Adaptation studies in Europe

Abstract

Adaptation is a creative process that crosses and blurs boundaries: from page to stage, from small screen to big screen – and then, sometimes, back again. Beyond questions of form and medium, many adaptations also cross national borders and language barriers, making them important tools for intercultural communication and identity formation. This paper calls for a more intensive, transnational study of adaptation across print, stage, and screens in EU member and affiliate countries. For the highest possible effectiveness, interdisciplinarity is key; as a cultural phenomenon, adaptation benefits from perspectives rooted in a variety of fields and research methods. Its influence over transnational media flows, with patterns in production and reception across European culture industries, offers scholars a better understanding of how narratives are transformed into cultural exports and how these exchanges affect transnational relationships. The following questions are proposed to shape this avenue for research: (1) How do adaptations track narrative and media flows within and across national, linguistic, and regional boundaries? (2) To what extent do adapted narratives reflect transnational relationships, and how might they help construct Europeanness? (3) How do audiences in the EU respond to transnational adaptation, and how are European adaptations circulated and received outside Europe? (4) What impact does adaptation have in the culture industries, and what industrial practices might facilitate adaptation across media platforms and/or national boundaries? The future of adaptation studies and of adaptation as a cultural practice in Europe depends on the development of innovative, comparative, and interdisciplinary approaches to adaptation. The outcomes of future research can hold significant value for European media industries seeking to expand their market reach, as well as for scholars of adaptation, theater, literature, translation, and screen media.