معرفی
Katie Beswick is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Director for the BA Arts Management at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she joined in July 2023. Previously, she taught drama, theatre and performance programmes at University of the Arts London (UAL), University of Exeter, Queen Mary University of London, and University of Leeds. As part of the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE), she contributes to Goldsmiths' distinctive approach to arts management education that bridges creative practice and entrepreneurial thinking.
Her educational background includes a PhD in The Council Estate in Performance: Performance Practice and the Production of Space from University of Leeds (2014), an MA in Acting for Screen from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (2006), and a BA in Drama from University of Exeter (2005). She also holds a University of Leeds Teaching and Learning Award Level 2 (2010).
Beswick's research centers on social class in the arts, with particular attention to how cultural policy and legislation intersect with artistic practices. Her work frequently examines housing policy through performance and visual arts, as seen in her monograph Social Housing in Performance (2019), which explores council estate representations across theatre, film, and television. She has also investigated the criminalization of 'litefeet' dance in New York City in relation to race and class dynamics in hip hop culture. Her research methodology often involves ethnographic engagement with artistic processes and collaborations with practicing artists.
Beswick's publications reveal consistent thematic development across performance studies, class analysis, and urban space. Her early work established foundations in housing representation, which evolved into more nuanced examinations of class, gender, and sexuality, culminating in her forthcoming book Slags on Stage (2024). Her recent scholarship increasingly addresses environmental justice and pollution policy through poetic and performative lenses, demonstrating methodological flexibility while maintaining focus on class relations.
- 2021: Working Class Studies Association Russo & Linkon Award for Slaggy Mums
- 2021: Shortlisted for TaPRA Edited Collection Prize
- 2019: British Academy Seed Funding for Subway Sounds collaboration
- 2016: Shortlisted for TaPRA Early Career Researcher Prize
Beswick serves as assistant editor for the Intellect Journal of Class and Culture and regularly contributes to Loud and Quiet magazine. Her professional projects include reflective writing on initiatives like the Women Working Class collective and Heart of Glass's art and social class podcast series. She has participated in significant research projects including The Postcolonial City at Leeds (2011-2015), advisory work for Figurations of working-class subjects in UK theatre practice and policy (2019-2022), and the ethnographic Cultures of the Street project (2014-2022) examining subway dancing in NYC. Her media engagements include BBC Freethinking and LSE podcasts addressing urban living and housing issues.
