We are excited to announce that the recipient of this year’s Routledge Award, sponsored by Routledge, an imprint of Taylor and Francis, is Josiah Pearsall for his project titled “Humans and Objects Assemble with Self: Ecological Partnering.”

The Routledge Award honors outstanding research presented at the Performance Studies international (PSi) conference, recognizing originality, methodological innovation, and significant contributions to knowledge within the humanities and social sciences. Josiah’s presentation explores the intricate relationships between humans and objects, challenging traditional notions of individualism and subjectivity through the lens of performance. His work posits that theatrical engagements with everyday objects can foster a deeper understanding of collaboration and intra-action, as articulated by Karen Barad, and can dismantle human-centric hierarchies.

The jury praised Josiah’s compelling arguments regarding positionality and balance, noting, “An original research inquiry that brings together a set of critical frameworks in a sophisticated way to explore the idea of ecological partnering and self-assembly with objects.” They highlighted his cohesive description of the performance inquiry at the heart of the paper, drawing attention to the potential of corporeal movement in ecological performance.

Additionally, we would like to acknowledge Ranjini Nair, who received an Honorable Mention, and Miya Shaffer, who was named Runner-Up for their outstanding contributions.

Congratulations to Josiah Pearsall, Ranjini Nair, and Miya Shaffer for their exceptional work!

We also presented the PSi #28 Routledge Award to Fouad Asfour. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

Elvis Bendana Rivas