معرفی
Dr Dani Abulhawa is a Lecturer in Contemporary Applied Performance at the University of Leeds, part of the School of Performance and Cultural Industries within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. She holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth and has held academic positions at Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Chester. Her work bridges academia and professional arts practice, focusing on socially-engaged performance, site-based interventions, and skateboarding as a medium for social and political change.
Education:
- PhD in Performance (Practice-as-Research), University of Plymouth, 2015
- PGCert Learning & Teaching in HE, University of Chester, 2007
- MA, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2006
- BA (Hons), University of Northampton, 2005
Research Interests: Dani’s practice-driven research explores how performance and art can bridge empathetic gaps and drive social/political change. Key areas include:
- Skateboarding as a tool for gender equity and spatial justice
- Embodied performance practices (somatics, choreography)
- Community-engaged art in conflict zones (e.g., West Bank projects)
- Public urban play and its sociopolitical implications
Notable Projects:
- Voices of Resilience (2024): Theatre performance humanizing Palestinian narratives using diaries and poetry
- Drift Tricks (2024): Climate-resilient skateable sculptures in Plymouth
- Precarious Assembly (2016): Whitworth Gallery performance exploring female artistic legacies
- SkatePal collaboration (2015–): Skatepark-building in occupied Palestine
Awards & Recognition:
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Teaching & Mentoring: Leads the BA Theatre & Performance program and supervises postgraduate research. Teaches on Applied Theatre and Intervention master’s program. Known for mentorship in socially-engaged performance practices.
Labs & Collaborations:
- Accumulations Project (co-founded 2014): North England’s dance/movement artist collective
- PRIME Design: Youth-participatory urban sculpture projects
- Leverhulme Trust-funded skatepark equity research (2022–23)
