Jordan McKenzie

Jordan McKenzie is an Artist Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London's School of English and Drama, Department of Drama, concurrently serving as Lecturer in Drawing at Camberwell College (UAL) and Kingston University. His interdisciplinary practice bridges performance and visual art through socially engaged interventions, primarily within council estate contexts.

His educational background includes:

• BA in Drawing from University of the Arts, London

McKenzie's research critically examines socially engaged practice through lenses of authenticity, agency, and neoliberalism's impact on pedagogy and democracy. He investigates DIY cultures, minimalism in identity politics, and Queer Theory, with emphasis on performance art, sculpture, and drawing as tools for community engagement. His work challenges dominant narratives around council estates, exploring shame, sexuality, trauma, and catharsis through collaborative frameworks.

Recent works (2013-2015) reveal consistent engagement with council estate politics through site-specific performances and exhibitions. Projects like Shame Chorus and chemsex installations demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches integrating choral performance, psychotherapy, and public health perspectives. His practice frequently subverts stereotypes through collaborative community dialogues and institutional partnerships.

McKenzie mentors students through initiatives like 'Look At the (E)State We’re In' conference at UAL Camberwell, where students curated events across Peckham venues. His projects have received Arts Council England funding for works including 'Carl An(t)dre' at Yorkshire Sculpture Park and 'Born To Rule' at Standpoint Gallery.

Operating Lock Up Performance Art (LUPA) from an abandoned Bethnal Green garage, he collaborates with Queen Mary's Drama, Film and Geography departments, Freud Museum, London Gay Men's Chorus, and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Current projects examine chemsex risk/well-being through sound installations, while future work aims to further challenge council estate stereotypes through community co-creation.