Celebrating fifty years in Prague: reflections on Australian scenographic identity through the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space

The Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space represents the largest international gathering of performance designers, researchers and academics. When the first Quadrennial was held in 1967, a dozen Australian stage and costume designers travelled around the globe to showcase Australian scenography and connect with the international community. Fifty years later, PQ 2019 marked half a century of Australia’s involvement in this pivotal international event. During this time, national scenographic practice has evolved in response to Australia’s unique geographic, cultural and political context, as well as international developments in the field. This paper celebrates the fifty-year anniversary of Australia’s involvement with the Quadrennial through a critical examination of the evolutions in our national performance design aesthetic: what we term our national scenographic identity. Combining previously unpublished images and historical information from the PQ Archives with critical reflections of the 2019 exhibition, this paper identifies various markers of Australian scenographic identity as evident through our involvement with the Quadrennial. From here, the discussion adopts an international focus as we examine two design traits emblematic of contemporary practice as evident at PQ 19 – immersive scenographies and performance technologies – and how each relate to and impact Australian design. This paper offers new insight into Australian scenography through the lens of the Prague Quadrennial and furthers the national conversation on performance design.