Dr. Margaret Ames is a Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance at the Department of Theatre, Film, and Television Studies , Aberystwyth University . Her work focuses on the intersection of performance, disability, and Welsh cultural contexts, particularly through long-term collaborations with the Cyrff Ystwyth Dance Company . Education: BA (University of London), MA (University of Wales), Graduate Diploma (University of Surrey), PhD (Aberystwyth University, 2017) Research Interests: Margaret specializes in creating inclusive dance-theatre practices that center individuals with learning disabilities. Her projects explore embodied action, gestural communication, and how disability performance navigates cultural, spatial, and digital boundaries. She co-led an AHRC-funded project on 'Challenging Liquid Place' and contributes to international dialogues on disability and theatre. Research Trends: Recent publications emphasize digital performance adaptations (e.g., 'Zoom Days'), cross-cultural disability practices ('Optimistic Becomings'), and gestural innovation in dance theatre. Collaborations with companies like Speckled Egg Dance Company highlight resilience and aesthetic redefinition in inclusive arts. Students: Supervised a Master of Philosophy project and mentored doctoral research on performance aesthetics. Lab & Teams: Co-founded the Cyrff Ystwyth Dance Company , integrating practice-based research with community engagement. Active in the IFTR Performance and Disability Working Group and the Nordic Network for Disability Research .
Jerker Westin is an Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in Computer and Information Science at Dalarna University's School of Information and Engineering. His work focuses on developing sensor-based technologies and computational methods to improve Parkinson's disease management. He specializes in motor state quantification, algorithmic dosing optimization for levodopa treatment, and wearable sensor systems. His research integrates biomedical engineering, computer science, and clinical neuroscience. Notable contributions include devising motion sensor indices for motor fluctuations and creating algorithms for personalized levodopa administration. He collaborates across disciplines to advance telemedicine frameworks and home-based assessment tools for neurodegenerative disorders. Over 70+ publications demonstrate his expertise in sensor systems for movement analysis, pharmacokinetic modeling of levodopa, and digital biomarkers for Parkinson's progression. His work emphasizes translating technical innovations into clinical practice to enhance patient care.
Anna Glarin is a PhD Researcher, Applied Theatre Practitioner, and Creative Producer at York St John University's School of the Arts. She holds a PGCE from London South Bank University and a Master of Applied Theatre from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Her research focuses on the potential of theatre-making with young people, framed as a practice-based reflection inquiry. She co-founded Curious Collective , an organization using creative methods to generate community insight and knowledge. Education and Professional Background: PGCE, London South Bank University Master of Applied Theatre, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Research Interests: Ms. Glarin's work emphasizes community-based theatre, youth engagement, and participatory methods. She co-leads participatory theatre companies Waterloo Community Theatre and Project Phakama UK (based at Queen Mary University). Her PhD explores youth-driven theatre practices and their societal impact. Teaching and Professional Activities: She supervises BA dissertation students and teaches at Queen Mary University. Beyond academia, she produces community projects like the annual Waterloo Carnival (800+ participants annually) and has presented at conferences on topics like youth voice and creative margins in arts access. Labs/Teams: - Co-founder of Curious Collective - Leadership roles in Waterloo Community Theatre and Project Phakama UK
Joff Chafer is an Assistant Professor in Theatre at Coventry University, specializing in innovative performance practices that bridge physical and virtual spaces. His work explores the integration of digital environments like Second Life with traditional theatre, focusing on interactive pedagogy and cross-platform storytelling. Academic Rank: Assistant Professor Department: Theatre Institution: Coventry University Research interests include: Digital performance and virtual reality applications Collaborative devising across physical and digital mediums Adaptation of classical texts in virtual spaces Interactive educational theatre Intercultural and international artistic partnerships Publication trends highlight a consistent exploration of: Hybrid real/virtual staging techniques Shakespearean and classical adaptations Partnerships with avant-garde companies like Trestle Theatre and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group Long-term collaborations with theatre-makers such as Tom Wilsher and artists from Ukraine and Australia
