Personal Information
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Given name: Rita









Surname: Sebestyen









Email: rita.julia.sebestyen@gmail.com









I understand that by submitting this form, I consent to the use of my data for the purposes of the 2026 Forum on Artistic Research'.: Yes









I agree to the terms of service.: Yes













Your contribution
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Title: Working in Languages Spoken by Fewer: An Aesthetics of Non-Alignment 









Format: Project presentation (2)









Main language: English









Abstract:
This exposition examines how structural non-alignment between language, aesthetic form, and cultural centre generates distinctive performative strategies. Drawing on work across Romania, Hungary, Denmark, and the UK, it explores three pillars of practice preceding Embodied Artistic Research, a Co-Creative Inquiry (EAR): Romanian theatre language, Ancient Greek tragedy as deliberate difficulty, and Hungarian folk tradition. Working in languages spoken by fewer, the inquiry avoids hierarchical or deficit-based framings, recognising these languages as generative and experimental. These conditions shaped an aesthetics of non-alignment that crystallised into EAR, a co-creative, iterative methodology integrating artistic practice and research. The work demonstrates how linguistic, cultural, and institutional tensions can catalyse innovation, relational co-creation, and ethical knowledge-making, highlighting the active role of languages spoken by fewer in sustaining plural, hybrid, and experimental cultural practices.










Link to the Exposition :  (https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/4202694/4202695)









Image: https://www.sar2026.ie/system/files/webform/submit_contribution/257/alkeszt_q.jpg









Short biographies of the presenter(s):
- Dr. Rita Júlia Sebestyén is a theatre maker, researcher, and educator specialising in performance, multilingualism, and artistic research. She founded Embodied Artistic Research™ and co-founded the intercultural theatre periodical Játéktér / Playing Area.
  She has taught higher education courses in Denmark, Hungary, and Romania, and led several EU-funded arts and social inclusion projects across eight countries. Her work has received research and artistic awards in the EU and UK, and her publications appear internationally.










Previous presentations or iterations of the research:
This contribution presents Embodied Artistic Research™ (EAR), an original multimodal practice and method developed by the author. While parts of the method have been explored in workshops, discussions, and publications, the integration of languages spoken by few and the language-based pillars of EAR are presented here for the first time. The work is intended for future publication, further elaborating examples and applications.














Requirements
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Additional information:
Project presentation of Embodied Artistic Research™ (EAR), focusing on its emergence from languages spoken by few and the resulting aesthetic-productive tension. Designed to be equally accessible to academics, practitioners, and artists.










Spatial and technical requirements :
Projector and screen.










Potential risks or ethical concerns:
Minimal: discussion-based, non-contact, respecting participants’ linguistic and cultural differences.










Create a user account for SAR 2026: Yes









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