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World Ritual Arts Symposium
First Edition – 22–24 May 2026, Ulster University, Derry~Londonderry campus
Ulster University’s research unit for Music, Drama, Performing Arts and Film/Screen Studies, in collaboration with LUXE, the Ritual Arts Forum, and the journal PRS: Performance, Religion and Spirituality, presents the inaugural World Ritual Arts Symposium.
| Day 1 Friday 22 May | Location (Foyle Arts/MQ building except where indicated) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2:30pm | Foyle Arts Building foyer | Registration Desk Open. |
| 4:30pm | Studio A | Opening Blessing – Ekedy Sinha – Priestess of Casa Branca, Bahia, Brazil. |
| 4:40pm | Studio A | Welcome Remarks. Tom Maguire, Brian Bridges, Victoria McCollum, Giuliano Campo - Ulster University |
| 5pm | Studio A | Keynote – "Could you repeat that?" From Ritual to Theatre ... and back again. Richard Gough - Artistic Director of the Centre for Performance Research (CPR), Wales. |
| 5:40pm | Studio A | Performance – Long Sleeve Dance in Traditional Chinese Opera – Xuchang City, China – Ms Yang Yilin - National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts - Confucius Institute staff member |
| 5:50pm | Dance Studio | Exhibition and presentation of Chinese paintings – China – Prof. Zuo -Confucius Institute staff member |
| 6:20pm | COMFORT BREAK | |
| 6:30pm | Studio A | Performance – Liszt: Via Crucis – The Ulster University Chamber Choir directed by Shaun Ryan & Drama students directed by Giuliano Campo |
| Day 2 Saturday 23 May | Location (Foyle Arts/MQ building except where indicated) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30am | Studio A | Presentation, Workshop and Performance – Ritual and Embodiment in Candomblé: A Performative Introduction – Ekedy Sinha – Priestess of Casa Branca – Bahia, Brazil – and Joice Aglae Brondani – Federal University of Bahia, Brazil. |
| 10:50am | TEA/COFFEE BREAK | |
| 11:10am | Studio A | Workshop – The Embodied Actor: Somatic Preparation and PresenceExplorations for Theatre Artists – USA – Robin Aronson – University of Southern Mississippi, USA |
| 11:10am | Studio B | Workshop – From Prayer to Dance: Movement in Islamic Spirituality – Italy/Arabic world – Rosanna Maryem Sirignano – Independent artist/researcher |
| 12:10pm | Studio A | Chair: Giuliano Campo, Ulster University. Presentation – The Spirit as Artist. The Theatre of Living Figures in ‘Pétrouchka’ – Italy/Russia – Concetta Lo Iacono – University of Roma Tre. |
| 12:10pm | Studio B | Chair: Shamim Hasan, Ulster University. Presentation – Aesthetics and Agency in Trance: Performing Ritual Possession in Thirayattam – India – Neeraja Sasikumar – Department of Liberal Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. |
| 12:30pm | Studio A | Presentation – Crossing the Bridge and Exorcism Rites Performed by Daoist Priestesses – USA – Mark Pizzato –University of North Carolina, Charlotte |
| 12:30pm | Studio B | Hybrid Presentation – Verbatim Theatre as Spiritual Practice: a Performance of Returning in Interfaith Narratives – USA - Alexandra Mackenzie Johns – Brigham Young University. |
| 1pm | Off-campus | BREAK FOR LUNCH: delegates are invited to make their own arrangements and explore the city (see orientation info, below) |
| 3pm | Studio A | Performance – Drum, Body, Community: Taiko Between Traditions – Ireland/Japan – Ibuki Taiko: Fiona Umetsu, Ruth McCartney, Forton Umetsu, Sora Umetsu, Ami Umetsu – Independent artists/researchers. |
| 3:40pm | Studio A | Chair: Neeraja Sasikumar, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Presentation – The Ritual Element in Video Games: A Case Study of NieR Replicant – Italy/Japan – Valerio Greco and Perla T. Elias Nemer – Independent researchers. |
| 3:40pm | Studio B | Chair: Latifa Yeasmin, Ulster University. Presentation – From the Stage to the Sacred: Jacques Copeau's Religious Turn and the Reinvention of Ritual Performance (1924–1943) – Italy/France – Vittoria Giaganini – Independent artist/researcher. |
| 4pm | Studio A | Hybrid Presentation – Channeling the Divine Feminine: Queer Feminist Spiritual Reclamation in Contemporary Performance – Turkey/North America – Eser Selen – Ozyegin University, Istanbul. |
| 4pm | Studio B | Presentation – A re-enactement of the Living Theatre’ s Seven Meditations on political sado-masochism as an experience of pedagogical ritual – Italy – Fabrizio Deriu – University of Teramo. |
| 5pm | TEA/COFFEE BREAK | |
| 5:20pm | Studio A | Chinese Tea Ceremony and Guzheng: Dance of Lauding – Wuhan, Hubei – Ms Zhan Zihui -Hubei Normal University - Confucius Institute staff member. |
