The questions relating to the nature of documents and the processes of documentation are of core interest to researchers in the Department of Library & Information Science, (CityLIS), at City, University of London. One of our projects, DocPerform, aims to consider the documentation of performance and the extent to which performance may itself be considered as a document, from a multidisciplinary perspective. The project is part of the wider consideration of the nature/future of documents undertaken by members of CityLIS.

The DocPerform project held an initial symposium on October 31^st 2016, which brought together over 70 participants from the fields of performing arts, perfromance art, dance, digital arts, music, library & information science, archives and related disciplines.

Our initial aim was to initiate a conversation and to raise interest, around the ways in which different, previously unconnected disciplines define documents, and the ways in which they understand, explore and develop the theory and practice of collecting, indexing, preserving, accessing and using records of performance.

The day examined the scope of current thinking and practice, showcasing projects from traditional library and archive practitioners through to work undertaken by artists and performers. The event incorporated sessions on the description, recording, archiving, and preservation of performance, including: dance, music, theatre, and performance art.

Following the enthusiasm, ideas and inspiration generated by our first symposium, we are pleased to announce that we will hold DocPerform 2 over  6^th and 7^th November 2017.

This second event will investigate two related strands:

• the purposes of recording, archiving or otherwise documenting performance, and the differing perspectives (audience, individual, performer, creator) that can or should/be emphasized
• the ways in which new technologies are furthering our understanding of performance as a document, and how they are developing and enhancing the impact of performance records, collections and archives

The symposium aims to bring together a diverse group of people, interested in understanding and developing the ways in which performance is recorded, indexed, archived, preserved, shared, remixed, reconstructed and reused. The symposium is intended to create new partnerships and collaborations and to support the implementation of ideas generated.

This event is open to all, and will be of particular interest to anyone working with or studying documentation of performance. Please see our call for papers, inviting expressions of interest in presenting innovative work. Further information for anyone wishing to attend will be posted soon!