Every year, PSi recognizes the work of its members through a series of awards open to all participants in our community. Although the conference concluded a few months ago, we would now like to publicly recognize this year’s award winners to highlight some of the incredible work being done by our members. Please take a moment to learn more about their contributions and join us in celebrating their achievements.

We are excited to announce that Petra Kuppers has been awarded the University of Calgary Artistic Research Award at this year’s PSi conference. This award, accompanied by a $500.00 USD prize, honors artist-researchers whose work pushes the boundaries of artistic research, creating new knowledge and expanding epistemological horizons.

Petra’s presentation, “The Crip/Mad Archive Dances”, is an extraordinary performance/video/lecture that integrates disability studies with dance and performance archives. Her project highlights the embodied transmission of knowledge in disabled and mad communities, offering new insights into how archival material can be engaged through performance. Through her work, Petra demonstrates the power of creative performance in addressing the underrepresented histories of disabled and mad people.

The jury commended Petra’s work for its depth and innovation, noting that her “practice has developed into a method,” reflecting the rigorous and emergent nature of artistic research. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Petra Kuppers for her outstanding achievement!

In addition to Petra’s award, we are pleased to announce that Marlon Ariyasinghe received an Honorable Mention for his workshop, “Angam Mechanics: Developing a Performer’s Bodymind through Embodied Repertoire.” This project draws on the Sri Lankan martial art of Angampora to create a psychophysical actor-training methodology that decolonizes Western-centric approaches to actor training. The workshop fosters embodied transmission practices rooted in Angampora’s centuries-old traditions, expanding the discourse on performer development by incorporating non-Western epistemologies. Marlon’s work brings valuable attention to the rich cultural traditions of the Global South in actor training and performance studies.

We also took the opportunity to announce that Maurice Moore was awarded the PSi #28 University of Calgary Artistic Research Award. Additionally, Irina Kruchinina and Elvis Bendaña Rivas received honorable mentions. Congratulations to all for their recognition!

Elvis Bendana Rivas