My Symposium on Practice as Research 2026 (MySPaR 2026)
ASWARA Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
31st October - 1st November 2026
BACKGROUND
My Symposium on Practice as Research (MySPaR) was established in 2018 by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies of the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (ASWARA), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. MySPaR focuses on the niche area of research methodology of practice, such as research in the field of the arts. This event recognizes tacit knowledge as a form of absolute knowledge.
The objective of the symposium is to gather leading academicians, scholars, researchers, practitioners, and postgraduate students in order to share new knowledge and ideas as well as to discuss current developments in their individual areas of art research and practice.
We are delighted to announce the My Symposium on Practice as Research 2026 (MySPaR) International 2026 will be physically held at the ASWARA, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 31st October to 1st November 2026.
THEME
Research Through Practice : Innovation, Interpretation and Creation
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Professor Peter Eckersall- Sidney E.Cohn Professor in Theater
- PhD Program in Theater and Performance - The Graduate Center Cuny (City University of New York)
- Deputy Director at Marvin Carlson Theatre Center
- Expertise in Japanese Theater, Dramaturgy, Contemporary Performance and Media
- Actively publishing book on Theater and Politics, Dramaturgy and Contemporary Performance
- Resident Dramaturg for the performance group of 'Not Yet It's Difficult' at Melbourne
- Sidney E.Cohn Professor in Theater
- PhD Program in Theater and Performance - The Graduate Center Cuny (City University of New York)
- Deputy Director at Marvin Carlson Theatre Center
- Expertise in Japanese Theater, Dramaturgy, Contemporary Performance and Media
- Actively publishing book on Theater and Politics, Dramaturgy and Contemporary Performance
- Resident Dramaturg for the performance group of 'Not Yet It's Difficult' at Melbourne
Professor Dr Valerie Ross, (PhD, MEd,BMus (Hons), DRSAMD)
- Composer and Researcher in Europe and Asia Pacific.
- Graduate from Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow; University of London; UK and Deakin Univeristy, Australia
- Her music has been selected for performances at numerous events and festivals including the International Rostrum of Composers, Paris, International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) World Music Days in Warsaw, Stockholm and Essen, and International Gamelan Festival, Kuala Lumpur
- She has received compositional awards from the Rockefeller Foundation (Serbelloni), Japan Foundation (Embattled Garden) and Commonwealth Foundation (Tathagata, where she was presented to Her Majesty at Lancaster House in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth)
- Valerie was a resident composer at the Darmstadt International Institute for New Music and the Bellagio Study and Conference Centre, a visiting research fellow at the Institute for Musical Research, University of London, visiting scholar at the Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, visiting professor of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, Beijing, deputy dean of research and head of postgraduate studies, Faculty of Music, Universiti Teknologi MARA and also served on the Board of Accreditation, Malaysian Qualifications Agency
- She is an adjunct professor at the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage Malaysia. Professor Ross is a Fellow of Churchill College and she is the Director of the Centre for Intercultural Musicology at Churchill College, University of Cambridge
- Composer and Researcher in Europe and Asia Pacific.
- Graduate from Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow; University of London; UK and Deakin Univeristy, Australia
- Her music has been selected for performances at numerous events and festivals including the International Rostrum of Composers, Paris, International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) World Music Days in Warsaw, Stockholm and Essen, and International Gamelan Festival, Kuala Lumpur
- She has received compositional awards from the Rockefeller Foundation (Serbelloni), Japan Foundation (Embattled Garden) and Commonwealth Foundation (Tathagata, where she was presented to Her Majesty at Lancaster House in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth)
- Valerie was a resident composer at the Darmstadt International Institute for New Music and the Bellagio Study and Conference Centre, a visiting research fellow at the Institute for Musical Research, University of London, visiting scholar at the Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, visiting professor of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, Beijing, deputy dean of research and head of postgraduate studies, Faculty of Music, Universiti Teknologi MARA and also served on the Board of Accreditation, Malaysian Qualifications Agency
- She is an adjunct professor at the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage Malaysia. Professor Ross is a Fellow of Churchill College and she is the Director of the Centre for Intercultural Musicology at Churchill College, University of Cambridge
GUEST ARTIST
Pichet Klunchun
- Thai dancer, choreographer, and contemporary artist whose practice bridges Thai classical dance with contemporary performance
- Deeply rooted in the knowledge and principles of traditional Thai dance, his work continually re-examines its structures, hierarchies, and relevance within contemporary society
- In 2001, Pichet received a fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council, enabling him to further develop his artistic practice in the United States. Since then, he has built an extensive international career, presenting and collaborating across Asia, Europe, and North America. Among his internationally recognised works are Pichet Klunchun and Myself (2004), created with Jérôme Bel, and I Am a Demon (2005)
- In 2010, he founded Pichet Klunchun Dance Company (PKDC) as a platform for artistic research, creation, professional training, and the development of contemporary dance in Thailand. His long-term research into Thai classical dance led to No.60, a movement system that analyses, deconstructs, and reconstructs its underlying principles as a contemporary choreographic language
- In 2017, PKDC established Chang Theatre in Bangkok, an independently run space dedicated to performance, experimentation, education, and artistic exchange
- Pichet’s achievements have been recognised internationally through numerous honours, including the ECF Princess Margriet Award, Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the John D. Rockefeller 3rd Award from the Asian Cultural Council, and, most recently, the 2026 Fukuoka Prize – Arts and Culture Prize, recognising his contribution to expanding the cultural and social possibilities of dance
- Thai dancer, choreographer, and contemporary artist whose practice bridges Thai classical dance with contemporary performance
- Deeply rooted in the knowledge and principles of traditional Thai dance, his work continually re-examines its structures, hierarchies, and relevance within contemporary society
- In 2001, Pichet received a fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council, enabling him to further develop his artistic practice in the United States. Since then, he has built an extensive international career, presenting and collaborating across Asia, Europe, and North America. Among his internationally recognised works are Pichet Klunchun and Myself (2004), created with Jérôme Bel, and I Am a Demon (2005)
- In 2010, he founded Pichet Klunchun Dance Company (PKDC) as a platform for artistic research, creation, professional training, and the development of contemporary dance in Thailand. His long-term research into Thai classical dance led to No.60, a movement system that analyses, deconstructs, and reconstructs its underlying principles as a contemporary choreographic language
- In 2017, PKDC established Chang Theatre in Bangkok, an independently run space dedicated to performance, experimentation, education, and artistic exchange
- Pichet’s achievements have been recognised internationally through numerous honours, including the ECF Princess Margriet Award, Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the John D. Rockefeller 3rd Award from the Asian Cultural Council, and, most recently, the 2026 Fukuoka Prize – Arts and Culture Prize, recognising his contribution to expanding the cultural and social possibilities of dance
PUBLICATION
- Proceeding
- Journal (with additional fees)
Contact :
Secretariat MySPaR 2026
Akademi Seni Budaya Dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA)
464, Jalan Tun Ismail
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Email: myspar.aswara@gmail.com / myspar@aswara.edu.my