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The Top & Bottom of It, Mechanism For a Future Reference - David Osbaldeston

Art and Performance
Research Hub

Embracing, interrogating and responding to contemporary and historical issues through art and performance research.

The Art and Performance Research Hub brings practice- and text-based research together. We work locally and internationally through exhibitions, seminars, conferences, screenings, events, performances and publishing. Our models for creative and critical practice include everything from performer training to curating.

We also investigate art and performance through theoretical and historical writing about performance, painting, photography, printing, drawing, dramaturgy, screen art (including performance), sculpture and time-based arts.

Our work takes place in the public realm, locally and internationally, through exhibitions, seminars, conferences, screenings, events, performances and publishing. We contribute to the overall research culture and expertise at Manchester School of Art through the local and international profiles of our staff.

How we work

We develop and share internationally acclaimed digital media and performance. We recognise and embrace the importance of individual practice, as well as collaborative and inter- and trans-disciplinary work.

Our historical and contemporary research alike is relevant to socially engaged art practices. Challenging the boundaries of real and virtual sites allows us to examine both digital and analogue art and performance across platforms and realities.

We welcome new technologies and methodologies as well as cross-disciplinary collaborations with academic and non-academic partners worldwide. We also provide specific expertise and knowledge in digital materials and processes, as well as analogue media such as micro-fiches, slides, vinyl and film.

We’ve embraced new ways of making and disseminating our work online. The rich and innovative approaches to our research we’ve developed recently have led to rich and innovative pedagogy.

We lead and contribute to the postgraduate research student environment through seminars, lectures, roundtables, research training and research supervision. We also work collectively and across disciplines within the wider University ecology.

Research Focus

The Art and Performance Research Hub explores contemporary issues through rigorous intellectual research themes, including:

  • — archives, museums, cultural heritage and domestic histories
  • — power, politics, protest, site and communities
  • — arts and health, social practice, policy and law
  • — simulation, materiality, identity, fiction of the image
  • — composition, dramaturgy, laboratory training
  • — embodiment, gender and histories of practice

Selected Projects

British Ritual Innovation under COVID-19 (BRIC-19)
Josh Edelman

Understanding how Britains religious communities adapted during — and responded to — the COVID-19 pandemic.

SAFEDI
Amanda Ravetz

Improving equality, diversity and inclusion in partnership with social artists, audiences and policy makers.

Asia Triennial Manchester
Alnoor Mitha

Exploring and celebrating Asian cultures in Manchester and beyond through a community of international artists and events.

Bunker Talks
Michael Pinchbeck

A space for critical encounters, presentations, provocation and dialogue.

Members and Associate Members


Exhibitions & Publications

Exhibitions

Osbaldeston, D., 2024. A Pastiche of Different Techniques, Glasgow Print Studio, 5/4/2024 - 25/5/2024.

Hunt, A., 2024. Allan Rand 'Machine Breakers', Moon Grove, 23/2/2024 - 5/4/2024.

Mitha, A., 2024. Asia Triennial Manchester festival (ATM18), Multiple venues across Greater Manchester.

Hunt, A., 2024. Dean Hughes 'Felt Tip Drawings', Moon Grove, 31/5/2024 - 27/7/2024.

Hunt, A., 2024. Karen Barbour 'Where the Fruits of the Trees Are Jewels', Moon Grove, 18/10/2024 - 20/12/2024.

Hunt, A., Grant, S., 2024. Karen Barbour 'Where the Fruits of the Trees Are Jewels', Moon Grove, 18/10/2024 - 20/12/2024.

Biswas-Rodgers, S., 2024. Mixed Bathing World 2015 Triennial.

Ali, L., 2024. Tampered Surface Six Artists from Pakistan : an Exhibition of Sculpture, Painting, Printmaking, Photography and Mixed Media.

Singleton, H., Barber, F., Kennedy-Schtyk, B., Lineham, M., 2024. The Stones Project: ancient stones and contemporary art, Victoria Hall, Glossop, 19/7/2024 - 21/7/2024.

Hunt, A., Vonna-Michell, T., 2024. Tris Vonna-Michell 'Vonna-Michell's House', Badischer Kunstverein, 20/9/2024 - 1/12/2024.

Bal, G., 2023. Curatorial: Power as the Basis of Right, MuseumsQuartier Wien, 12/11/2023.

Hunt, A., Casser, A., Balgiu, A., 2023. Ilse Garnier: a e i o u / Concrete Experience, Badischer Kunstverein, 10/2/2023 - 16/4/2023.

Hunt, A., 2023. Louise Giovanelli 'Always Different, Always the Same', Moon Grove, 23/2/2023 - 16/4/2023.

Hunt, A., 2023. Natalie Curtis 'Because I Want Nothing', Moon Grove, 2/11/2023 - 23/12/2023.

Hunt, A., 2023. Patrick Hartigan 'A Clay Hand', Moon Grove, 11/5/2023 - 8/7/2023.

Lacon, A., 2023. Sala Taller, Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo, 3/4/2023 - 30/6/2023.

James, S., 2022. Anti-Social Art: Experimental Practices in Late East Germany, Tweed Museum, 15/1/2022 - 18/5/2022.

Hunt, A., 2022. Behrang Karimi Rotpeter: 'Bild eines zur Dressur gezwungenen', Moon Grove, 20/5/2022 - 15/7/2022.

Hunt, A., Osbaldeston, D., 2022. David Osbaldeston 'A Pastiche of Different Techniques', Moon Grove, 24/11/2022 - 25/1/2023.

