledge.
- 2021. Paramana, Katerina and Gonzalez, Anita. . Bloomsbury Academic.
- 2020. Whatley, Sarah, Racz, Imogen, Paramana, Katerina, and Crawley, Marie-Louise (Eds.). .
Book Series
- Co-founder and Series Co-Editor of the Dance in Dialogue; Series co-editor 2018-2021. Bloomsbury Academic.
Journals Edited
Section Editor of 'Political Economy and the Arts', Lateral, The Cultural Studies Association Journal.
2024 (In Press) Paramana, Katerina (ed.) Performance and Political Economy: Bodies, Politics and Well-Being, Political Economy and the Arts section, , 13(2).
Refereed Journal Articles and Chapters
See 'Selected Publications' tab.
Published Practice-Based Outputs
(Available at the British Library and the Live Art Development Agency’s Study Room):
- , (2012) The White Building, London (http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/resources/catalogue/performance-matters-potentials-of-performance-talking-with-strangers-what-i).
- , (2011) Toynbee Studios, London (http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/resources/catalogue/trashing-performancetrash-salon-how-to-do-things-with-waste-part-2).
Creative Text Online Publications
- 2013. (Re)definition of the term ‘solidarity’. PSi Manifesto Lexicon. Gigi Argyropoulou, Konstantina Georgelou, Efrosini Protopapa, Danae Theodoridou and Steriani Tsintziloni (eds.).
- 2012. (Re)definitions of the terms ‘reading’, ‘co-authoring’ and ‘witness’. PSi Manifesto Lexicon. Gigi Argyropoulou, Konstantina Georgelou, Efrosini Protopapa, Danae Theodoridou and Steriani Tsintziloni (eds.).
Recent Invited Talks
2024 Invited Talk for the Organisation of Dance Professionals Symposium, Athens, Greece (SEXOXO).
2022 Invited Talk for the Brunel-wide Mentoring Network Launch.
2022 Invited Talk for the Organisation of Dance Professionals Symposium, Athens, Greece (SEXOXO).
2021 Invited Talk: invited by the Research Centre for the Humanities (RCH) and TWIXTlab (Athens, GR) to deliver talk on artistic research in dance titled ‘The Production of Knowledge through Dance Research Outside(?) the Academy’.
Research Projects & Related Activities
- (2022-23) Curated and organised the Research Seminar Series 'Performance and Political Economy: Bodies, Politics, and Well-Being in the 21st Century'.
- (2021-22) Co-I, BRIL ('Brunel Research Interdisciplinary Lab') for the interdisciplinary collaborative project 'The Social, Ecological, Political, and Cultural Implications of Extinction'.
- (2019-22) Principal Investigator, ‘BRIEF Award' Project (‘BRUNEL RESEARCH INITIATIVE AND ENTERPRISE FUND’), Brunel University of London.
- (2015-18) Participating Artist, Sadler’s Wells Summer University. Directed by Jonathan Burrows in collaboration with Eva Martinez, Sadler’s Wells, London.
- (2015) Participating Artist, Performing Arts Forum (PAF) with Jonathan Burrows, Jan Ritsema, Mårten Spångberg, and Bojana Cvejic. Siobhan Davies Studios, London.
- (2010-13) Associate Researcher with Performance Matters, an AHRC-funded Programme. A three-year creative research project and collaboration between University of Roehampton, London, Goldsmiths, University of London and the Live Arts Development Agency investigating the cultural value of performance. Directed by Professor Adrian Heathfield, Dr Gavin Butt and Lois Keidan.
Board Memberships & Assessment Panels
- (2020-present)
- (2018-present)Doctoral Training Partnership Peer Review College – Assessment Panel Member, Performing Arts Subject Group.
- (2018-present) Editorial Board, Body, Space & Technology (BST) Journal
- (2016-2019) Board of Directors,
- (2016-2018) Executive Committee, Society for Dance Research (SDR)
Editorial Roles
- (2022-present) Editor, 'Political Economy and the Arts', the new section of the refereed journal of the Cultural Studies Association.
