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Art and Performance
Research Hub

The Art and Performance Research Hub focuses on practice-based and theoretical research in Contemporary Art and Performance.

The Hub explores diverse models for creative practices, ranging from critical and historical writing to performance, sound archives, painting, sculpture (analogue and digital), time-based arts, curating, screen art (including screen dance/performance), performer training, dramaturgy, drawing, printing, and photography. Our work takes place in the public realm, locally and internationally, through exhibitions, seminars, conferences, screenings, events, performances, critical writing and publishing.

The Hub contributes to the overall research culture and expertise at Manchester School of Art through the local and international profiles of the staff. Our activities include:

  • Leadership of and contributions to the postgraduate research student environment through seminars, lectures, roundtables, research training and research supervision.
  • Professional practice research – working collectively and/or across disciplines within the wider Hub ecology.
  • Leadership in two internationally significant outward-facing groups across research and education with an international focus in Painting and Curating Contemporary Art.
  • Development and dissemination of internationally acclaimed digital media/performance.
  • Research and consultation in Socially Engaged art practices (historical and contemporary).
  • Professional relationships with local venues, such as curating festivals, and contributions to programmes and research projects, consultation to Contemporary Art Manchester Advisory Board (strategic partnership between City of Manchester and Arts Council England), and consultation on arts development and artist-led/informed policy.
  • Professional relationships with national and international venues/organisations (e.g. Reckless Sleepers, Odin Teatret / Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium, Cross Pollination etc.) including the curation of festivals (e.g. Flare, Asia Triennial Manchester etc.) contributing to programmes and collaborating on research projects.

We recognize and embrace the importance of individual practice as well as collaborative and inter/trans-disciplinary work. We actively promote the fact that art and performance is generated and developed in digital and analogue idioms across real and virtual sites, platforms and realities, working at and challenging the boundaries of the live and/or liveness, the proximal and online. We embrace new technologies and methodologies as well as cross-disciplinary collaborations with academic and non-academic partners in the UK and abroad whilst also providing specific expertise and knowledge in materials and processes outlined above, as well as 'out-dated' analogue media such as micro-fiches, slides, vinyl and film. In response to the pandemic, we have embraced new ways of making and disseminating work online.

Research Areas

Staff of the Art and Performance Hub embrace, interrogate and respond to contemporary issues from within a research environment that is clustered around rigorous intellectual research themes, including:

  • Archives, Museums, Cultural Heritage and Domestic Histories
  • Language, Power, Politics, Protest, Site and Communities
  • Somatics, Arts and Health, Social Practice, Policy, and Law
  • Simulation, Materiality, Identity, Fiction of the Image
  • Composition, Dramaturgy, Laboratory Training

Hub Projects

Bunker Talks

A space for critical encounters, presentations, provocation and dialogue, Bunker Talks are linked by a line of enquiry into geo-political, ecological or economic concerns. In the COVID-19 crisis, they have moved online to explore how artists, writers, curators and researchers continue to make and share their work. Curated by the Performance Research Cluster, talks include members of the Research Hub as well as professional practitioners and researchers. Talks from national and international speakers have been archived online as a repository mapping artists’ responses to the contemporary context.

More details

Painting Manchester

Painting Manchester was formed in 2018. It brings together excellence and world-leading research in contemporary painting and develops new activities at Manchester Met and the wider city to make a significant contribution to international debates and developments in discourse in the medium. It is comprised of senior academics within Manchester School of Art who employ a range of methodologies, whose outputs include publications, exhibitions, conferences, and symposia. Painting Manchester symposia have brought together leading international figures from the art world and academia to critically explore prescient ideas. These have included ‘Writing Painting/Painting Writing’ in 2018; ‘Funny Peculiar’ in 2019; and ‘Is Painting Research’ (forthcoming). Painting Manchester includes ‘Teaching Painting’ which was formed in 2015 to explore histories and recent developments of pedagogy in painting within higher arts education. It has convened conferences at the Whitworth, Manchester in 2015 and the Royal Academy of Arts, London in 2018, edited two books on the subject, and curated a series of exhibitions that have explored the intergenerational influence of art school teaching.


