Book of Abstracts - IFTR 2025 Performing Carnival: Ekstasis, Subversion, Metamorphosis

This book compiles the contributions for the IFTR 2025 Conference Performing Carnival: Ekstasis, Subversion, Metamorphosis, which was held from 9 to 13 June in Cologne.

Carnival as a topic combines a local reference with a global and transcultural perspective. Its allure is the promise of joy and merriment, the indulgence of sensual pleasures – transgressing necessities and rational measurement.

In this sense, Carnival clearly has a global and transcultural dimension: From antiquity onwards, festivals of masquerade, overabundance, and the mocking of social and hierarchical structures can be found across regions, religions, societies, and historical constellations. It is a genuinely global phenomenon in a plethora of forms. And of course, Carnival has a long theatrical genealogy: the medieval shrovetide plays in Northern Europe, Venetian performances and masquerades, up to the traditions of clowns and jesters in comedy, circus, and puppetry.

Carnival’s hallmark is the temporary suspension of the regular order, leaving behind the gravity of mundane concerns, rationales, and strategies. In contrast to literary utopias, Carnival is essentially a physical and sensual experience – and thus, performance is its default mode of existence.

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The contributions appear here as submitted, or as revised by the authors during the review phase. As personal information and abstracts are included as submitted, please be aware that the publisher accepts no liability for mistakes or incorrect information. For questions regarding specific abstracts or personal information, please contact the respective authors.

The host institution, the Theatre Collection of the University of Cologne, was responsible for the review and programming of the General Panel. The Working Groups and the New Scholars Forum were responsible for the submissions in their respective areas.