Theatre, performing arts and music research

Home to a diverse group of collaborative researchers and an energetic and creative community of doctoral students

A dynamic and ‘Internationally Excellent’ research environment producing ‘World Leading’ Impact (100% 4&3* REF 2021) and with expertise in computer music and composition, actor and performer training, applied theatre, creative computing and emergent technologies, immersive play and production. We are interested transformative research that redefines fields and changes lives for the better.

Home to a diverse group of collaborative researchers and an energetic and creative community of doctoral students, this group conducts research together with major partners including Theatre Royal Plymouth and Spotify as well as national organisations and charities such as St Luke’s Hospice and The Alzheimer’s Society and receives project-funded from councils including the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Research highlights

Music of the mind Music of the mind
 VIDEO: Making music with brain signals to improve the quality of life of severely motor-impaired individuals, Professor Eduardo Miranda.

Mythogeography Mythogeography
 VIDEO: Dr Phil Smith re-imagining spaces and changing perspectives through performance practices

Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research (ICCMR) Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research (ICCMR)
 ICCMR develops research combining music, science and technology with research expertise ranging from musicology and composition, to biomedical applications of music and development of new technologies for musical creativity

Florentis Florentis
 VIDEO: A new artistic research screen dance by Ruth Way and Russell Frampton, arising from intergenerational somatic movement practice.

Training for performance Training for performance
 VIDEO: Dr John Matthews talks about his interest in training for performance; the philosophy and ideology of training and generating a philosophical account of what performance training is

Unconventional computing Unconventional computing
 VIDEO: Dr Ed Braund talks about his research interests in developing new types of computing systems to work with audio and music.

Our researchers

Postgraduate research opportunities

Related articles

Digital research repository

The School of Society and Culture (SSC) is home to a diverse collection of researchers working in the social sciences, humanities and performing arts. We’re dedicated to advancing knowledge for public benefit, driving meaningful change in our society and enriching communities (be they near us or an ocean away). Visit our our digital repository of staff research to watch short videos from academics working across the School’s disciplines: Anthropology, Art History, Computer Music, Creative Writing, Criminology, English, Environmental Cultures, Heritage, History, International Relations, Law, Music, Politics, Sociology, Theatre and Performance.