Samuli Nordberg is a University Lecturer in Communication Sciences and Doctoral Researcher in the Doctoral Programme in Communication, Media and Theatre. His work bridges academic research and artistic practice with international collaborations. Research Focus: Performing arts as tools for exploring trauma, suicide, and emotional extremes Multilingual and cross-cultural performance methodologies Embodied practices in digital/virtual environments Theatre as social commentary on migration and displacement Nordberg's artistic research outputs demonstrate consistent exploration of psychological and social themes through experimental theatre, with recent works examining digital embodiment and migration narratives. Academic Activities: Supervised multiple master's students International conference presentations on sustainable acting practices Consultancy for organizational reflection systems Invited lectures at Association des Rencontres Internationales Artistiques International artistic collaborations across Europe
Professor Michael Pinchbeck is a Professor of Theatre at Manchester School of Theatre, Manchester Metropolitan University, where he has been employed since January 2020. He serves as Senior Research Lead for the Art & Performance Research Hub and co-leads the Performance Research Group. Pinchbeck curates Bunker Talks, a series that invites artists and researchers to talk about geopolitical, ecological or economic concerns through critical encounters, presentations, provocation and dialogue. Since 2020, over 125 talks have been hosted and archived to create an online catalogue capturing how artists think about the world today. His academic background includes: BA Theatre Studies and Creative Writing, Lancaster University MA Performance and Live Art, Nottingham Trent University PhD English and Drama Dept., Loughborough University Fellowship of Higher Education Academy, University of Lincoln Pinchbeck's research focuses on the intersections between dramaturgy and practice-as-research, particularly exploring composed theatre, orchestral theatre, and 'staging scores.' His work investigates musical approaches to dramaturgy and dramaturgical approaches to music, with special interest in performance as commemoration and how theatre remembers. He has developed an extensive body of work around one-to-one performance and is writing 'Brief Encounters: The politics, poetics and ethics of one-to-one performance.' His recent publications and performances form 'The Berger & Mohr Trilogy,' examining performance and photography through adaptations of John Berger's works: 'A Fortunate Man,' 'A Seventh Man,' and 'Another Way of Telling.' His creative works demonstrate innovative approaches across immersive slideshows, audio walks, and site-specific performances that explore migration, healthcare, and visual storytelling. These projects have received significant Arts Council England funding and have been selected multiple times for the British Council's Edinburgh Showcase. His notable recognitions include: Multiple Arts Council England grants totaling over £150,000 for productions including 'Concerto,' 'Solo,' 'A Seventh Man,' and 'Bolero' British Council funding of £75,000 for international touring of 'Bolero' Selection four times for the British Council's Edinburgh Showcase As a supervisor, Pinchbeck has guided PhD research on new writing and dramaturgy, with current supervision focusing on intersections between score theatre and music, and performance and photography. He has received external funding from the North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership for a PhD project exploring the Greenroom archive. His leadership extends to external examiner roles at Central Saint Martins, University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, and Sheffield Hallam University. Pinchbeck co-founded Metro-Boulot Dodo Theatre Company in 1997 and has been creating and touring performance work for over 25 years as a theatre-maker and dramaturg. His collaborative practice includes work with companies such as Reckless Sleepers, Third Angel, and Strange Names Collective, as well as international partnerships through COIL projects with San Jose State University and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore).
