معرفی
Professor Nicola Shaughnessy is a Professor of Performance at the University of Kent's School of Arts, Department of Drama. She specializes in contemporary performance, applied theatre, and autism studies. As a co-founder of the Research Centre for Cognition, Kinesthetics and Performance, she leads interdisciplinary projects like the AHRC-funded Imagining Autism and Playing A/Part, focusing on autism, gender, and mental health through participatory arts. Her work bridges arts, science, and health, emphasizing embodied methodologies and pedagogies.
- Education: Joint BA in Drama and English, MA in Feminist Theory, PhD in Archival Performance Research, PGCE in Education.
- Leadership roles: Director of Drama (2004-2007), Deputy Head of School of Arts (2010-2012), Chair of QAA Drama Benchmarking Review (2014-2015).
Her research explores cognitive and physiological processes in performance, with a focus on autism neurodiversity, dementia, and socially engaged theatre. Recent projects include Playing A/Part (2018-2021), examining autistic women and marginalized genders. She has pioneered drama-based interventions for children with autism and trains practitioners in participatory methods.
Publications span Frontiers in Psychology, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and book series such as Methuen Performance and Science. Her teaching integrates theory and practice, emphasizing embodied learning and creative pedagogy.
Grants include AHRC funding for Imagining Autism and Playing A/Part, alongside community projects like Autism Reimagined. She advises on interdisciplinary PhDs in performance studies, mental health, and neurodiversity.
She founded the Centre for Cognition, Kinesthetics and Performance and collaborates with institutions like the Tizard Centre (University of Kent) and the University of Surrey (Psychology).
