I am a media and cultural studies scholar and research digital media and cultures. I specialise in the tensions and opportunities formed between the technical, social and discursive aspects of multimedia environments and design for immersive, AR/VR and blended applications. I have research and professional experience in ethnographic and remote audience research in digital and physical media with live and online populations, and have developed a theoretical framework for interrogating the modelling of human participation and integration in distributed interactive systems across digital and physical materialities. This work is informed by professional experience in the independent and commercial creative industries, spanning cross-platform production and publication and working as Creative Director with ideas generation, project design and production of fully funded interactive AI, AR and XR projects for physical and digital media with the Nimbus Group. The Nimbus Group is currently commissioned to produce Crucible, a permanent interactive work for the new Sussex Royal Hospital (to be inaugurated in 2020).

During my PhD, I undertook a comprehensive ethnographic study with Punchdrunk in London (2011-2014) for the production of The Drowned Man, their largest production to date, and two Punchdrunk Enrichment projects. I maintain an ongoing research relationship with the company, particularly for their digital R&D work. I have a background in arts, performance and management of large public events that complements and grounds this research. I have been the lead and co-lead on project design and writing for ten successful arts and research grants, listed below. I am currently Co-Investigator on the AHRC-funded immersive augmented reality project Digital Ghost Hunt, and have written a monograph on physical and digital scenography for Bloomsbury Academic with the title 'Immersion and Participation in Punchdrunk’s Theatrical Worlds' (May 2020).

Research

Ideas generation and funding for Tragic End; a multi-media project with Wendy Bevan-Mogg (author), Daniel Locke (artist), Jamie Wyld and Carina Westling (Nimbus Group). F

First meeting: 4 November 2019 in Brighton
Second meeting 9 December 2019 in Brighton (Wendy participating by Skype).

Publications

Grants

Outreach & engagement