Dr Darren Daly is a Lecturer and Programme Leader for the MA in Screen Acting at the University of Salford's School of Arts, Media and Creative Technologies. With 20 years of professional acting experience across stage, screen, and digital media, he operates as a practitioner-researcher integrating industry practice with academic training. His educational background includes: BA (Hons) Performance & Media Arts (1996-1999) Graduate Diploma in Acting (2003-2004) MA in Text & Performance (2008-2009) PhD in Dramatising a Learning Theatre (2016-2020) Daly's research centers on actor training methodologies for digital performance contexts. Key interests include applying Stanislavski's tempo-rhythm to screen acting, adapting Michael Chekhov's techniques for motion capture, and developing industry-higher education collaborative training models. His work examines how actors maintain psychological presence and physical expressivity when performing with emerging technologies like Unreal Engine. Recent publications reveal a cohesive research trajectory exploring the intersection of traditional acting techniques with digital performance tools. Daly investigates temporal dynamics in screen acting, actor-camera intimacy, and virtual body representation through motion capture systems. His outputs consistently address practical training applications while theoretically engaging with performance philosophy and technology studies. Daly actively supervises PhD students on actor training, screen performance, and motion capture topics. As Programme Leader for the MA Screen Acting, he shapes curriculum development emphasizing industry-relevant skills through partnerships with regional theatres and technology companies. His affiliation with the Creative Technology Research Centre facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration on digital performance innovation.
Neil Mackenzie is a Senior Lecturer at the Manchester School of Theatre , Manchester Metropolitan University , with a career spanning performance creation, curation, and academic research. He founded the performance collective Plane Performance in 1992 and serves as Artistic Director of the Flare International Festival of New Theatre , which he has directed since 2011. Education: MA in Contemporary Theatre Practice from Lancaster University BA (Hons) in English and Drama from Leicester University Research Interests: Deconstructive strategies in contemporary theatre Performance curation and avant-garde theatre trends Relationship between canonical texts and live performance Audience reception and shared physical experience Re-contextualization of dance/music in theatre Curatorial platforms for performance research Article Trends: His work focuses on experimental theatre, including text deconstruction, festival curation, and audience interaction. Publications often explore postdramatic performance, technological integration, and the theoretical underpinn'their impact on theatrical experiences. Professional Networks: Board member of Reckless Sleepers performance company Member of Live Art North West (LANWest) Associate Member of Live Art UK Key collaborator with Axis Arts Centre and HOME Manchester Teaching: He leads undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Drama and Contemporary Performance , emphasizing artistic practice, academic inquiry, and professional development. Supervised Jason Crouch's PhD on digital communication and performance.
Dr. Heather Fitzsimmons Frey is an Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Arts and Cultural Management at MacEwan University. Her research focuses on youth engagement in arts and cultural spaces, utilizing interdisciplinary methods such as performance-based historiography and creative co-research. She leads projects like 'Young People are the Future' and collaborates with Elm Tree Theatre on early childhood theatre creation. Dr. Frey holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and has been awarded SSHRC grants, including a 2023 Partnership Grant as Co-Investigator. Her work emphasizes community-engaged scholarship and intercultural dialogue through theatre. Education: PhD, University of Toronto Research Interests: Her interdisciplinary research explores youth participation in historical reenactment, theatre for young audiences, and the role of arts organizations in fostering creativity. Projects include studying girl volunteers at Fort Edmonton Park and co-creating immersive theatre for children aged 1–5 with early learning experts. She prioritizes collaborative methodologies and community partnerships in her work. Grants & Awards: SSHRC Partnership Grant (2023) MacEwan Community Engaged Scholarship Grant (2024) Sutherland Prize Honourable Mention (2022) Banting Post-Doctoral Fellowship (2017) Advising and Grants: Dr. Frey supervises senior student research and manages grants from SSHRC, MacEwan, and the Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications. Her work often involves student research assistants (RAs) in both academic and creative projects. Labs & Teams: Collaborates with Elm Tree Theatre, the International Theatre for Young Audiences Research Network, and the Gatherings: Archival and Oral Histories of Performance in Canada project. Active in programming for C2U Conference 2025 and contributes to MacEwan’s Interdisciplinary Dialogue Project.
