Performance Studies

Anchor 

Dr. Janice PAN, Associate Dean (Research); Associate Head and Associate Professor, Office of the Dean of Arts and Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies

Co-anchor

Prof. CHOW Yiu Fai, Professor, Department of Humanities and Creative Writing

Members

(in alphabetical order)

• Dr. Johnathan HARRINGTON, Research Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Literature
• Dr. Luis Damián MORENO GARCÍA, Assistant Professor, Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies
• Dr. Francois MOUILLOT, Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Creative Writing
• Dr. Rachel Siow ROBERTSON, Assistant Professor, Department of Religion and Philosophy
• Dr. Marija TODOROVA, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies

Introduction

This research group explores the concept of "performance," broadly construed to encompass not only performing arts but also performance as a practice of self-presentation. The group is interested in studying performance in all its forms, examining the world-making power of performance in creative*, social, and cultural practices, as well as in the performance of everyday life.

Employing an interdisciplinary approach to the study of performance, the research group aims to understand expressive behaviour and cultural enactment, as well as the role of performance in contemporary life. A particular emphasis is placed on art interpretation from a social perspective in order to promote inclusion.

The research group is also dedicated to investigating the potential of art as a tool for fostering understanding and empathy across diverse communities. This includes examining how language and technology can facilitate more inclusive interpretations of artistic expressions. Through their interdisciplinary approach, the research group seeks to gain insights into how different groups of people perceive and respond to performance, leveraging these insights to promote social inclusion.

*Creative practice: creative writing, translation/interpreting, theatre, music composition and performance.

Member Profiles

Dr. Janice PAN (anchor) Associate Dean (Research); Associate Head and Associate Professor, Office of the Dean of Arts and Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies

Janice Pan works as an Associate Professor at the Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies. Dr. Pan takes an interest in the study of the performative side of interpreting activities, and has been dedicated to the theatrical representation of interpreting. Working as an interpreter for many years, Dr. Pan has dedicated herself to the teaching and research of interpreting and translation, covering a wide array of subjects including corpus-based translation/interpreting studies, political discourse and translation/interpreting. Additionally, she is a poet.

Prof. CHOW Yiu Fai (co-anchor) Professor, Department of Humanities and Creative Writing

Born in Hong Kong, Chow Yiu Fai received his PhD degree at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam. Currently a Professor at the Department of Humanities and Creative Writing of Hong Kong Baptist University, Chow’s research interests include gender politics, cultural studies, and creative practices. Chow is also an award-winning writer. He released his first lyrics in 1989. Since then he has penned more than 1,000 lyrical works for a diversity of pop artists in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China. Lately, Chow has been increasingly involved in prose writing, multi-media and visual art projects.

Dr. Johnathan HARRINGTON Research Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Literature

Johnathan Harrington is currently a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of English Language and Literature. His current research interests include board games production and local communities, digital communities as well as alternative methods of play.

Dr. Rachel Siow ROBERTSON, Assistant Professor, Department of Religion and Philosophy

Rachel Siow Robertson’s research interests are broadly in philosophical anthropology, looking at all things about the human being. Her current research is on how the design and use of technology can support us as whole persons in community, rejoicing and flourishing together.

Dr. Marija TODOROVA Research Assistant Professor, Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies

Marija Todorova is a RAP at TIIS HKBU. She is the author of The Translation of Violence in Children’s Literature (Routledge 2021) and co-editor of Interpreter Training in Conflict and Post-Conflict Scenarios (Routledge 2023) and Interpreting Conflict (Palgrave 2021). She serves as editor of New Voices in Translation Studies.