| 5:50pm | Studio A | Performance – Face Changing Opera – Sichuan Opera, Shan Xi/China – Ms Qiao Dan - National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts - Confucius Institute staff member. |
| 6pm | Studio A | Performance - A Ritual-Based Performance Inspired by the Mevlevi Tradition: The Conference of the Birds –Esen Poyraz, Hüseyin Şen - Munzur University, University of Konya. |
| 6:30pm | Studio A | Chair: Giuliano Campo, Ulster University. Hybrid Presentation – Ritual |
| 6.30 pm | Studio B | Film Premiere – It Is Singing That Has Lifted the Human Being. An Encounter with Ewa Benesz’ s Vocal Practices / I Sew the Song – Italy/Poland – Irene Mattioli, Celeste Taliani – Independent researchers. |
| 7.00 pm | Studio A | Performance – I’m from, the womb of creation – Irish, Yoruba/Prussian –Majella Biernat, Kelly Quigley, Maggie Hannon, Remi Ajike – Independent artists. |
| 7:30pm | Off-campus | BREAK FOR DINNER delegates are invited to make their own arrangements and explore the city (see orientation info, below). Note: advance booking of restaurants is advisable. |
| 9 pm | Off-campus: Meeting point: Foyle Arts Building car park. The bus leaves at 9 pm sharp for the event site in Donegal (Republic of Ireland) | The World of Luxe and Candomblé ritual by the water. |
| Day 3 Sunday 24 May | Location (Foyle Arts/MQ building except where indicated) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30am | Studio A | Presentation (video recording) – Ritual and Performance in Contemporary Arts: Corporeality, Experience and Collective Dimension – Italy – Rossana Suriano – Fondazione Morra Napoli / Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris. |
| 9:30am | Dance Studio | Workshop – Stones, Space, and Dream Matter: Ritual Structures for Performative Composition – Bulgaria – Nikolay Valeriev Barzakov – Independent artist/researcher / Southwest University “Neofit Rilski” |
| 10:30am | Studio B | Hybrid Presentation –- Forests’ and its Ecology of Conflict: Ritual as Social Technology in Ensemble Performance Practice – England, UK – Eleanor Buchan – Independent artist. |
| 10:30am | Dance Studio | Workshop – Body Wisdom: Movement as Living Experience – Ireland – Kelly Quigley – Independent artist. |
| 10:30am | Studio A | Hybrid Presentation – Primary Love : research on ritual performance art – Italy/Poland – Marco Balbi Dipalma – Independent artist. |
| 11:20am | TEA/COFFEE BREAK | |
| 11:40am | Studio A | Chair: Giuliano Campo, Ulster University. Presentation – Blood, Breath, and Belonging: Preserving Mro Culture and Cosmology through Nasyatpa Ritual Performance – Bangladesh – Faiz Zahir and Shahidul Mamun – Bangladesh Centre for Theatre Arts & Design (BACTAD). |
| 11:40am | Studio B | Chair: Perla T. Elias Nemer – Independent researcher. Presentation – The Paratheatrical Workshop in Bangladesh: Experience, Analysis, and Outcomes - Shamim Hasan - Ulster University. |
| 12pm | Studio A | Presentation – Beneath the Map – Brazil – Danna Lua Irigaray Araujo – University of Brasília - NOVA University of Lisbon. |
| 12pm | Studio B | Presentation – OsteoSITE: reorienting praxis through improvised ritual – Wales / Ireland / Mexico – Steve Donnelly – University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. |
| 12:20pm | Studio A | Presentation – Ritual Belief, Dramatic Performance, and Seasonal Renewal: Khal Gağan as a Living Ritual Art in the Alevi Tradition - Turkey – Esen Poyraz - Munzur University, University of Konya |
| 1pm | Off-campus | BREAK FOR LUNCH: delegates are invited to make their own arrangements and explore the city (see orientation info, below) |
| 3pm | Studio A | Bog Beauty, Equinox – Ireland – Anne Lillis – Independent Artist. |
| 4pm | Studio A | Crossbones – England, UK – John Hamilton Constable – Independent artist/researcher |
| 4:50pm | Studio A | Performance – The Peking Opera Selling Water – Xuchang City, Henan Province, China – Confucius Institute Ms Yang Yilin - National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts - Confucius Institute staff member |
| 5pm | Studio A | Closing Remarks |
| 5:10pm | Studio A | Performance – The Armagh Rhymers – Ireland – Dara Vallely, Anne Hart, Annie June Callaghan, Sarah Barry, Larry Harte, Robbie McGleenan, Tom Makem, Gerry Lappin – The Armagh Rhymers Educational & Cultural Organisation |
Orientation and Introduction
The symposium venue is Ulster University’s Derry~Londonderry campus, also known locally as Magee, in the city of Derry~Londonderry. See here for a campus map.
