Organized by the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zenica, Department of Culture and Tourism, and in cooperation with the Bosnian National Theatre Zenica, a guest lecture was held by the distinguished American theatre scholar, theorist, and artist Prof. Dr. Bryan Reynolds from the University of California, Irvine (USA), entitled: “What's an Artist to Do?: Performing Arts for Change in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.”
The lecture was held as part of teaching activities in the subjects Contemporary Cultural Production and Performance and Stage Culture, and was attended by students of the Cultural Studies and Culture and Tourism study programs, teachers, associates and colleagues from the Bosnian National Theatre and the professional community.
The meeting with Professor Reynolds took place in an extremely inspiring atmosphere. The lecture lasted longer than planned, and the final part was marked by an excellent question and answer segment, during which the students showed great curiosity and proactive participation in the discussion about the role of art in social change. As Professor Reynolds pointed out: "I am pleasantly surprised by the level of knowledge of the field, the information and the way of thinking of the students. Their questions and comments testify to a serious approach and authentic curiosity."
Professor Reynolds spoke about his many years of work on political theatre projects and “performance activism" in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia regions, and presented the thematic framework of his new book "Art Beyond the Edge" co-authored with Mark LeVine and published by University of California Press.
This activity represents another form of continued cooperation between the Department of Cultural and Tourism Studies with international partners and researchers, as well as with local cultural institutions, with the shared ambition of providing students with direct contact with current trends in contemporary cultural production and artistic practice.