The Curating Contemporary Art Group

The Curating Contemporary Art Group brings together world-leading research in experimental approaches to exhibition-making, exhibition histories, the philosophical, aesthetic, critical and theoretical foundations of curating and the practical realities of curating as cultural activism. The group works on activities that make a significant contribution to international debates and developments in discourse on the subject.

Members and Associate Members


Exhibitions & Publications

Exhibitions

Hunt, A., Semeiko, A., 2021. Emotionarama, PEER, 20/8/2021 - 28/8/2021.

Ali, L., 2021. Tampered Surface Six Artists from Pakistan : an Exhibition of Sculpture, Painting, Printmaking, Photography and Mixed Media.

Tan, KS., Smith, BAR., 2021. The World is a Work in Progress, Attenborough Arts Centre,, 25/9/2021 - 16/1/2022.

Hunt, A., 2020. Artists Against Homelessness: Insiders and Outliers, Christies, London / St Mungos, 1/7/2020 - 31/12/2020.

Bal, G., 2020. Curatorial: Borrowed Time (Geliehene Zeit), Fluc, 8/7/2020 - 9/8/2020.

Rawlinson, I., 2020. Fireworks, Moskino Zvezda, 19/8/2020 - 25/8/2020.

Tan, KS., Uduku, O., 2020. PAC@75: The Fifth Pan-African Conference 75th Anniversary Celebrations, Manchester Metropolitan University, 15/10/2020 - 18/10/2020.

Rawlinson, I., 2020. Splitting the Atom, CAC/Energy and Technology Museum,Vilnius, 18/9/2020 - 25/10/2020.

Artefacts

Copsey, R., 2021. 'Erosion 3', UK.

Copsey, R., 2021. 'Paintscape 20', Russia.

Copsey, R., 2021. 'Paintscape20', UK.

Copsey, R., 2021. 'Untitled 2014', Moldova.

Copsey, R., 2021. 'Untitled2014', Moldova.

Performances

Spiers, A., Oshodi, M., 2021. 'Flatland', Dilston Grove, Southwark Park, 4/5/2015.

Stinton, C., Jetzer, C., McGarrigle, C., Muir, H., 2021. 'Liturgie', The Place, London as part of Tete a Tete Opera Festival, 25/7/2017.

Tan, KS., 2020. 'Ten Reasons to Collaborate with Neurodiverse & Creative Allies (17/03/2020 Lecture + Masterclass for EU-funded consortium of scientists)', Frankfurt University Hospital, 17/3/2020 - 17/3/2020.

Books

Turner, J., Campbell, P., 2021. 'A Poetics of Third Theatre', Routledge.

Hunt, A., Holden, A., Woolcott, T., 2021. 'Andy Holden, Collected Free Labour: Blog Interviews 2010-2021', Slimvolume.

Hunt, A., Lewisohn, C., 2021. 'Cedar Lewisohn The Seven Plagues of Seven Angels', Slimvolume.

Hunt, A., Dag Holmboe, R., Allan, S., 2021. 'Nicol Allan: Collages', Slimvolume.

Jurack, B., 2021. 'WHAT'S LEFT BEHIND', Williamson Art Gallery & Museum.

Hunt, A., Lewisohn, C., 2020. 'Cedar Lewisohn: The Marduk Prophesy', Slimvolume.

Hunt, A., Sillman, A., Gordon, M., Fionna, B., Garnett, R., Quaife, M., 2020. 'Painting: Funny Peculiar', Slimvolume.

Hunt, A., Susanne, C., 2020. 'Reading International', Reading International; OnCurating.org.

Hunt, A., Fortnum, R., 2020. 'Rebecca Fortnum: A Mind Weighted with Unpublished Matter', Slimvolume.

Pinchbeck, M., 2020. 'The Trilogy: Acts of Dramaturgy', Intellect.

Book Chapters

Pinchbeck, M., Baynton, R., 2022. 'Co-creation'. In Reason, M., Conner, L., Johanson, K., Walmsley, B. (eds.) Routledge Companion to Audiences and the Performing Arts (2020), Routledge.

Child, D., 2021. ''Invisble Hands': Perceiving Labour in Contemporary Art'. In Sonsbeek20->24 Force Times Distance Reader #1:On Labour, Archive Books.