The city itself is divided by the River Foyle into the Cityside (with the 17th-century Walled City) and the Waterside (with the old Ebrington barracks). The Peace Bridge connects both sides of the city.
The city centre is quite walkable; there is a city bus service operated by Translink Foyle Metro, but these are infrequent (sometimes every half-hour) unless a number of bus routes intersect. If arriving by train, there is a free bus service to take you to the city centre (Cityside).
Taxi companies include: Foyle Taxi Co +44287126 2626 and City Cabs +4428 7126 4466. Both have their own taxi app. Note that taxis cannot generally be hailed on the streets.
Food Options
Food: Note that whilst tea/coffee and sweet treats will be provided on the Saturday and Sunday, we have left sufficient time in lunch and dinner breaks to allow you to explore the city and find food options which suit you.
Supermarkets nearby
All of the following supermarkets are within a short walk (5-10 mins) of campus:
Sainsbury's, Strand Road
Tesco, Strand Road
Long's Supervalu, Strand Road
NB: There is also a Marks and Spencers Food Hall in the Foyleside shopping centre
See here for a map with supermarkets highlighted
Restaurants
Restaurants can be found in various parts of the city adjacent to the campus, or close by, including inside the Walled City, along Strand Road, by the Quays, and in Ebrington (across the Peace Bridge).
See here for map with restaurants highlighted
Coffee shops and Light bites
See here for map with coffee shops highlighted.
Options close to campus include:
- Hang Ten, Strand Road (closed Sun)
- Brew & Bite, Strand Road (closed Sun)
- Patricia’s coffee house (on the quays, open 7 days)
- The Pickled Duck (on the quays, open 7 days)
- Jerusalem, Great James Street (closed Mon and Tues)
- Various city centre options include
- Scullery (Waterloo Street, open 7 days)
- Nine Hostages Coffee (Waterloo Street, closed Mon)
- Hive (London Street, open 7 days)
- Rosta (Carlisle Road, closed Mon)
- The Cottage (Craft Village, off Magazine Street or Shipquay Street, closed Sun)
NB: Various chains are available in Richmond Centre and Foyleside Centre
Travel and Accommodation Advice
Airports
Belfast International (BFS) and Belfast City Airport (BHD) - these are two separate airports ('International' being some distance from the city); flights from UK hub airports such as London Heathrow are likely to have connections to Belfast City Airport. There is a direct link (Aircoach) from BFS to Derry (and Dublin Airport), but no direct link from BHD to Derry - there is a shuttle bus which will connect you to the main city bus station (Belfast Grand Central). See Translink for details.
City of Derry Airport (LDY) - internal UK flights (London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool): note that public buses connect to the city, but are infrequent (check Translink timetables); most arrivals make use of the taxi service. International travelers: it may be possible to book a through ticket to LDY from LHR as a hub airport (Loganair and British Airways have an integrated ticketing arrangement).
Dublin Airport (DUB)- transatlantic and global hub airport in Republic of Ireland, with bus links to Derry and Belfast (Translink X3 and X4 to Derry, Aircoach to Derry via Belfast), but note that there may be an additional visa requirement for arriving into Dublin vs a UK airport.
Visas and ETA
NI and Republic of Ireland may require separate visas (depending on your passport and visa status).
