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Claire French

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Assistant Profesor, University of Birmingham

Claire researches and makes multilingual theatre and performance with minority or low-status languages. She is currently Assistant Professor at the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts, University of Birmingham (UK) and has Associate Fellowships at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) and the University of Warwick (UK).

Experience

  • 2022–present
    Research Associate, School of Arts, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
  • 2022–present
    Local Section Coordinator, International Drama in Education Institute, Conference-2022, School of Education, University of Warwick, UK
  • 2022–present
    Research Fellow, Dr Josefine Baark, Carlsberg Foundation, School of Communications, Aarhus University, Denmark. Title: ‘Methodologies for Co-creating Museum Films: Decolonisation and the Danish Digital Turn’
  • 2022–present
    Assistant Professor, Department of Drama and Theatre Arts, University of Birmingham
  • 2020–present
    Associate Fellow, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Warwick, UK
  • 2016–2022
    Sessional Lecturer, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, UK
  • 2021–2022
    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Arts Research Africa and Mellon Foundation, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. Title: ‘Decolonising language ideologies in the body’
  • 2016–2021
    Sessional Lecturer, Theatre and Performance Studies and Centre for Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick, UK
  • 2020–2021
    Research Assistant, Dr Rachael Jacobs, Centre for Educational Research, Western Sydney University, Australia. Focus areas: Arts curriculum; second language acquisition; translanguaging; and UNESCO Education
  • 2019–2020
    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Early Career, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Warwick. Focus areas: multilingual performance training
  • 2020–2020
    Visiting Fellow, Bachelor of Acting/ Bachelor of Performing Arts, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
  • 2014–2018
    Programme Director, Visible Theatre Ensemble, UK. Focus areas: Autobiographical performance about living longer, community and education
  • 2016–2017
    Research Assistant, Professor Jakelin Troy, Department of Linguistics, The University of Sydney, Australia. Title: ‘Putting performance on the Indigenous Australian language revitalisation agenda’
  • 2012–2014
    Communications Director, FilmFestivalLife, Berlin. Focus areas: Events and outreach for emerging filmmakers, in partnership with Berlinale
  • 2007–2010
    Programme Director, bamBOO Mainstage Amphitheatre, Perth. Focus areas: Multi-arts summer festival with community development interests

Education

  • 2019 
    University of Warwick, PhD in Theatre Studies, ‘Methodologies for mobilising languaging: Facilitating dynamic linguistic resources in applied performance praxis’
  • 2014 
    Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, MA in Applied Theatre, Drama in the Community and Drama Education

Publications

  • 2022
    Languaging a widened embodied repertoire, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training
  • 2021
    Facilitating departures from monolingual discourses, Applied Theatre Research
  • 2019
    Review: Explorations in Southern African Drama, Theatre and Performance by Patrick J. Ebewo, Theatre Research International
  • 2016
    Review: The Methuen drama guide to contemporary South African theatre, South African Theatre Journal

Grants and Contracts

  • 2022
    International Drama in Education Research Institute Local Section: Harnessing Global South-North Exchanges
    Role:
    Partner Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Warwick, UK
  • 2019
    Research Excellence Framework (REF) PhD Completion Fund
    Role:
    Chief Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Warwick Graduate School. University of Warwick
  • 2015
    Grants for the Arts Grants: The Wardrobe Project by Sonja Linden, Graeae, London
    Role:
    Partner Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Arts Council England
  • 2015
    Grants for the Arts: Business development grant
    Role:
    Partner Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, UK
  • 2015
    PhD shared funding with University of Warwick and UK Government
    Role:
    Chief Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
  • 2014
    Research Project Fund: Museums at Night, Fulham Palace, London
    Role:
    Partner Investigator
    Funding Source:
    The Leverhulme Trust, UK
  • 2014
    Grants for the Arts Grants: Who Do We Think We Are by Sonja Linden, Southwark Playhouse, London
    Role:
    Partner Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Arts Council England
  • 2008
    Arts Grant: Presence by Patrick van Der Werf, Subiaco Arts Centre, Perth
    Role:
    Chief Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Department of Culture and the Arts, Government of Western Australia
  • 2008
    Arts-Business Match Grant
    Role:
    Chief Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Australia Business Arts Foundation
  • 2008
    Y-Culture Grant
    Role:
    Chief Investigator
    Funding Source:
    Propel Arts Youth Arts Organisation, Perth, Australia

Professional Memberships

  • International Federation for Theatre Research
  • Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies

Research Areas

  • Drama, Theatre And Performance Studies (190404)
  • Language In Culture And Society (Sociolinguistics) (200405)