The Live Cinema 2017 Symposium marked the formal launch of our book Live Cinema: Cultures, Economies, Aesthetics (Sarah Atkinson & Helen W. Kennedy eds.). The event featured lively discussions and debates from speakers who contributed to our research, representing rich, diverse and interdisciplinary fields of enquiry and encapsulating a broad range of innovative methodological, critical and analytical approaches. The Live Cinema Symposium examined the impact of these novel cultures of reception and practice and the new experiential aesthetics and emergent economies of engagement. In particular, we concentrated on instances where the ‘live’ transcends the mediated and escapes beyond the boundaries of the auditorium. We heard about innovative projects which both merged and transcended art forms, bringing together music, dance, film and theatre in new creative collaborations and outputs. Moreover, that this is not a new phenomenon, indeed this tendency is present throughout the entire history of cinema in the form of live musical accompaniments to silent screenings, showmanship practices, and cult film audience behaviour.
We also welcomed industry partners Live Cinema UK with whom we have collaborated on much Live Cinema related work, who presented findings and insights from the Creative Europe funded ‘Live Cinema in the EU project, as well as the ‘Live Cinema Talent Pool’.
The design of the event was inspired by Barbara Klinger’s foreword and keynote in our decision to screen the festive classic It’s a Wonderful Life. The screening was preceded by a choral performance from Some Voices who have earned themselves the accolade of being ‘London’s Coolest Choir’ according to Time Out.
We kindly thank our hosts and sponsors who made this event possible, the department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries King’s College London, the School of Media University of Brighton, and the Arts & Humanities Research Institute King’s College London.