The MTDA Winter Symposium will be organized into six themes, detailed below. We are accepting individual proposals for presentations and papers that will then be curated into sessions by theme. We are also accepting fully formed sessions, if you have one already curated.

We are interested in work at all stages of development that exists in the intersection of music, theatre, and dance. Work that engages with these disciplines in an interdisciplinary way with other fields is also welcome. We welcome scholars at all levels of their careers, including independent scholars, graduate students, and professional practitioners. Presentations might highlight practice, scholarship, pedagogy, professional development, and more. As part of the submission process, you will be asked to identify which themes best suit your work.

Structure of the Event

• The symposium will be a two day event - entirely on Zoom.

• The event will be free and will not require membership.

• Attendees and presenters must register for the event ahead of time.

• The number of sessions per day will be determined once the submissions have been reviewed and organized into “theme” categories; there may be more than one session in each “theme.”

• There will be six themes at the symposium.

Conference Themes

Theatre Practice and Production:
Presentations/papers within this theme will focus on acting, voice work, dance, directing, design, dramaturgy, and/or production. You may want to share classroom activities/exercises related to practice and studio work, aspects of a production, practice as research, design concepts, etc. This theme is focused on theatre-making, in and out of academia.

Pedagogy:
Presentations/papers in this theme will focus on syllabus structure, lesson plans, classroom activities, recommended readings, writing pedagogy, course development, etc. Perhaps you want to share an assignment, an experience with ungrading, a tool that encourages reading, a collaborative project, etc. This theme is focused on teaching and the work related to the classroom.

Research and Scholarship:
Presentations/papers in this theme will focus on research and/or scholarship on musical theatre studies, broadly construed. Your work might be near completion, ready for publication, in the early stages of research, or anywhere in between. This is an opportunity to share your scholarship in any stage of your process. 

Professional Development:
Presentations/papers in this theme will focus on sharing tools, tips, and remedies with your colleagues. You may want to share job application advice, ideas to stimulate writing practice, ways to use your skills outside of academia, managing service with a heavy teaching load, preparing for the tenure process, navigating a heavy teaching load, publishing, etc. This is an opportunity for you to give back to your community and share some of your knowledge.

Work-in-Progress:
This is an opportunity to let your colleagues know about your work, hear what your colleagues are working on, offer support, and find co-conspirators. Participants will share a current project and be able to ask for their preferred feedback (i.e. looking for more sources, asking for constructive criticism, finding collaborators, support and affirmation, etc.). This session is inspired by previous MTDA iterations and by the “drafts” shared at the end of the OnTAP episodes.

Book / Article Launch:
This theme is designed to create a winter iteration of the MTDA Book/Article Launch.  This session will spotlight some of the MTDA books and articles that have been recently published or are about to be published. Authors and editors will each have a few minutes to present their publication before participating in a roundtable discussion, moderated by a fellow author. Finally, audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions and inquire about how the books/chapters might be incorporated in future classes.
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For a complete overview of the event, please visit the current Winter Symposium page on the MTDA website.