Gesture—the intentional, expressive movement of the human body—is both a research subject and a methodology. While gesture is a well-established field in disciplines such as linguistics, cognitive science, computer science, and engineering, we contend that the significance of gesture as a category for knowledge generation and social organization warrants deeper engagement within the arts and humanities. How might we understand gesture as an intellectual object? And conversely, how might gesture serve as a lens through which to explore complex philosophical and cultural questions, including those related to agency, freedom, identity, and society? Drawing connections across literature, performance studies, visual and digital media studies, sociology, and kinesiology, the working group will chart a new constellation of gesture studies grounded in historical, epistemological, and cultural perspectives.
Leads
- Douglas Eacho, Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies (CDTPS)
- Seika Boye, CDTPS
- Yizhou Zhang, Ph.D. cand., CDTPS
Faculty Members, University of Toronto
- Kass Banning, Cinema Studies
- Corinn Columpar, Cinema Studies
- Signy Lynch, UTM English & Drama
- Mary Nyquist, Comparative Literature
- Kara Patterson, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Physical Therapy
- Brian Price, UTM Visual Studies
- Scott Richmond, Cinema Studies
- Terry Robinson, UTM English & Drama
- Nicholas Sammond, Cinema Studies
Faculty Members Outside University of Toronto
- Bridget Cauthery, Art Media Performance & Design (AMPD), York University
- Mary Fogarty, AMPD, York University
- Mark-David Hosale, AMPD, York University
Graduate Students, University of Toronto
- Martin Austin, CDTPS
- Miguel Esteban, OISE Social Justice Education
- Caitlin Gowans, CDTPS
- Meera Kanageswaran, CDTPS
- Soykan Karayol, CDTPS
- Ilana Khanin, CDTPS
- William Layng, English
- Keira Mayo, CDTPS
- Hillary Sunberg, CDTPS