معرفی
Professor Stephanie Pitts is a Professor of Music Education and Director of the Sheffield Performer and Audience Research Centre (SPARC) at the University of Sheffield. She holds a BA, MEd, PhD, PGCE, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her work focuses on musical participation, concert audiences, and qualitative research methods. She leads the AHRC-funded 'Understanding Audiences for the Contemporary Arts' project, exploring engagement across UK cities. Pitts also investigates lifelong musical engagement, music education impacts, and lapsed participation. She has supervised numerous PhD students, many securing academic roles.
- Education: BA, MEd, PhD, PGCE
- Affiliations: SPARC, AHRC-funded projects, collaborations with Music in the Round, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, and Sheffield Music Hub
Her research spans audience behavior, music education policy, and the cultural value of arts engagement. Notable studies include 'Valuing Musical Participation' (2005) and 'Chances and Choices' (2012). Awards include the Senate Teaching Excellence Award and FHEA.
Teaching includes modules on music education, community engagement, and music psychology. She directs the MA Music Psychology in Education, Performance and Wellbeing. Current projects examine leisure-time music groups' societal impacts and pandemic resilience in creative freelancers.
- Key Grants: AHRC grants totaling £500k+, including 'Understanding Audiences' (2017), 'Cultural Value' (2013), and 'Music, Place and People' (2013)
- Professional Roles: Honorary Professor at University of Queensland, editorial board member for multiple journals, and advisor to Ireland's Music Generation project
SPARC serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research on performers and audiences, bridging academia and arts practice.
