PAJ-A JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE AND ART

Scope & Guideline

Charting New Territories in Performance and Art Scholarship

Introduction

Welcome to the PAJ-A JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE AND ART information hub, where our guidelines provide a wealth of knowledge about the journal’s focus and academic contributions. This page includes an extensive look at the aims and scope of PAJ-A JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE AND ART, highlighting trending and emerging areas of study. We also examine declining topics to offer insight into academic interest shifts. Our curated list of highly cited topics and recent publications is part of our effort to guide scholars, using these guidelines to stay ahead in their research endeavors.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN1520-281x
PublisherMIT PRESS
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited States
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 2002 to 2024
AbbreviationPAJ / PAJ
Frequency3 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
AddressONE ROGERS ST, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02142-1209

Aims and Scopes

The journal "PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art" serves as a prominent platform for critical discourse surrounding performance art, literature, and their intersections with contemporary culture. It aims to explore diverse methodologies and perspectives, emphasizing innovative artistic practices and theoretical frameworks.
  1. Interdisciplinary Approach to Performance Art:
    The journal embraces an interdisciplinary framework, examining performance art through the lenses of literature, media, politics, and cultural studies. This approach allows for a rich dialogue between various forms of artistic expression.
  2. Focus on Contemporary Issues:
    PAJ consistently addresses contemporary social, political, and cultural issues, providing a space for reflection on how performance art interacts with and responds to current events and societal challenges.
  3. Exploration of Historical Contexts:
    The journal often revisits historical contexts and legacies, analyzing how past movements and figures in performance art inform current practices and discourses.
  4. Innovative Theoretical Frameworks:
    Contributions often introduce new theoretical frameworks that critique and expand upon traditional understandings of performance art, fostering a deeper engagement with the art form.
  5. Emphasis on Diverse Voices:
    PAJ prioritizes the representation of diverse voices and perspectives, including those from marginalized communities, thereby enriching the discourse within the realm of performance and art.
In recent years, "PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art" has seen a shift towards emerging themes that resonate with current cultural and technological landscapes. This section outlines these trending topics, highlighting their relevance and potential impact on the field.
  1. Digital and Virtual Performance:
    With the rise of technology, there is an increasing focus on digital and virtual performances, exploring how these mediums reshape audience engagement and the nature of performance itself.
  2. Intersection of Performance and Politics:
    Recent publications have emphasized the intersection of performance and political movements, analyzing how performance art serves as a vehicle for activism and social change in contemporary society.
  3. Exploration of Queer and Diverse Narratives:
    There is a growing trend towards exploring queer identities and diverse narratives in performance, reflecting broader societal movements towards inclusivity and representation.
  4. Environmental and Ecological Themes:
    Emerging themes related to environmental issues and ecological awareness are becoming more prominent, with performance art being examined as a means to address and critique ecological crises.
  5. Transmedia and Hybrid Practices:
    A trend towards transmedia storytelling and hybrid artistic practices is evident, where performance art intersects with other media forms, creating innovative and immersive experiences.

Declining or Waning

While "PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art" continues to thrive in various areas, certain themes have shown signs of diminishing prominence in recent publications. This section highlights those declining topics, reflecting shifts in focus within the journal.
  1. Traditional Theatre Criticism:
    There has been a noticeable decline in papers centered on conventional theatre criticism, as the journal shifts towards more avant-garde and experimental forms of performance that challenge traditional narratives.
  2. Purely Historical Analyses:
    While historical context remains relevant, the emphasis on pure historical analyses without contemporary relevance appears to be waning, as the journal increasingly favors discussions that link past practices to current artistic expressions.
  3. Static Representations of Identity:
    The exploration of identity in performance has become more dynamic, focusing on intersectionality and fluidity rather than static representations, leading to a decrease in papers that treat identity as a singular or fixed concept.
  4. Traditional Performance Genres:
    There is a diminishing focus on traditional performance genres (like classical theatre or dance) in favor of more experimental and hybrid forms that fuse various artistic practices.
  5. Conventional Art Reviews:
    The journal has moved away from conventional art reviews that do not engage deeply with the socio-political implications of the work, prioritizing critical essays that explore broader cultural narratives.

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