- (2018-2021) Book Series Editor, Interdisciplinary Book Series Dance in Dialogue, Bloomsbury Academic.
- (2018-present) Editorial Board, Body, Space & Technology (BST) journal.
- (2016-2019) General Editor, Performance Studies International, PSi Manifesto Lexicon.
- (2015-16) Review Editor, Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices
- (2013-14) Guest Editor, ‘Solidarity and/in Performance: Rethinking Definitions & Exploring Potentialities’ activate e-journal, 3(1).
- (2010-13) Editorial Committee Member, activate e-journal.
Peer-Reviewer
- Rowman & Littlefield Press
- Arts Journal (ISSN 2076-0752)
- Bloomsbury Academic
- Routledge
- GPS: Global Performance Studies journal
- Dance Research Journal
- Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism and GPS: Global Performance Studies journal Joint issue
- Performing Ethos: An International Journal of Ethics in Theatre and Performance journal
- Airea, Arts and Interdisciplinary Research Journal, Edinburgh College of Art
- Body, Space & Technology (BST) Journal
Event Organisation
- (2022-23) Curated and organised the international Research Seminar Series 'Performance and Political Economy: Bodies, Politics, and Well-Being in the 21st Century'.
- (2022) Co-organiser of the international conference 'Extinction: Implications from the Microbial to the Planetary (ExIMP).
- (2017) Co-organiser of the international Conference ‘Dialogues on Dance, Philosophy, and Performance in the Contemporary Neoliberal Moment’.
- (2016) Co-organizer of the Body, Space, Object Symposium, Coventry University.
- (2016) Working Group Convenor and Panel Chair, ‘The production of the Social in Contemporary Performance’, Body, Space, Object Symposium, Coventry University.
- (2013) Curation & organisation of the symposium ‘Rethinking Economies’, University of Roehampton, London. Co-curated and co-organised with Gigi Argyropoulou. Presentations by Professor Nicholas Ridout, Dr Sophie Nield, Dr Eve Katsouraki, and Tim Jeeves. Funded by Roehampton University’s Centre for Performance and Creative Exchange.
- (2011) Co-curator of the festival ‘Performing Text / Reading Performance’ (PANDEMIC), Bank Street Arts Gallery, Sheffield, U.K.
PERFORMANCE CREATION
Selected Works
(In preparation) Martyro Exploded (working title).
2015 Now What?, Michael Cacoyannis Theatre, Athens, Greece. Co-created with Elena Koukoli. Performed by Stella Dimitrakopoulou, Elena Koukoli, and Katerina Paramana.
2014 IDEA: THIS IS GOOD, Gasworks Gallery, London.(Part of the archive of destruction by Pedro Lagoa).
2013 Video Performances co-created with Kathleya Afanador, Antje Hildebrandt, Elena Koukoli, and Ligia Zuccarello Rizzo (as part of Toothache Duets, by Eirini Kartsaki and Louise Douse) ]performance s p a c e [, London.
2013 Talking about Economy/ies, Performance Studies International (PSi#19),Studio 2, Building 550, Stanford University, US.Co-created with Gigi Argyropoulou.
2012 Talking with Strangers: What is Violence?, Galeria Boavista, Lisbon, Portugal.
2012 Talking with Strangers: What is Violence?, Potentials of Performance, part of Performance Matters, The White Building, London.– –
2011 Muddle, muddle toil and trouble: Disorder and potentiality – A Lecture- Performance. Part of PANDEMIC, Bank Street Arts, Sheffield, U.K.Performed by Stella Dimitrakopoulou, Antje Hildebrandt, Eirini Kartsaki, and Katerina Paramana.