Ravetz, A., 2021. 'From documenting culture to experimenting with cultural phenomena: Using fine art pedagogies with visual anthropology students'. In Creativity and Cultural Improvisation, pp. 247-265.

Faulkner, S., Guy, H., Vis, F., 2021. 'Right-wing populism, visual disinformation, and Brexit: From the UKIP 'Breaking Point' poster to the aftermath of the London Westminster bridge attack'. In The Routledge Companion to Media Disinformation and Populism, pp. 198-208, Routledge.

Hunt, A., 2020. ''Image of the Self With and Amongst Others''. In Curriculum: Contemporary Art Goes to School, Intellect.

Pinchbeck, M., 2020. 'Conversation is part of the cure: Dramaturgy in Dialogue for A Fortunate Man'. In Jones, R., Connelly, H. (eds.) InDialogue: artistic research and dialogic practices, Palgrave Macmillan.

Slater, A., 2020. 'Listening to Dress: Unfolding Oral History Methods'. In Mundane Methods: Innovative Ways to Research the Everyday, Manchester University Press.

Edelman, J., 2020. 'Mike Daisey's False Witness'. In Cremora, VA., Schoenmakers, H., Rowen, B. (eds.) Theatre Scandals, pp. 216-236, BRILL.

Aulich, J., 2020. 'Protest and Political Transformation since 1789'. In McGarry, A., Erhart, I., Eslen-Siya, H., Jenzen, O., Korkut, U. (eds.) The Aesthetics of Global Protest: Visual Culture and Communication, Amsterdam University Press.

Child, D., 2020. 'Reconsidering Contemporary Artistic Practice as a Condition of Labour'. In #Stasis: Talks and Conferences Biennale 7 (A Selection).

Tan, KS., 2020. 'Run Riot! On Mobilities, Life, and Death (of Civilisation), and the Reveries of Running Artfully'. In Büscher, M., Freudendal-Pedersen, M., Kesselring, S., Kristensen, NG. (eds.) Handbook on Research Methods and Applications for Mobilities, pp. 303-314, Edward Elgar Publishing.

Blain, M., Turner, J., 2020. 'The Good, The God and the Guillotine: Insider/Outsider perspectives'. In Blain, M., Minors, HJ. (eds.) Artistic Research in Performance through Collaboration, Palgrave.

Faulkner, S., 2020. 'Visibility, Photography and the Occupation'. In Pasternak, G. (eds.) Visioning Israel-Palestine, pp. 184-209, Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

Media

Tan, KS., 2021. 'How to Thrive in 2050'.

Scholarly Editions

McDowall, A., 2020. 'all of it', Bloomsbury Publishing.

Internet Publications

Child, D., Gray, K., Weeks, H., Wright, J., 2021. 'Why Digital Isn't Enough', https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/article/why-digital-isnt-enough.

Egan, K., Wetherell, M., 2020. 'Discussing Negative Space: 10 Questions for Reckless Sleepers', https://www.digitaltheatreplus.com/.

Faulkner, S., Vis, F., Guy, H., 2020. 'Verifying and questioning images.', https://datajournalism.com/read/handbook/verification-3/investigating-actors-content/5-verifying-and-questioning-images.

Journal Articles

Pinchbeck, MD., Egan, K., 2022. 'Staging Scores: Devising Contemporary Performances from Classical Music', Volume 8, 8 (1).

Hunt, A., 2021. ''Curator Conversations'', Source Magazine.

Hunt, A., 2021. 'Across the Universe: Andrew Hunt on the Liverpool Biennial', Artforum International.

Tan, KS., 2021. 'Art and psychiatry in the 21st century: here's to more messy - and magical - entanglements', BJPsych Bulletin, pp. 1-4.

Gallo, LMH., Giampietro, V., Zunszain, PA., Tan, KS., 2021. 'Covid-19 and Mental Health: Could Visual Art Exposure Help?', Frontiers in Psychology, 12.

Hunt, A., 2021. 'Curator as Zelig', Art Monthly, 444, pp. 14-16.

