Ffion Evans is a Senior Lecturer in Drama, Theatre, and Performance at Bangor University's School of Arts, Culture and Language , where she leads the Drama, Film, Media, and Journalism programs. A Professional Theater Director since 2011, she specializes in Contemporary New Plays , Site-Specific Performances , and Theatre for Children and Young People . Fluent in Welsh and English, she bridges academic and professional practice through community collaborations.
Professor Sara Jane Bailes is a leading scholar in critical and creative practice at the University of Sussex's School of Media, Arts and Humanities. Her transdisciplinary work bridges theatre, visual art, literature, and critical theory, with a focus on dismantling systemic inequities through experimental performance. Educated at Lancaster University (BA) and NYU (MA/PhD as a Fulbright Scholar), she has taught internationally at institutions including Columbia University and the University of Bristol. Her research examines: Feminist, Marxist, and queer critiques of performance Samuel Beckett's influence on contemporary aesthetics Urban environments as performance spaces The political implications of artistic failure Interdisciplinary dialogues between text, sound, and movement Recent publications (2021–2025) cluster around: Beckettian soundscapes and textual rhythm Decolonial poetics and Black diasporic performance Experimental writing methodologies Acoustic ecology in participatory art Awards include the competitive Fulbright Scholarship . She co-created modules like Professional Work Experience, building industry partnerships, and advises students across degrees. She collaborates with global artists and contributes to equity initiatives at Sussex.
Professor Alan Williams is a Professor of Collaborative Composition at the University of Salford, based within the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technologies and affiliated with the Creative Technology Research Centre. With an academic background from the Universities of Edinburgh and Manchester and the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Williams has established himself as a significant figure in contemporary composition and collaborative arts practices. Williams' research focuses on collaborative composition methods, participatory arts, and arts-based research, with particular interests in contemporary culture and Hungarian music traditions. His work bridges creative practice and academic inquiry, developing innovative methodologies like the 'Listening Composer' approach that emerged from his Healing Tales project with NHS workers documenting pandemic experiences. His research spans composition for various media including film, radio drama, electronic music production, and cross-cultural choral works. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on collaborative and participatory approaches across diverse contexts - from healthcare settings to electronic music studios. His work demonstrates consistent exploration of how music can serve as a medium for storytelling, community engagement, and documenting significant cultural moments like the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Williams has an extensive creative portfolio with compositions performed by prestigious ensembles including the BBC Philharmonic, BBC Singers, Philharmonia, MDR Radio Choir, and Psappha. His work has been broadcast internationally on BBC Radio 3, MDR (Germany), NEC (Brazil), and Bartók Rádió (Hungary), reflecting the global reach of his artistic contributions. His notable creative projects include the 2016 BBC Radio 4 score for Val McDermid's adaptation of The Kraken Wakens, the 2017 'world's first Northern opera' collaboration with poet Ian McMillan, and the groundbreaking 2023 Healing Tales project that led to the development of his Listening Composer methodology. Williams continues to be highly productive, with numerous publications and creative outputs spanning 2023-2025 across formats including theses, data collections, digital artifacts, and presentations.
Dr Elena Artamonova serves as a Lecturer in Russian Studies at the University of Central Lancashire's School of Psychology and Humanities. She is an active member of both the Vladimir Vysotsky Centre for Slavonic Studies and the Lancashire Research Centre for Migration, Diaspora and Exile (MIDEX). With over 20 years of teaching experience, Dr Artamonova successfully combines scholarly work with professional viola performance. Her research interests focus on Russian music history, particularly Soviet-era composers and the cultural exchange between Russia and Britain. Dr Artamonova specializes in archival research on composers including Grigori Frid, Rudolf Barshai, Sergei Vasilenko, and Vladimir Rebikov. Her work reveals significant connections between Russian musical traditions and Western reception, with particular attention to viola repertoire and performance practices. She examines how political contexts, especially during the Soviet period and WWII, influenced musical creation and transmission. Dr Artamonova's scholarly output demonstrates consistent engagement with historical musicology, cultural studies, and performance research. Her publications reveal a distinctive pattern of uncovering previously unknown archival materials related to Russian composers, particularly those with connections to Britain. She has made significant contributions to understanding the viola repertoire through her research on composers like Frid, Grechaninov, and Vasilenko, whose works were largely neglected until her scholarly interventions. As a performing musician, Dr Artamonova has recorded several albums featuring Russian viola works for Toccata Classics, including complete music for viola and piano by Grigori Frid, Alexander Grechaninov, and Sergei Vasilenko. These recordings have brought previously obscure repertoire to international attention and demonstrate her dual expertise as both scholar and performer. Dr Artamonova actively participates in international academic collaboration through her involvement with the Vladimir Vysotsky Centre for Slavonic Studies and MIDEX research centers. Her work bridges disciplinary boundaries between musicology, cultural history, and performance studies, creating innovative approaches to understanding Russian musical heritage and its global reception.