On-going Projects

Peak Performance Across Disciplines: (Re)Definitions, Approaches and Training

The peak performance research group received HK$ 1 million of Initiation Grant for Faculty Niche Research Areas (FNRA-IG) 2021/22. The research group currently consists of the following investigators:

• Dr. Janice J Pan, Associate Dean (Research); Associate Head and Associate Professor, Office of the Dean of Arts and Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies
• Prof. Johnny M Poon, Associate Vice-President (Interdisciplinary Research); Founding Dean, School of Creative Arts; Dr. Hung Hin Shiu Endowed Professor in Music
• Prof. Patrick WC Lau, Professor, Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health; former Director of Centre for Olympic Studies
• Prof. Michael Bray, Programme Director, Acting for Global Screen, Academy of Film
• Prof. Pak-Kwong Chung, Professor, Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health, Faculty of Social Sciences
• Dr. Claudia MY Wong, Lecturer, The Education University of Hong Kong

The research project aims to break the disciplinary wall of performance studies from the perspective of peak performance. The research projects span an extensive range of areas and disciplines including (language) interpreting, performing arts (music, dance and theatre), sports, psychology, healthcare and business.

The fund will support their research by allowing them to gather perspectives on peak performance from world-class scholars and professional practitioners from various disciplines.

Project YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsJyge9sC7CUaZ7zpnIKLMQ/videos

Critical Disability Studies

Dr. Francois MOUILLOT, together with other members of the Performance Studies FNRA group, is nurturing a project focusing on critically disability. The project aims to focus on the following areas:

• Reinterpret the concept of disability from a medical to a social perspective;
• Discuss the value of disability and how it should be viewed as a regenerative purpose, instead of as a source of isolation and putting people away;
• Identify the need to deconstruct the norm of disabled people, and how disabled musicians, such as Beethoven and autistic musicians, serve as examples of this new view of disability; and
• Embrace the notion of imperfectionalism.

Keywords: Diverse communities, understanding, empathy, social norms, social inclusion, reinterpretation, perspective, imperfectionalism.

Previous Events

Peak Performance Across Disciplines: An Online Forum

This International Forum, held on 1 october 2021, gathered world-class scholars and practitioners from disciplines including performing arts (music and theatre), (language) interpreting, sports, medicine, psychology, and business, to discuss and exchange views on a number of pertinent issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. 

Apart from the keynote speech, the forum featured three roundtable discussions with different themes relevant to peak performance.

Full details of the forum can be accessed from https://hkbumusic.wixsite.com/peakperformanceforum

Live with Peak Performance: Drama Workshop

Student performers of different disciplines participated in the drama workshop organised by Prof. Johnny Poon and Dr. Janice Pan of the Peak Performance research group on 20 August 2022, expressing their views on the impact of peak performance when they are performing their duties.

The research group aspire to study the ways peak performance is defined, approached, and professionally trained in disciplines including interpreting, music, sports and theatre. The workshop helped to offer an innovative cross-disciplinary perspective on peak performance that can lead to an in-depth reflection of the role of performance in contemporary and professional life.

Experimental theatre of interpretation led by Dr. Janice PAN, with colleagues/students

• Passing Days · Hidden Nights/白晝如隙·黑夜如絲/白昼如隙·黑夜如丝/ Денови што минуваат · Скриени ноќи/Días pasajeros ·Noches escondidas (4 Dec 2021)
• A Kaleidoscope of Community Interpreting (30 Apr 2021)
• TransVerse, TransFeed, and TransForm — a three act play (21 Nov, 2020)
• A Free Verse of Food (22 Apr 2021)

Cultural Masseur (Hong Kong Art Centre) by Prof. CHOW Yiu Fai

The 10th programme of Culture Masseur: Talking Heads “Art X AI” featured Hong Kong renowned lyricist Chow Yiu Fai. He led an experimental showcase “Touch Me: Massage, Music, A.I.” which combined real massage experiences and creative writing practices. He also conducted an artist presentation and a chill chat salon with Feng Yi, songwriter and arranger of local band The JUNK, and software engineer Daniel Tam.

Artist supper (West Kowloon) by Prof. CHOW Yiu Fai

For the final Artist Supper in 2021, special guest lyricist Chow Yiu-fai was joined by indie singer-songwriters Fengyi and iii (Iris Liu). The special menu of the night drew inspiration from Chow Yiu-fai’s prolific work (swipe right for the menu). After dinner, the artists performed rearranged versions of Chow’s Cantopop songs on food and love, and explore their common passion and shared outlook on life.