Public Engagement: Editing, Curating & Programming
Recent projects
Forms, Voices, Networks: Feminism and the Media
(German Historical Institute London)
23.11.21 - 23.11.22
I led the curation and project management of an exhibition on the relationship between the media and 20th century women’s activist movements in an international context. The exhibition was developed in response to a brief set by the ISWG research group at the German Historical Institute in London, which had been awarded funding for an exhibition exploring the relation between media and feminism in 20th century India, Germany and Britain.
Developed with colleagues at the German Historical Institute in London and featuring contributions from a range of scholars, activists and artists, the exhibition presents a diverse series of snapshot stories to illustrate how feminists have mobilised media in feminist and anti-colonial campaigns at different moments. Though initially planned as an in-person show, the project was moved online due to Covid-19. I wrote about the conceptual and practical challenges of delivering this exhibition in an article in a special issue of Women’s History Review.
The website was designed and developed by the design agency Eight Arms. The collage illustrations are by Michelle Thompson, and page illustrations by Harriet Hatwell and Jenny Hersh.
This video follows a visitor’s possible route through the online exhibition, featuring several of the ‘stories’ as well as the menu pages. When live, moving the cursor prompted visitors to scroll.
Imagining Posthuman Care
University of Leeds
‘Can Robots Care?’ exhibition at the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds. Photo by David Lindsay.
As Postdoctoral Research and Engagement fellow on the AHRC project Imagining Posthuman Care at the University of Leeds, I supported the project PI Dr Amelia DeFalco with the creation of an interactive exhibition at the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds and associated programming. The project explored how the meaning and significance of ‘care’ is changing in light of new technologies, and critical engagements with animality, vulnerability and the posthuman.
The robot' ‘Pepper’ at the launch of ‘Can Robots Care'?’. Photograph by David Lindsay
Past Projects
I also have substantial experience as a digital editor in arts institutions. This has included commissioning, copy-editing and proofreading content for online publication as well as managing social media channels. After working full-time at arts organisations including the ICA, I continued to deliver freelance projects for arts and heritage organisations while completing my PhD in literature. I have also worked as a freelance reader (assessing submissions and/or prize entries) for literary magazines, including Granta and Wasafiri. In 2021, I worked freelance for Wasafiri, co-ordinating their digital output. I was Associate Editor at parallax journal August 2020-October 2021. Below is a selection of other examples of my public engagement activities.
Queer Migrations event at the Migration Museum in London. Photo by: Elzbieta Piekacz
Queer Migrations (The Migration Museum Project)
I planned, programmed and delivered a late event of conversation, spoken word and music, exploring LGBTQI+ migration stories. The performers explored diverse topics including the experiences and legacies of migration, the intimate politics of the body and the afterlives of empire. Visitors also had the chance to hear about the work of local LGBTQ+ migrant organisations, NGOs, and peer support programme managers. Speakers included Sebastian Aguirre and Shaan Knan. Performers included Ciarán Hodgers, Kai-Isaiah Jamal, Keith Jarrett, PJ Samuels. DJ sets by Naeem Davis (BBZ London) & Nadine Artois (Pxssy Palace).
Digital Editor (Institute of Contemporary Arts - ICA)
While Digital Editor at the ICA, I re-initiated and managed the ICA Bulletin—an online space for features, interviews, artwork and videos on arts and culture. This involved overseeing the editorial processes of commissioning, copy-editing, proofreading and promoting content, as well as developing new content strands.
Frames of Representation Film Festival
Frames of Representation is a platform for showcasing new forms of cinema. For its 2017 and 2018 editions, I managed the production of a print booklet of essays, interviews and reflections.
Durban Holocaust and Genocide Centre
In association with Prof. Stuart Taberner’s projects ‘Traumatic Pasts, Cosmopolitanism, and Nation-Building in Contemporary German and South African Literature’ and ‘Mobilising Multidirectional Memory to Build More Resilient Communities in South Africa’, I spent some time working at the Durban Holocaust and Genocide Centre during my PhD. With colleagues from the University of Leeds, I organised the symposium ‘Life Narratives in an Age of Human Rights’, as well as a knowledge exchange event with museum professionals.