About

I primarily teach on Media, Film and Arts at the University of Derby. I have taught and led programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

My research interests include issues of representation and identity, the concept of memory, science fiction, curation, visibility and feminism. My research explores a range  practices, including film, photography and art, and have established the Marion Adnams Project to undertake research into the artist Marion Adnams.  I have worked with Derby Museum on this project.

Research interests

Research Supervision

• Director of Studies: Fine Art PhD on Women and Domestic Space
• Director of Studies: Media PhD on Otaku and Online Communities
• 2017 External Panel Member on PhD Viva at De Montfort University on the Media Representation of Mental Illness

Research Group and Centres

• Member of Digital and Material Artistic Research Centre (D-Marc )
• Member of Identity, Culture and Representation Centre (ICR)

Recent publications

Book chapters and journal articles 

‘Where's Wanda? Collage and Collapse’ in Paul Booth, Ed. Entering the Multiverse: Perspectives on Alternate Universes and Parallel Worlds, New York: Routledge (2024)

‘Perceptions of 'Prague': Film and Fantasy in The Unbearable Lightness Of Being, Daisies and The Grand Budapest Hotel’.  Heritages Past and Present – Built and Social, Czech Technical University, Prague .Architecture, Media, Politics, Society (AMPS). Conference Proceedings (2023).

 Star Trek: Discovery and Controversy: ‘The War Without, The War Within’, K. McNally, Ed. American Television During an American Presidency, Detroit: Wayne State University Press. (2022)

 ‘Narratives of Institutional Racism and Social Critique in UK Television Drama’ in M. Marotta & S. Flynn Eds. Critical Pedagogy: Teaching for Racial Inclusion in the Digital Age, London: Routledge (2021)

 ‘Co-curation as Feminist Practice: Exhibiting the Work of Marion Adnams’, Journal of Visual Art Practice, 20:1-2, 97-112 (2021)

 ‘Finding the Artist: The Role of the Feminist Detective’, MAI: Feminism and Visual Culture, October Issue (2020)

Co-editor and Contributor: Karen McNally, Jane Marcellus, Teresa Forde & Kirsty Fairclough,  The Legacy of Mad Men: Cultural History, Intermediality and American Television, London: Palgrave (2020).

 ‘Olivia Dunham and the New Frontier in Fringe’ in Women’s Space: Essays on Female Characters in the 21st Century Science Fiction Western, ed. M. A Marotta, McFarland (2019).

Entries on  'The L Word' and 'True Blood' in Finales: Considering the Ends of Television Series, Eds. David Bianculli, Douglas Howard, Syracuse University Press (2018).

Chapter: ‘Rory Williams: The Boy who Waited’ in Doctor Who Companions ed. Sherry Ginn and Gillian Leitch, McFarland (2016).

Chapter: ‘Solaris: Lem/Tarkovsky/Soderbergh: Adaptations in Space’ in Science Fiction across the Media: Adaptation/Novelization, series, SF Worlds: Critical Studies in Science Fiction, Gylphi, (2013).

Chapter: ‘The Doctor Who Experience and Experiencing Doctor Who’ in Doctor Who: Fan Phenomena, ed. Paul Booth, London: Intellect, (2013).

Catalogue and Magazine

March 2020: Article on Marion Adnams in Derby International Women’s Day Festival Magazine. 

January 2020: Contribution to article on ‘Trees’ by Mark Hudson for Royal Academy Magazine.

November 2019: Contribution to Catalogue entry on Marion Adnams for British Surrealism exhibition, Dulwich Picture Gallery (March 2020).

Curation/Exhibition

November 2024 ‘Power’ Viva El Vishnu, The Street, Markeaton Campus, University of Derby

September 2021 ‘The Power of Three’ All the Small Things exhibition, Artcore, Derby

November 2018  ‘Thingness’ Arts Research Exhibition, Digital & Material Artistic Research Centre (DMARC) School of Arts University of Derby: Video Installation: ‘Researching Marion Adnams’. 

Dec 2017-March 2018  Exhibition Co-curator: ‘Marion Adnams: A Singular Woman’ Retrospective: Derby Museum  including Video Installation: ‘Researching Marion Adnams’ at Marion Adnams exhibition (Soundtrack by Des O’Brien). 

Interviews:

February 2024 Recorded Interview with Desmond Morris, Birmingham Surrealist

October 2021 Recorded Interview with Cydnii Wilde Harris on the Black Lives Matter Video Playlist

Membership of professional bodies

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Member of MeCCSA Women's Media Network

Professional interests

I am currently a consulting Editor for MA: Journal of Feminism and Visual Culture. I am also a Trustee on the Board of Backlit, Nottingham.

I regularly contribute to film introductions and discussion at Derby QUAD.

I am currently the Equality Officer for the University of Derby Branch UCU and I am on the Regional Committee for the East Midlands,

I have also worked with Women's groups within Derby including Vox Feminarum.

