Emily Speed

Emily Speed is a Lecturer in Fine Art at the Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, where she has served permanently since 2022. A practising artist with a studio at The Bluecoat in Liverpool, her work explores the interplay between the body and architecture, focusing on how built environments shape human psychology and power dynamics. She works across sculpture, performance, and film, creating hybrid forms that merge architectural elements with bodily scale.

Research & Practice: Speed’s practice examines the impact of buildings on human identity, memory, and societal inequities. Recent projects include an 18-month residency at the University of Salford’s Energy House 2.0 (2023–2024), investigating energy efficiency and future housing, and a 2023 fellowship at Edinburgh College of Art, exploring student spaces through archival research. Her work has been exhibited at prestigious venues like Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives, and the Drawing Room (London), with solo presentations in Calgary, Texas, and Scotland.

Professional Activities: Notable exhibitions include A Woman’s Place at Knole House, Body Builders at Exeter Phoenix Gallery, and contributions to the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale. Her 2021 film Flatland, commissioned by Tate Liverpool, exemplifies her exploration of spatial narratives. She also participated in the Edinburgh Art Festival and Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s performance series.

Contact: Office: Chatham Building, Room 806. Website: emilyspeed.co.uk.