Grimshaw, A., Ravetz, A., 2021. 'Desenhar com uma câmera? Filme etnográfico e antropologia transformadora', GIS - Gesto, Imagem e Som - Revista de Antropologia, 6 (1).

Campbell, PGW., Linden, J., 2021. 'Expanded Practice and Curation as Creative Process: An Introductory Assemblage', REPERTÓRIO: Teatro & Dança, 19 (27), pp. 11-20.

Hunt, A., 2021. 'Jamie Crewe', Artforum International.

Tan, KS., 2021. 'Towards an anti-racist Fine Art Ph.D.: 'Anti-racism productive antagonisms' (ARPA) for the supervisor, student and examiner', Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education, 20 (1), pp. 49-63.

Hunt, A., 2020. 'Art Writing: Ed Atkins and Tai Shani', Burlington Magazine.

Child, D., 2020. 'Artistic Economies: Shelter, Food and Clothing', Afterall: A Journal of Art, Context and Enquiry, 49, pp. 107-114.

Babbage, F., Pinchbeck, M., 2020. 'Backpages 30.4', Contemporary Theatre Review, 30 (4), pp. 575-600.

Selva, AL., Campbell, P., Nie, M., Maciel, A., 2020. 'Cross Pollination's Nomadic Laboratory: a praxis in-between practices', Revista Brasileira de Estudos da Presença, 11 (4).

Hunt, A., 2020. 'Denzil Forrester', Artforum International.

Hunt, A., 2020. 'Elizabeth Price', Artforum International.

Rousell, D., Diddams, N., 2020. 'Fielding hilarity: sensing the affective intensities of comedy education and performance', Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 25 (3), pp. 422-440.

Aulich, J., Ikoniadou, M., 2020. 'Ghost Stories for Grown-Ups: Pictorial Matters in Times of War and Conflict', Humanities, 9 (2), pp. 44-44.

Bal, G., Watson, Z., Sumner, A., 2020. 'How are the visual arts responding to the COVID-19 crisis?', Third Text - Critical Perspectives on Contemporary Art and Culture Magazine.

Tan, KS., 2020. 'Power, Play and Pedagogy through the PowerPoint Performance-Lecture', International Journal of Management and Applied Research, 7 (3), pp. 382-394.

Campbell, P., 2020. 'The Five Continents of Theatre: Facts and Legends about the Material Culture of the Actor', Contemporary Theatre Review, 30 (2), pp. 282-283.

Roy, A., Ravetz, A., Prest, M., 2020. 'Unsettling Narrative(s): Film Making as an Anthropological Lens on an Artist-Led Project Exploring LGBT Recovery from Substance Use', Anthropological Notebooks, 26.

Knowles, RV., 2020. 'VacZineNations! as Practice-Led Research', Imaginations: Journal of Cross-Cultural Image Studies/revue d'études interculturelle de l'image, 11 (2), pp. 217-232.

Knowles, RV., Tonoyan, M., Mahon, P., Hammersley, J., 2020. 'VacZineNations!, a Critical Dialogue', Imaginations: Journal of Cross-Cultural Image Studies/revue d'études interculturelle de l'image, 11 (2), pp. 37-55.

Non-Peer Reviewed Articles

Child, D., 2021. 'Why We Need to Rethink Access to the Arts', Elephant Magazine, 45, pp. 153-154.

Presentations

Child, D., 2020. 'Labouring Bodies: Art, Work and History'.

Other Outputs

Biswas-Rodgers, S., 2021. 'Flights of Passage by Sutapa Biswas. Part of RadioCity2014/15, Tate Britain'.

Biswas-Rodgers, S., 2021. 'Mixed Bathing World 2015 Triennial'.

Cornejo Alvarez, J., 2021. 'Puno Museum of Contemporary Art'.

Tan, KS., 2020. '2020: Ten Reasons to Collaborate with Neurodiverse & Creative Allies'.

Tan, KS., 2020. 'An exploration of running as metaphor, methodology, material through the RUN! RUN! RUN! Biennale #r3fest 2016'.

Jurack, B., 2020. 'Between oaks and ashes'.

Tan, KS., 2020. 'Cat(suit)s and Caring in the Time of COVID-19'.

Tan, KS., 2020. 'Running Artfully Across Disciplines'.

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