Current Internal Roles

• Member of Athena Swan Steering Committee
• Member of Equality and Diversity Committee and subcommittees:          Women and Allies; LGBT+ and Allies

Recent External Roles

• Currently External Examiner, BA Film Studies, Keele University
• 2016- External Examiner, BA Film and Television Studies, London Metropolitan University
• 2014-2018 External Examiner, BA Film and Television Studies,
•  University of Lincoln
• 2015 External Member of Masters Validation Panel, De Montfort University

Qualifications

 Undergraduate

• Foundation Diploma in Art and Design: North Oxon School of Art in film and Television
• BA (Hons) Combined Arts, Leicester Polytechnic

Postgraduate

• MA in Critical Theory, University of Nottingham
• Postgraduate Diploma in Adult and Continuing Education, University of Nottingham
• PhD by Published Works, University of Derby

Recent conferences

2023 ‘Perceptions of 'Prague': Film and Fantasy in The Unbearable Lightness Of Being, Daisies and The Grand Budapest Hotel’.  Heritages Past and Present – Built and Social, Czech Technical University, Prague . Architecture, Media, Politics, Society (AMPS). [online] Published Conference Proceedings

2022 ‘Arnold’s Red Road and Glazer’s Under the Skin: Breaking and Making the Rules of Engagement’ Cine-Excess 16: Reframing the Monsters Outside: Mavericks, Rebels and Rule Breakers in Cult Film

2022 WandaVision: Cultural and Visual Fragmentation of the Female Superhero/Villain, “THE FRAGMENTED SUPERHERO” The Superhero Project VI [online]

2021 Invited Speaker:  ‘Marion Adnams and the Margins of Surrealism’, Surrealism in England: 1936 and After Revisited, University of Creative Arts [online]

2021 Conference Panel Chair: ‘Spaces and Places’ at Behind the Stage and Off the Screen: Film and Television Representations of American Entertainment [online]

2018 Conference Organizer, Convenor and Presenter: Marion Adnams Symposium, Paper: ‘Marion Adnams and Surrealism’, University of Derby

2016 Paper: ‘1968 and the Escalation of Decay: Time Travelling in ‘The Flood’ ‘, Mad Men: The Conference, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Nashville

2015 Paper: ‘Performing Genres in Twin Peaks’; I’ll See You Again in 25 Years: The Return of Twin Peaks and Generations of Cult TV, MediacityUK, University of Salford

2018 ‘Researching the Artist Marion Adnams’, Ryerson University, Toronto.

2018 Conference Organizer and Convenor: Marion Adnams Symposium, Paper: ‘Marion Adnams and Surrealism’, University of Derby.

2016 ‘1968 and the Escalation of Decay: Time Travelling in ‘The Flood’ ‘, Mad Men: The Conference, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Nashville.

2015 ‘Performing Genres in Twin Peaks’;, I’ll See You Again in 25 Years: The Return of Twin Peaks and Generations of Cult TV, MediaCityUK, University of Salford

2015 Conference Co-organiser & Convenor; Paper: ‘Researching Marion Adnams: A Singular Woman’ at Digital Humanities: Transformative Landscapes, University of Derby

In the media

Radio Interviews

• Live Interview about Made In Derby Star for Marion Adnams on Walk of Fame, BBC Radio Derby 
• Live Interview: World Television Day, BBC Radio Derby
• Live Interview: John Lewis Christmas Adverts, BBC Radio Derby
• Pre-recorded Interview: 'Good' and 'Evil' in Star Wars, BBC Radio Derby

International experience

March 2019: International Erasmus Exchange, Presentations on Researching Marion Adnams, CEU San Pablo University, Madrid

Teaching responsibilities

Currently teaching on the following modules:

Undergraduate teaching:

Media and Communication:

• Media Industries
• Analysing the Media
• Curating Contemporary Television
• Technology and Surveillance on Screen
• Media Dissertation

Postgraduate teaching:

MA Arts (Art and Photography):

• Critical Study in Arts and Photography

MA Journalism:

• Project Modelling and Methods

Additional interests and activities

Recent film introductions, panels and Q&A at Derby QUAD

 Cleo from 5 to 7 (Agnes Varda) part of French New Wave Film Season, Derby QUAD

 Introduction to Vera Chytilova’s Daisies and Jan Svankmajer’s Alice, Surrealist Film Season, QUAD

Q and A with Ken Loach post-screening of I’m Sorry I Missed You, Derby Film Festival, Derby QUAD.

 Introduction to Sweet Charity

 Introduction to The Divine Order for Women’s History Month

Outreach and Public Engagement

March 2024 Public Talk on Mad Men book at Artcore for Derby Book Festival

May 2023 Interview with Rob Young, author of The Magic Box: Viewing Britain through the Rectangular Window at Derby College for Derby Book Festival

March 2023: Women’s History Month: ‘WomenTalking: Domestic Violence on Screen’, Derby International women’s Day, Dubrek Studios, Derby

November 2022: Being Human community activities – ‘Mush(room) of one’s own’, Derby Museum

November 2022 Online Collage Workshop ‘Your Wonder Woman’, Being Human Festival

May 2022: Online Collage Workshop: ‘Your Wonder Woman! Feminism, Identity and Collage’ Wonder Woman for President 2022: 50 Years of Kick Ass Feminism!, Society for Classical Studies

March 2021: International Women’s Day Online External Panel, Music and Poetry, University of Derby

March 2020: Article on Marion Adnams in Derby International Women’s Day Festival Magazine https://issuu.com/womensdayderby/docs/iwd_2020_magazine

January 2020: Contribution to article on ‘Trees’ by Mark Hudson for Royal Academy Magazine

October 2019: Women History Makers Exhibition planning with Derby Museums and Gallery

May 2019: presented Made in Derby Star for Marion Adnams, Derby City Council organized event.

March 2019:  International Women’s Day, UCU, University of Derby and Derby Theatre collaborative stall, event organized by Vox Feminarum and Derby City Council

November 2018: Panel member for Reel Equality film screening of The Divine Order organised by Nottingham Women’s Centre, Canalside, Nottingham.