The S Word: Stanislavsky and the Digital
Annual symposium
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Annual symposium
- 17–19 June 2026 (09.30 - 16.00 each day)
- Early bird discount: save 20 per cent (available until 18 May)
- Reduced rates available for DramaHE/ATHE members, students, unwaged and retired attendees
About the symposium
The S Word: Stanislavsky and the Digital is an international interdisciplinary symposium exploring how Stanislavsky’s legacy is transformed by technologies shaping contemporary performance.
As digital tools redefine how performance is made, taught, and experienced, the symposium examines how ideas of truth, presence, embodiment and emotion evolve across virtual and hybrid environments.
It considers VR/AR, motion capture, AI, gaming environments, vertical filmmaking, immersive storytelling and online collaboration, asking what happens to the Stanislavskian System when actors work with data, sensors and avatars.
Key themes
- Screen performance and digital scenography
- Immersive and hybrid media
- Pedagogical innovation in performance training
- Practice-based and practice-led research exchange
- The future of “truthful” performance in mediated environments
Keynote and featured lecture
Keynote Speaker: Mike Leigh in conversation with Aletia Badenhorst
Jean Benedetti Lecture: Vakhtangov in the MoCap Studio, Tom Linden-McCarron & Robin Berry
Conveners
- Dr Evi Stamatiou (University of East London)
- Dr Zuzana Jurechová (DAMU, Prague)
- Prof. Paul Fryer (Stanislavsky Research Centre)
About The S Word
Now in its tenth year, The S Word, founded by Bella Merlin and Paul Fryer, continues to connect historical practice with contemporary innovation, extending its dialogue into the digital future of performance.
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