Emma Bennett

Dr. Emma Bennett is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor at the School of English, Drama and Film at University College Dublin. She holds a BA (Hons) and PhD from the University of London, and an MA from the University of Plymouth. Her research focuses on performance, speech acts, and audience address, with particular interests in stand-up comedy, ASMR role-play videos, and birdsong. She has authored numerous articles on direct audience address, vocal composition, and the intersections of performance with ecology and digital media. Prior to UCD, she taught at the University of Leeds, Birkbeck College, and Queen Mary University of London.

Her work bridges performance theory and practice, emphasizing the politics of speech and intermediality. She has collaborated with Antonia Barnett-McIntosh and participated in international festivals. Dr. Bennett received the Curriculum Fellowship (2019–2020), supporting her curriculum development in civil resistance studies. She coordinates modules such as Directing for the Stage, Ghosts and Monsters on Stage, and Theatre Matters, reflecting her commitment to contemporary performance pedagogy.

Her research trends highlight explorations of linguistic unease, the theatricality of digital media, and the ethical dimensions of audience engagement. She interrogates how performance mediates speech, identity, and collective address through interdisciplinary lenses.

• Scientific Awards: Curriculum Fellowship
• Grants/Advising: Curriculum Fellowship-funded civil resistance curriculum development

Dr. Bennett’s creative outputs include Bird Talks, Adequate Machine, and collaborative performances, often blending vocal experimentation with spatial and temporal exploration. She is affiliated with interdisciplinary projects such as the Soundcamp acoustic commons study group and symposia on performance and automation.