Clare Whistler

Clare Whistler was a Leverhulme Artist in Residence at Queen Mary University of London's Centre for the History of the Emotions (2013-2014). Her interdisciplinary work bridges art, history, and emotion, focusing on themes like tears, water, and medieval cultural practices. As an opera singer, dancer, and community organizer, she integrates performance and collaboration into her research.

Her research interests include the symbolic role of tears in mourning rituals, water’s cultural and emotional significance across history, and the intersection of art with historical and religious texts. She collaborated with scholars, artists, and communities to create films, podcasts, and installations exploring these themes, such as Vessels of Tears and The Story of a Tear.

Whistler’s projects often engage with public audiences through multimedia formats, including radio documentaries and theatrical performances. Her work highlights marginalized histories, such as medieval women’s religious practices and menopausal narratives, while interrogating contemporary emotional expression through artistic mediums.