Dr. Molly Ferguson is an Associate Professor of English and Affiliate Faculty in Women’s and Gender Studies at Ball State University. Her research focuses on contemporary Irish literature with emphases on gender, shame, and folklore reinterpretations. She contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship across Women’s Studies and Postcolonial Writing. PhD in English (University of Connecticut) MA in English (University of Connecticut) Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies (University of Connecticut) BA in English and Women’s Studies (Franklin & Marshall College) Her research interests include feminist reinterpretations of Irish folklore, queer narratives in contemporary Irish fiction, and the intersection of shame studies with narrative storytelling. Current projects include a book on feminist reimaginings of Irish folklore traditions. She also explores pedagogical innovations like integrating social media into feminist classrooms. Publications span journals such as New Hibernia Review , Irish University Review , and Journal of Postcolonial Writing , with thematic threads connecting migration narratives, urban fictions, and human rights in Irish theater. Her work bridges literary analysis with sociocultural critique, emphasizing marginalized voices and narrative subversion of traditional myths. Molly Ferguson has served as Graduate Recruitment Coordinator and maintains affiliations with Women’s and Gender Studies programs.
Thomas Herlitzius is a Professor at Dresden University of Technology, holding the Chair of Agricultural Systems Technology since 2007. He has served as Director of the Institute of Natural Materials Technology since 2016 and previously led the Scientific Advisory Board of the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Engineering in Potsdam from 2008 to 2016. Born in Freiberg/Saxony in 1961, his research focuses on developing advanced machinery and sustainable processes to address global challenges in food security and resource conservation. Herlitzius's research interests span agricultural systems engineering, digitalization, cobotics (collaborative robotics), and sustainable processes. His work aims to innovatively integrate technologies such as computer science, mechatronics, and electrical engineering into agricultural machinery to enhance efficiency while conserving resources and ensuring biodiversity. He emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary approaches to meet the demands of a growing global population and to replace oil-based energy systems. He envisions future agricultural systems that can sustain nine billion people with minimal expansion of arable land. As Director of the Institute of Natural Materials Technology, he leads initiatives to devise machine systems that balance productivity with ecological preservation. Herlitzius is committed to training engineers with strong technical foundations and soft skills, advocating for a curriculum that prepares students to tackle complex, large-scale challenges through creativity and teamwork.
Dr Evi Stamatiou serves as Senior Lecturer in Acting for Stage and Screen and Course Leader for the MA/MFA program at the University of East London's School of Arts and Creative Industries, leveraging over two decades of international experience as a practitioner-researcher in actor training. Her academic credentials include a PhD in Actor Training and Direction from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (2013-2021), MA in Theatre Directing from UEL, MA in Arts Policy and Management from Birkbeck College, and certificates in Filmmaking and Acting for Film from the New York Film Academy. Her research pioneers critical acting pedagogy through intersectional frameworks, focusing on decolonizing methodologies, anti-racist praxis, inclusive techniques for second-language actors, and social representation analysis in comedy. This work directly challenges traditional canons while developing innovative studio practices. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2019-2024) reveals consistent thematic evolution toward decentering power structures in actor training, with increasing emphasis on intersectionality, pandemic-era adaptation, and screen-specific methodologies – all grounded in materialist and feminist theoretical approaches. Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy International awards for creative work Significant research funding for transnational projects As Chair of the Acting Programme at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and Convener of TaPRA's Performer Training Focus Group, she leads sector-wide initiatives. Her transatlantic pandemic collaboration developed verbatim theater methodologies while directing the forthcoming Critical Acting Pedagogy: Intersectional Approaches (Routledge, 2024).
