children born of war: research-based performance

The changing nature of armed conflict since the beginning of the 20th century has led to a significant increase in the volume and intensity of the social consequences of war on the civilian population. Children are often impacted strongly, and this is particularly pronounced for children associated with the enemy. Among those, Children Born of War, fathered by foreign/enemy or occupation soldiers or peacekeepers and born to local mothers, are especially vulnerable to a range of adversities. They are frequently born out of wedlock, are almost always raised without fathers, and their position as a child ‘of the enemy or occupier’ and often as a child of mixed ethnical parentage, leads to stigmatisation and discrimination.

These challenges and gaps in the knowledge about their biological father affect their identity

formation processes. Despite these challenges and the taboo associated with their provenance, their identities are varied. They are not merely, as has been suggested in research and policy making, secondary victims of armed conflict, but they often see themselves as bridge builders between previously inimical countries or kinship groups. This multi-facetted set of experiences is at the core of this call for projects that visualise – through performance-based engagement – the challenges and opportunities of CBOWs in postconflict societies.

With our OPEN CALL we invite artists of the independent performing arts throughout Europe to develop performative works and make them publicly visible in a theatrical process that also involves audience participation. Three selected artistic projects will be presented publicly at the final symposium in April/May 2023 together with a symposium addressing questions about performing arts as a way of communicating scientific topics and findings to the public. Academic partners of the project are University of Leipzig and the University of Birmingham; the artistic network partner is the regional association for the independent performing arts in Saxony (Landesverband der Freien Theater in Sachsen e.V. / LFTS).

OPEN CALL

We are looking for projects that engage Children Born of War (persons who were fathered by foreign/enemy/occupation soldiers and born to local mothers in 20th and 21st century conflicts), and co-develop artistic, performance-based concepts that translate scientific knowledge about and experiences of Children Born of War to raise awareness about the social consequences of armed conflicts, including conflict-related sexual violence and children born of CRSV and consensual relations between foreign soldiers and local women. Projects and concepts should focus on both audience development and audience engagement; participatory approaches including the integration of CBOW into the transformation in artistic projects, e.g. cast or the rehearsal and or post-performance activities are encouraged, as are concepts that include evaluations of performance art and/or participatory approaches at the intersection of academic research and artistic dissemination.

IMPORTANT DATES November 2022

Online Workshop involving actors/directors from the selected projects, Children born of War from different settings as well as the academic and artistic partners of the Call.

April/May 2023

Presentation of the projects and symposium on performing arts as a way of communicating scientific topics and findings to the public in Leipzig (Germany).