The Team

John J Schranz is Professor at the Malta University Theatre Studies Programme and Director of Groups for Human Encounter, which, launched in 1969, carries its work all over Europe and runs its independent Studio, ActionBase. A founder of Maltese auto-didactic group theatre, he is committed to what he terms "the autonomous relationality" generated by performer pedagogy & dramaturgy. In 1993 his research met the Cognitive Sciences, resulting in the xHCA Brain Research Programme (1995)and the EMA-PS Programme (2004). A member of British and Italian editorial boards and co-editor of Margin, his writings are translated into French, German, Greek, Italian, Latvian, Polish. Of his many publications, his latest is The Performer as Act of Faith (Gruppi 2004).

Richard Muscat is Pro-rector at the University of Malta and Professor at the Department of Physiology and Biochemistry. His primary research interest is that related to the brain mechanisms that subserve goal directed behaviour. In attempting to address this issue the Laboratory of Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Malta has been instrumental in developing models of anhedonia that have provided insights into the brain areas, neuronal circuits and chemical transmitters involved in changes in rewarded behaviour. In particular, the mechanisms giving rise to long term changes, plasticity, have to some extent been delineated and in turn may be similar to those for memory.

Clelia Falletti is Associate Professor at the University of Rome «La Sapienza» and teaches Storia del Teatro e dello Spettacolo, Teoria e Storia della Scenografia, and Antropologia Teatrale. Since 1981 she has participated in research by ISTA (International School of Theatre Anthropology) directed by Eugenio Barba; she is dramaturg for Teatro Potlach, co-editor of theatre books series with two publishing houses and on the editorial board of the review Teatro e Storia. Of her many publications, her latest is the volume Le grandi tradizioni teatrali: Il Medioevo. Con due rappresentazioni sacre: «Lauda della discesa di Gesù all’Inferno» e «Rappresentazione di Santa Uliva» (Great Theatre traditions: the Middle Ages. With two sacred plays: «Lauda of Jesus’ descent to Hell» and «Representation of Saint Uliva»), Bulzoni 2004.

Juliusz Tyszka is Associate Professor in the Department of Cultural Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan. Deeply involved in student theatre since the age of 19, he was an activist in the independent Polish student theatre movement, documenting its important role in Poland’s political scene. His work in performer pedagogy sees him giving workshops in Poland, France, USA. Author of 5 books, editor and co-editor of several others, his many writings have been published in Poland, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, USA, Romania and Yugoslavia. He was Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Department of Performance Studies, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University (1992/3) and teacher and researcher in DEUG Arts du Spectacle, Université d’Artois in Arras, France (2003).

Nicholas Arnold recently retired as Principal Lecturer in Performance Studies, De Montfort University, Leicester, England. He was educated at Oxford, where he read history and social anthropology. He worked as a performer and director, in traditional and experimental performance, before re-entering academia. He is currently working in the areas of contemporary experimental performance and performance art, in the anthropology of performance, and on considerations of an ethology of performance.

Noellie Brockdorff is Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Science at the University of Malta. She has published research on categorization, recognition and memory in peer-reviewed academic journals including Journal of Experimental Psychology: General., Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review and Memory & Cognition. Research interests include: concepts and categorization; mathematical models of cognitive processes; false memory; and visual perception.

Victor E Jacono is the EMA-PS Programme Administrator and ActionBase Manager & Research Co-ordinator.  He has obtained a Master's degree in Theatre Studies, with a dissertation investigating the possibility of shifting the discourse on the performer into the field of the complex systems sciences. He holds a first class B.A. (Hons) degree in Theatre Studies (2004), as well as a B.A.degree in English and Communication Studies (2001).  Apart from his ongoing work with John Schranz and Gruppi ghall-Inkontri tal-Bniedem at ActionBase, he has gained experience in various other performance contexts and has taken part in several theatre productions both in Malta and abroad.