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Paula Kramer & Stephanie Misa Artistic Research as a Tool of Critique

In this text we inquire about and develop the potentials of critical thought and practice within artistic research in the performing arts. Doctoral projects have a unique position in what we might call ‘future academia’ – a say into what academia could become. A lot of thought and development activities flow into doctoral education, across disciplines, to ensure that the work emerging through doctorates is relevant, of high quality and meaningful to the researcher. Simultaneously projects have the potential to challenge, push and influence academic discourses, traditions and habits. So how can we develop and position our works so they do not stabilise the status quo, but push thinking and practice within artistic research in a critical and change-oriented way? This is the question we attend to here, offering contextualisation and some practical questions and considerations to ask oneself in the process of developing and following through with a doctoral project in the performing arts.