Katherine O'Connor

Katherine O'Connor is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Animation at Teesside University, affiliated with the Department of Digital Arts and Animation within the School of Arts and Creative Industries. She is also a PhD candidate at the same institution, combining academic scholarship with creative practice in animation and installation art.

Her research interests center on the uncanny, identity, representation, and racial stereotypes in animation. She critically examines how animation mediates human experience and explores the philosophical intersections between artificial intelligence and the uncanny. Her work is deeply informed by psychoanalytic theory, particularly Freudian concepts of Unheimlich.

The recent body of work, especially Potter’s Mirror, reflects a trend toward practice-led research, blending film, exhibition, and academic writing. Her publications and artistic outputs demonstrate a commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry, connecting animation with psychology, cultural studies, and social research methodologies like journey mapping.

• Best Animated Short award at the Silver Wave International Film Festival
• Jury Citation at the 44th Toman Eddison International Film Festival

Katherine has contributed to academic discourse through peer-reviewed papers, creative artifacts, and media engagement. She has collaborated on research exploring lived experience through narrative and animation, and her work has been featured in international festivals and broadcast media such as BBC Three and Channel 4. Though no formal advising or grant information is listed, her profile reflects a robust integration of creative production and scholarly analysis.

Her artistic and research outputs are often realized through exhibitions and film festivals, particularly Animex, where her work has been reimagined for site-specific installations. These platforms serve as laboratories for engaging audiences with themes of identity, ritual, and the uncanny.