2011 Martyro, Trash Salon, Performance Matters Symposium, Toynbee Studios, London.Performed by Katerina Paramana.
2011 Metrology, Stockholm Fringe Fest 2011, Kultuhuset, Stockholm.Performed by Antje Hildebrandt and Katerina Paramana.
2011 Muddle, muddle toil and trouble: Disorder and potentiality – A Lecture- Performance.Jubilee Building, University of Roehampton, London.Performed by Antje Hildebrandt, Eirini Kartsaki, Elena Koukoli, and Katerina Paramana.
2011 Muddle, muddle toil and trouble: Disorder and potentiality – A Lecture- Performance.‘Communi(cati)on of Crisis’ Symposium, Nafpaktos, Greece. Organised by the Institute for Live Arts Research under the auspices of Athens University and Municipality of Nafpaktos.Performed by Elena Koukoli, Nana Sachini, Eirini Kartsaki, and Katerina Paramana.
2011 Metrology, Jubilee Theatre, University of Roehampton, London.Performed by Antje Hildebrandt and Stella Dimitrakopoulou.
2011 Metrology, C4CC (Centre for Creative Collaboration), LondonPart of Making & UnmakingText Across Performance Practices and Theories. Funded by Beyond Text, an AHRC ProgrammePerformed by Antje Hildebrandt and Stella Dimitrakopoulou.
2011 Metrology, Part of Resolution!, The Robin Howard Dance Theatre,The Place, London.Performed by Antje Hildebrandt and Stella Dimitrakopoulou.
2010 E Pulvere Lux Et Vis, 125 Magazine, Photoshoot Choreographer, Sept. 2010 Art Issue (16), p. 212-219, London. Photography Dan Swallow, Art Director Martin Yates.()
2009 Tea Party, Deptford X Festival, London. Co-created and performed with Michelle Lynch, Antje Hildebrandt, and Laura Blackley. In collaboration with Artmongers.
2009 The Adult Waltz Starving Loretta Home, Studio Theatre, Laban, London.
2009 Subjectile, Co-created and performed with Kathleya Afanador, Laban, London. Concept and Design Alex Rainford-Roberts.
2009 Three, Studio Theatre, Laban, London.
2006 ‘Aint’I a Woman’, Co-created with Stacy Wilson, Dance Theatre, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Centre, MD, US.
2006 Hang Pictures on the Air, Dance Theatre, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Centre, MD, US. Performed by Katerina Paramana.
2006 Distance, Laboratory Theatre, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Centre, MD, US.
2005 From the Real to the Surreal, Dance Theatre, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Centre, MD, US. Performed by Yoko Feinman and JR Russ.
Research grants and projects
Research Projects
Grants
Funder: Arts and Humanities Research Council
Duration: -
I was an Associate Researcher with 'Performance Matters', the AHRC-funded creative research project and collaboration between University of Roehampton, London, Goldsmiths, University of London, and the Live Art Development Agency, investigating the cultural value of performance (directed by Adrian Heathfield, Gavin Butt, and Lois Keidan)
Funder: Arts & Humanities Research Council
Duration: October 2022 - March 2026
Funder: Brunel Research Interdisciplinary Lab (BRIL)
Duration: October 2021 - April 2022
Funder: ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥app
Duration: September 2019 - September 2022
Funder: British Society of Aesthetics
Duration: January 2017 - March 2018
Funder: Hellenic Centre of the International Institute of Theatre
Duration: March 2015 - June 2015
Co-created with Elena Koukoli.
Funder: Gasworks Gallery / Pedro Lagoa
Duration: January 2014 - May 2014
Funder: Santander Universities
Duration: April 2013 - July 2013
Funding for the making and presentation of a performance at the Performance Studies International (PSi#19) Conference at Stanford University, U.S. Co-created with Gigi Argyropoulou.
Funder: Performance Matters (AHRC-funded Creative Research Project) & Live Art Development Agency
Duration: August 2012 - October 2012
Funder: Performance Matters (AHRC-funded Creative Research Project) & Live Art Development Agency
Duration: 2011 - 2011
Funder: Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation
Duration: October 2010 - October 2014