Northern Ireland is the part of the island of Ireland which is in the UK, so UK visa rules will apply for some or all of your journey. Also, please note that both the UK and Ireland (Republic of) are outside the European Schengen zone, so a separate visa may be needed even if you have one for elsewhere in Europe.
NB: There is a new requirement for people who do not have UK or Irish residence or nationality but who do not require a visa to enter the UK: the Electronic Travel Authorisation (see gov.uk site for details).
Whilst the 'frontier' between the two territories may appears open, checkpoints are sometimes placed on various cross-border routes, and trains/buses may be stopped on occasion, so it is important to ensure that you have the appropriate visa/ETA (if needed) and carry passport ID if travelling via Dublin or other parts of the Republic of Ireland. Consult UK and Irish government sites for further details.
- See more on Discover Northern Ireland
Where letters of invitation/participation are required for visa purposes, please contact the organisers at least one month in advance (not accounting for visa application lead times).
NB: Whilst organisers will do their best to direct you to relevant information, it is delegates' responsibility to ensure compliance with visa and general travel/immigration requirements.
Connections and Public Transport
The primary bus service in Northern Ireland is provided by the public operator Translink. They operate a variety of routes, including inter-city Derry-Belfast (212) and cross-border Derry-Dublin (X3/X4), and also local services (Foyle Metro) in Derry.
It is possible to pre-book cross-border bus services, and this is particularly advised for connections from Dublin Airport. NB: you book directly from the Translink homepage/journey planner.
Translink also operates the railway service in Northern Ireland (a weekday hourly service Derry to/from Belfast, plus cross-border Belfast-Dublin 'Enterprise' service. (Book on Translink for journeys originating in NI; book on Irish Rail for journeys originating in the Republic).
There are various public and private bus companies which operate in the Republic of Ireland; please review tourist guides for further details.
Bus Éireann is the main public bus company within the Republic of Ireland, but does not operate a service from Dublin to Derry - use Translink X3/4 (Bus Éireann does, however, operate a cross-border service between Derry and Galway in the West via Donegal: route 64).
Aircoach also offers services connecting Dublin city, Dublin Airport, Belfast city centre, Belfast International Airport (not Belfast City airport; local connections apply there), and Derry/Londonderry city. Pre-booking is advisable.
Accommodation
Derry has a variety of accommodation options, from private rooms and bed and breakfast (B&Bs) to budget and luxury hotel options; see the Visit Derry site.
The campus and most venues are on the Cityside/BT48 (west bank of the Foyle), though a pedestrian bridge (the Peace Bridge) connects this with the east bank of the Foyle (Waterside/BT47).
ORIGINAL CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (for reference)
First Edition – 22–24 May 2026
Call for Papers, Performances, and Workshops
Ulster University’s research unit for Music, Drama, Performing Arts and Film/Screen Studies, in collaboration with LUXE, the Ritual Arts Forum, and the journal PRS: Performance, Religion and Spirituality, presents the inaugural World Ritual Arts Symposium.
The World Ritual Arts Symposium is envisioned as an annual international gathering that brings together artists, scholars, practitioners, and members of the public to explore the dynamic intersections of ritual, performance, and embodied practice. Rooted in performance research and cultural engagement, the symposium fosters dialogue across disciplines and geographies, with a focus on lived experience, spiritual aesthetics, environmental consciousness, and decolonial approaches to performance.
The inaugural edition will take place from 22 to 24 May 2026 at Ulster University, Derry~Londonderry campus, in the historic Walled City of Derry, Northern Ireland (UK). The programme will include performances, workshops, roundtables, screenings, and participatory installations. We are honoured to welcome international guests, including spiritual guides, artists, and ritual specialists, alongside contributions from local and regional practitioners, students, independent researchers, and academics.
This first edition embraces a broad and inclusive approach, reflecting the growing global interest in intergenerational, transdisciplinary, and intercultural explorations of creativity, tradition, innovation, and spirituality.
We invite proposals that interpret the theme Performance, Practice, and Presence through the lens of what we call Ritual Acts—expressions that engage with the transformative power of embodied ritual.
Submissions
We welcome submissions in the following formats:
- Papers and presentations (20 minutes)
- Performances (20-50 minutes; duration negotiable with the organising
- team)
- Workshops (50 minutes)
The deadline for submissions is 31 January 2026.
Please submit a 300-word proposal and a 200-word biography to:
Shamim Hasan –Hasan-MS2@ulster.ac.uk and Dr Giuliano Campo – g.campo@ulster.ac.uk
Evening performances and selected screenings will be open to the general public.
