International Symposium
Beyond the Human:
Theatre, Robots and Social Realities
Wednesday, 7 June 2023
Onsite at UNATC, Tudor Arghezi Street 3b, Bucharest
Online via Zoom
We are delighted to invite you to the Beyond the Human: Theatre, Robots and Social Realities International Symposium organised by The George Ciprian Theatre (RO) in partnership with the National University of Theatre and Film I.L. Caragiale (UNATC) in Bucharest. The event will take place on the 7th of June, onsite at UNATC (Str. Tudor Arghezi 3b) and online via Zoom. The symposium will mark the end of the Tele-Encounters: Beyond the Human cultural project, co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
What is the connection between migration, caregiving, telematics, robots, virtual beings, theatre and prospective thinking? Tele-Encounters: Beyond the Human delved into the intricate ties between these seemingly disparate subjects, seeking to understand if and how technology could alleviate loneliness, bridge the gap between migrants and their families and help solve the looming caregiving crisis. We argue that social robots and virtual beings are theatrical, that the theatre can inform robotics and AI research and that both robots and virtual beings can make charismatic performers with a little help from their human friends. Through the incorporation of technology into performance structures and narratives, the theatre can prepare us for the future while extending its own boundaries as an art form.
The project partners in Romania, Italy and Spain will present the research conducted during the 3-year implementation period, covering the creation of 2032 SMART-FAMILY, a transnational telematic theatre performance, and the Imaginary Robots website, featuring virtual characters powered by GPT‑3. The international guest speakers will provide context to the themes of social robotics, roboethics, robot theatre and telematic theatre.
The symposium will be moderated by Ogmios Z42, the robot star of 2032 SMART-FAMILY.
Participation is free, based on registration via Google Forms (registration for the physical event is only open until the 29th of May): https://forms.gle/7s6DAEbjkfhnW6Ai7
Tele-Encounters: Beyond the Human is led by The George Ciprian Theatre in Buzău (RO) and implemented in partnership with Industria Scenica in Milan (IT) and UCAM Catholic University of Murcia (ES). Our associate partner and symposium host is UNATC Bucharest.
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INTRODUCTION |
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9:00 |
Registration, networking, coffee |
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09:30 |
Welcome Speeches |
Dr Liviu Lucaci (RO) – Professor, Rector of UNATC Dr Radu Apostol (RO) – Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for Research at UNATC |
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09:50 |
Tele-Encounters: Beyond the Human Project Overview (15 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Dr Marina Hanganu (RO) – artistic director of Tele-Encounters, The George Ciprian Theatre |
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5 min buffer time* |
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PART I |
ROBOTS AND SOCIAL REALITIES |
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10:20 |
Being Careful: The Companion Robots as a Cure for Loneliness (15 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Dr Constantin Vică (RO) – Assistant Professor, Faculty of Philosophy, Deputy Director, Research Center in Applied Ethics, University of Bucharest |
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10:45 |
5 min buffer time* |
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10:50 |
Romanian Migrants, Their Left-Behind Parents and the Technology Between Them (15 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Mircea Kivu (RO) – sociologist, researcher at Tele-Encounters |
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11:15 |
Break |
15 min |
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11:30 |
Aspirations and Expectations: A Social Perception Study About Imaginary Robots (online presentation) (15 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Dr Vinny Flaviana Hyunanda (ES) – social anthropologist, UCAM, researcher at Tele-Encounters |
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11:55 |
5 min buffer time* |
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12:00 |
“They are not human but ‘human’” – A Study About Experience with Virtual Robot Models and Perception Among the Elderly and Children in Italy, Romania, and Spain (15 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Dr Práxedes Muñoz-Sánchez (ES) – anthropologist, UCAM, researcher at Tele-Encounters |
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12:25 |
5 min buffer time* |
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12:30 |
Culture Creates Community. Community Creates Culture (15 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Paola Cagna (project assistant) and Ermanno Nardi, (artistic director) – Industria Scenica, project partner in Tele-Encounters (IT) |
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12:55 |
Lunch Break |
Catering |
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PART II |
THEATRE BEYOND THE HUMAN |
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14:00 |
Rehearsal for the Robot Revolution (20 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Dr Elizabeth Jochum (DK) –Associate Professor, Head of the Research Laboratory for Art and Technology (RELATE) at Aalborg University |
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14:30 |
5 min buffer time* |
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14:35 |
2032 SMART-FAMILY: Dramaturgy and Audience Engagement (15 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Dr Marina Hanganu (RO) – artistic director of Tele-Encounters |
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15:00 |
Devised Theatre Meets Telematic Theatre (10 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Dr Bianca Trifan (RO) – playwright at Tele-Encounters |
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15:20 |
Video Directing in Telematic Theatre (10 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Dr Armine Vosganian (RO) – video director at Tele-Encounters |
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15:40 |
Break |
15 min |
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PART III |
PROSPECTIVE THINKING |
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15:55 |
Panel: Telematic Theatre in Higher Education (50 min discussion + 10 min Q&A) |
Dr Tom Gorman (UK) – Coventry University Sylvia Lane (UK) – Weston College and University Centre Weston Moderator: Dr Marina Hanganu |
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16:55 |
5 min buffer time* |
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17:00 |
Creative Europe: Funding Opportunities for the Cultural and Creative Sectors (15 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Sorin Enuș (RO) – Coordinator of the Culture Subprogramme, Creative Europe Desk Romania |
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17:25 |
5 min buffer time* |
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17:30 |
How Do We Prepare for Social Robots? (15 min presentation + 10 min Q&A) |
Ana-Maria Stancu (RO) – CEO Bucharest Robots |
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17:55 |
Closing Speech |
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18:00 |
Interactive Session: Play With Ogmios! |
Smaranda Găbudeanu (RO) –actress at Tele-Encounters |
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18:30 |
End |
*5 min buffer time = time to be used for technical setup (e.g. Power Point, Zoom presentation), the introduction of each speaker by the moderator and any small breaks in between the presentations; safety zone in case speakers are over time.
Watch the full recording of the symposium on YouTube.
