AusAct 2026: Call for Proposals

Australasian Actor Training Conference

Acting Ourselves: Identity, Training, and the Australasian Stage

Theme: Acting and Identity

Charles Sturt University Sydney

Level 6, 77 Berry Street, North Sydney NSW 2060

Dates: February 20 – 22, 2026

The 2026 AusAct: Australasian Actor Training Conference invites artists, educators, researchers, and students to engage with the theme ‘Acting and Identity’, a timely exploration of how identity shapes, challenges, and transforms performance training practices in Australasia and beyond.

In an era increasingly defined by cultural complexity, intersectionality, and critical self-awareness, identity has become a central concern in the way actors are trained and in how they tell stories. As contemporary performance practice shifts to include a broader range of voices and lived experiences, actor training institutions are being called upon to reimagine traditional pedagogies to meet the demands of diverse and evolving cohorts.

AusAct 2026 aims to provide a platform for rigorous discussion, critical inquiry, and creative exchange about the intersections of acting and identity. We welcome proposals that examine how personal, cultural, neurodiverse, gendered, queer, Indigenous, or socio-political identities inform training methodologies, rehearsal room practices, and professional pathways. We are particularly interested in work that speaks to the Australasian context: how local traditions, geographies, histories, and communities shape who we are and how we train.

Key questions include:

• How do actors bring their whole selves: body, voice, and background, into their training?
• How does training navigate questions of identity, representation, and authenticity?
• In what ways are current pedagogies adapting (or resisting adaptation) in response to diversity and inclusion?
• How do First Nations, Pacific, and culturally and linguistically diverse perspectives challenge dominant actor training models?
• What role does identity play in developing ethical, embodied, and sustainable practices?

Submissions may take the form of:

• Papers or research presentations
• Practical workshops
• Panel discussions
• Practice-led research demonstrations
• Roundtables or provocations

We encourage submissions from established academics and practitioners, as well as postgraduate students and early-career artists. Interdisciplinary proposals and collaborations between institutions, artists, and communities are also warmly welcomed.

AusAct is committed to inclusive and accessible practices. We aim to foster a collegial environment where dialogue is encouraged and difference is respected. The 2026 conference will continue to showcase Australasian excellence while also interrogating its assumptions.

How do we act who we are? And how might our training evolve to meet who we’re becoming?

---

Training

Participants will be invited to propose workshops based on their research and practice. The material must be original and align with the conference themes. 

Participants who are interested in conducting a workshop must submit an abstract up to 250 words to Dr Robert Lewis: robelewis@csu.edu.au and Dr Soseh Yekanians: syekanians@csu.edu.au. 

Applicants who are interested in submitting an abstract for a workshop must clearly state the level of participation, e.g., beginners, intermediate or advanced, the aims and objectives of the workshop, influences/inspiration behind the work, and any other requirements needed. 
Abstract for workshops due October 1. 

---

Abstract and Submission Information

Participants who are interested in presenting a paper and/or conducting a workshop must submit an abstract up to 250 words each, and a short bio to Dr Robert Lewis: robelewis@csu.edu.au and Dr Soseh Yekanians syekanians@csu.edu.au. Applicants who are interested in submitting an abstract for a workshop must clearly state the level of participation, e.g., beginners, intermediate or advanced, the aims and objectives of the workshop, influences/inspiration behind the work, and any other requirements needed.

Deadline for paper and workshop proposals:  Wednesday October 1, 2025.

Notification of acceptance: Friday October 31, 2025.

All proposals must be submitted to: robelewis@csu.edu.au and syekanians@csu.edu.au

In addition to the abstract submission, participants should also include the following information with their abstracts:

Short 100 – 150-word bio

Dietary requirements (for catering purposes)

Paper and workshop requirements (e.g., sound system, projector, technical needs, etc.)