Featured Guests from Bahia, Brazil
Ekedy Sinha – Priestess of Casa Branca
Gersonice Azevedo Brandão, known as Ekedy Sinha, is a senior priestess at Terreiro da Casa Branca, Ilê Axé Iyá Nassô— one of the earliest and most respected Candomblé temples in Brazil. A daughter of Oxóssi, she is a ritual artist deeply versed in the sacred chants of the orixás. Her work bridges religion, culture, art, and education, including the project Na seiva da voz (“In the Sap of the Voice”), which reinterprets traditional chants dedicated to Ossain, the orixá of healing leaves. Sinha received the title of Dottoressa Notório Saber from UFBA (Federal University of Bahia), recognising her distinguished expertise.
Candomblé is an Afro-Brazilian religion rooted in the spiritual traditions of West African peoples, particularly Yoruba, Bantu, and Fon. It emerged as a powerful act of cultural resistance during Brazil’s colonial period, preserving ancient beliefs under the guise of Catholicism. At its heart, Candomblé honours a pantheon of orixás, invoked through ritual, music, dance, and offerings. More than a religion, it is a living archive of African heritage, safeguarding languages, rhythms, and cosmologies.
Casa Branca do Engenho Velho, officially Ilê Axé Iyá Nassô Oká, is the oldest recognised Candomblé temple in Brazil. Founded in the early 19th century in Salvador, Bahia, it has shaped the Ketu nation of Candomblé and continues to serve as a spiritual and cultural reference point. Led by a lineage of powerful iyalorixás (priestesses), Casa Branca is a sanctuary of healing, education, and community, and has been designated a national heritage site by IPHAN.
Joice Aglaé Brondani – Theatre Director and Scholar
Joice Aglaé Brondani is a Brazilian actress, theatre director, and professor at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), where she teaches in both the undergraduate Theatre programme and the Graduate Programme in Performing Arts (PPGAC). Internationally recognised for her work on theatre and ritual, she bridges academic research, artistic creation, and cultural preservation.
Her scholarship explores masks, clowning, buffoonery, commedia dell’arte, and the relationship between popular culture and altered states of consciousness. She holds a PhD in Performing Arts from UFBA, with research conducted in collaboration with Università di Roma Tre and the Scuola Sperimentale dell’Attore in Italy. Her doctoral work examined the archetype of the buffoon in Brazilian popular spectacle traditions.
Joice has completed postdoctoral fellowships at UFBA, the University of Turin (UNITO), and the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), focusing on feminine mask archetypes, mythologies, and the embodiment of spiritual entities such as Iansã and Pombogiras. She is the founder of Cia Buffa de Teatro in Salvador and Bottega Buffa CircoVacanti in Italy, with performances presented across Europe and Brazil. Her work continues to shape the future of ritual performance and transcultural theatre.
Joice was initiated as an ekedy in her terreiro Ilê Asè Oba Ilesá.
Keynote Speaker
Richard Gough – Theatre Director and Scholar
Richard Gough is Artistic Director of the Centre for Performance Research (CPR), a multi-faceted theatre organisation based in Wales with an international reach. He is Professor of Music & Performance at the University of South Wales, Cardiff, and Emeritus Professor of Aberystwyth University.
He is the General Editor and co-founder of Performance Research: A Journal of the Performing Arts (published by Routledge), and publisher and series editor of Performance Research Books, including its imprints Performance Books and Black Mountain Press.
Gough was the founding President (1997–2001) of Performance Studies international (PSi) and has dedicated the last fifty years to developing and exploring interdisciplinary, experimental performance. He has curated and organised numerous international theatre projects — including conferences, summer schools, and workshop festivals — and has produced nationwide tours of experimental theatre and traditional dance/theatre ensembles from around the world.
As a director, he has led over seventy productions, many of which have toured across Europe. He has also lectured and led workshops throughout Europe, Australasia, China, Japan, the USA, the Philippines, Colombia, and Brazil. His work consistently seeks to push the boundaries of performance and disciplinary practice.
Registration and Fees
To ensure broad access, the symposium will adopt a tiered and inclusive pricing model:
| Category | Early Bird | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Institution-supported (Band A) | £80 | £100 |
| Freelancers/Small or non-funded organisations | £30 | £40 |
Low/no income, general audience, invited contributors from Bands B/C countries | Free | Free |
