The XIV International Ibsen Conference

The International Ibsen Conferences (IIC) organized by the International Ibsen Committee at regular intervals, normally triennially. The theme of the XIV International Ibsen Conference will be -Ibsen and Power-, since in some basic sense all of Ibsen's plays can be seen as investigations of power and power relations. On page and stage Ibsen is often seen as interrogating and critiquing the workings of power in terms of gender, class, economy, or politics. Power in Ibsen is, however, not merely negative or something to be resisted. The power of truth, art, and the individual, or the empowerment of women and youth are also obvious 'Ibsenian' themes. Power and power relations are also important aspects of the reception and use of Ibsen in different contexts: in reviews and literary history, in the theatre, in political struggle and censorship, in soft diplomacy, nation building, education, and theatre for development, just to mention a few. The IIC mainly targets academics, i.e. Ibsen-scholars working in universities. But in addition, it does attract some artists and intellectuals from outside the academe. The conferences are not only inter-cultural, but they are also highly inter-disciplinary, including scholars from a diverse range of academic fields and disciplines - ranging from literary history and criticism and theatre or performance studies to philosophy, religion, history of ideas and social sciences.