Jonathan Yukich serves as a Senior Lecturer and Co-Coordinator of Theater within the Department of Music, Theater, and Dance at the University of New Haven's College of Arts and Sciences. With over ten years of dedicated service, he has directed acclaimed productions including The Wolves , Cabaret , and Alice@Wonderland , and plays a pivotal role in shaping the theater program through his leadership and artistic vision. His educational foundation includes advanced training in theater: M.F.A. from Indiana University B.A. from the University of Alabama Yukich's research and creative work centers on playwriting, theater directing, and dramatic literature, with emphasis on contemporary adaptations and new play development. His scholarship bridges academic rigor and practical theater-making, exploring innovative approaches to script analysis, devising theater, and arts journalism. He is renowned for reimagining classic texts like Lewis Carroll's works for modern audiences, demonstrating how historical narratives can address current social contexts. His publication record (2009-2023) reveals consistent innovation across diverse theatrical forms, from full-length musicals to ten-minute plays. Key trends include modern reinterpretations of literary classics, socially conscious drama addressing identity and politics, and experimental short-form works designed for educational settings. These publications span subfields including satire, gothic theater, musical comedy, and eco-drama, reflecting his versatility as both scholar and practitioner. Yukich's contributions have been honored with prestigious awards: Kennedy Center’s Paula Vogel Award for Playwriting Shubert Fendrich Award He actively mentors emerging talent through the biennial Student New Works Festival, which he advises and coordinates, providing critical platform for student playwrights. His commitment to student development extends to directing numerous university productions and guiding original student works featured in events like New York City's Dream Up Festival. As Co-Coordinator of Theater, Yukich leads collaborative production teams that generate the department's annual season, fostering a dynamic creative environment where academic study meets professional theater practice.
Dr. Mark Love-Smith is a Senior Lecturer in Theatre at the School of Arts and Creative Technologies, University of York, and Programme Leader for the BA in Writing, Directing, and Performance since 2023. He joined the institution full-time in 2017 after completing his PhD and MA in Theatre there and serving as an Associate Lecturer. Previously, he lectured in Drama at the University of Salford (2016–2017). Research Focus: Devised and physical theatre, community theatre, performance and social media, and the interplay of writing, directing, and dramaturgy. Key Contributions: Co-authored Frantic Assembly (2021) and co-edited Research and Development in British Theatre (2025), exploring methodologies like Battersea Arts Centre’s 'scratch' process. Practice: Directed The Murder of Gonzago (2025 UK premiere), meet Me at Dawn (2019), and Twelfth Night (2014) at York Theatre Royal Studio and Stratford. Education: PhD and MA in Theatre from the University of York. His recent publications and conference presentations (2015–2025) examine community theatre’s socio-political dimensions, digital spectatorship, and R&D practices. He also serves as Yorkshire editor for the British Theatre Guide and supervises student projects at undergraduate, MA, and PhD levels.
David Richmond is a Senior Lecturer in Drama and Theatre at York St John University's School of the Arts, serving as Learning and Teaching Lead and Senior Teaching Fellow. His career spans 30+ years in experimental performance, collaboration, and pedagogy. He co-founded Pants Performance Association and has collaborated extensively with Jules Dorey Richmond on works addressing memory, trauma, and cultural heritage. Key projects include the 'Theatre of Witness' series engaging WWII veterans and survivors, and the module Artist as Witness , which explores the Shoah’s impact through performance. Richmond’s research focuses on testimony, memory, and collaborative creation, including annual student-led performances post-Auschwitz study visits. His works like Terrorists of the Heart and Slipping Away Education and Collaboration: - Collaborative partner with Jules Dorey Richmond (25+ years) - Former member of Pants Performance Association (1989–2000s) - Worked with Theatre of Public Works, Collectif Organum, and Daniel Reeves (Emmy-winning filmmaker) - Conducted workshops for the European Council on youth violence prevention Research & Teaching: - Artist as Witness module (Level 2) - Annual Auschwitz study visits for students - Developed Devised Theatre: a Beginner’s Guide for educational use - Keynote speaker at international conferences (e.g., TAPRA, Caos Terni) Notable Projects: Burnt Offering (1998): Site-specific installation at Auschwitz Terrorists of the Heart : Dual narrative of personal/familial history and political critique Perdu (film project with Daniel Reeves exploring post-war trauma) Labs/Teams: - Co-leads interdisciplinary collaborations between drama, dance, and critical studies at York St John - Member of York St John’s Holocaust Education Network