Warstat, A., Mock, J., 2022. S'attarder et regarder, ensemble et séparément - la photographie de Gavin Parry (Lingering and looking, together and apart - the photography of Gavin Parry), Maison Louis-Jardin du Mesnil-sur-Oger, Médiathèques Simone-Veil et Daniel-Rondeau d'Epernay, 17/9/2022 - 2/10/2022.

James, S., 2022. The Turner Prize 2022, Tate Liverpool, 20/10/2022 - 19/3/2023.

Mitha, A., 2022. Where is Home, Whitworth art gallery, 12/8/2022 - 26/2/2023.

Artefacts

Brown, J.K., 2024. '3D Colour Printing', Mcor Technologies.

Copsey, R., 2024. 'Erosion 3', UK.

Brown, J., 2024. 'Exploring novel ways to articulate geometry and colour in multidimensional virtual environments.'.

Brown, J., 2024. 'Exploring novel ways to articulate geometry and colour in multidimensional virtual environments.'.

Copsey, R., 2024. 'Paintscape 20'.

Copsey, R., 2024. 'Paintscape20', UK.

Copsey, R., 2024. 'Untitled 2014'.

Copsey, R., 2024. 'Untitled2014', Moldova.

Atkinson, L-J., 2022. 'Lino LAB'.

Performances

Pinchbeck, M., 2023. 'Another Way of Telling (Performance)', 26/9/2023 - 28/9/2023.

Pinchbeck, M., Smith, O., 2022. 'A Seventh Man', 25/9/2022 - 29/9/2022.

Mackenzie, N., 2022. 'Socks or Bare Feet', Performance Studio, Grosvenor East, 1/7/2022.

Lo, L., Pinchbeck, M., 2022. 'Talking Trees / ??/??', University of Nottingham Botanical Garden, 1/7/2022.

Books

Pinchbeck, M., Babbage, F., 2026. 'Ways of Staging: The Berger and Mohr Trilogy', Intellect.

Hunt, A., Karimi, B., 2024. 'Behrang Karimi: Rotpeter: Bild eines zur Dressur gezwungenen', Slimvolume.

Pinchbeck, M., Smith, O., 2024. 'Following the Score: The Ravel Trilogy', Intellect, Bristol.

Mitha, A., 2024. 'Kissing the Dust - Contemporary Artists working with Collections'.

Hunt, A., Curtis, N., 2024. 'Natalie Curtis 'Because I Want Nothing'', Slimvolume.

Reason, M., Conner, L., Johanson, K., Walmsley, B., 2024. 'Routledge Companion to Audiences and the Performing Arts', Routledge.

Hunt, A., Iversen Kristiansen, S., Vonna-Michell, T., Verwoert, J., 2024. 'Silje Iversen Kristiansen: Weekly Planner I', Slimvolume.

Hunt, A., Iversen Kristiansen, S., Vonna-Michell, T., Verwoert, J., 2024. 'Silje Iversen Kristiansen: Weekly Planner II', Slimvolume.

Edelman, J., Szabó, A., Toome, H.L., Wilders, M.L., Zijlstra, A., 2024. 'Studying European Theatre Audiences: The STEP City Study', Routledge, London.

Hunt, A., Sophie, K., Cornish, S., Bax, O., Patterson Kelly, W., 2024. 'These Mad Hybrids: John Hoyland and Contemporary Sculpture', Slimvolume / Ridinghouse.

Hunt, A., Power, J., 2023. 'Jess Power 'UFOs'', Slimvolume.

Hunt, A., Chilver, J., 2023. 'Journal of Contemporary Painting Volume 8 Numbers 1 & 2. Special Issue 'Minor Painting: Outsiders and Outliers'', Intellect Journals.

Hunt, A., Giovanelli, L., 2023. 'Louise Giovanelli 'Always Different, Always the Same'', Slimvolume.

Hunt, A., Buchler, P., 2023. 'Pavel Büchler Variable Pieces: Letterpress prints 2011-2023', Slimvolume.

Jurack, B., 2023. 'Pull Clay', Bluecoat Centre for Contemporary Art, Liverpool.

Hunt, A., 2023. 'Rick Buckley Under a grey blanket Berlin, 9.-19.11.1984 Old World Apes', Slimvolume.

Hunt, A., Lebahn, D., Römer, S., 2022. 'All Go Rhythm - This is a Free Concert', Slimvolume.

Hunt, A., Fry, J., Stanley, B., Haines, L., 2022. 'James Fry 'A Licence to Rock and Pop: An Inventory of Attitude'', Slimvolume.

James, S.E., 2022. 'Paper Revolutions An Invisible Avant-Garde', MIT Press.

Hunt, A., Evans, C., Potter, C.R., 2022. 'Sudden Wealth with Roy Claire Potter', Slimvolume.

Book Chapters

James, S., 2024. ''Montage as Marxist Time-Travelling & the Continual Returns of Brecht','. In BRECHT FRAGMENTS, pp. 51-70, Raven Row Books.

Egan, K., 2024. 'A Score of a Score of a Score: examining concerto through Ravel's composition'. In Pinchbeck, M., Smith, O. (eds.) Following the Score: The Ravel Trilogy, pp. 95-122, Intellect, Bristol.

Child, D., Weeks, H., Grey, K., 2024. 'Civic Responsibility in Times of Crisis: Museums and Galleries in Northern England during the Covid-19 Pandemic'. In Pandemic Culture, Manchester University Press.

Child, D., 2024. 'Johanna Unzueta's Tools for Life: Engaging a politics of Labour within the Art Institution'. In Edinburgh Companion to Curatorial Futures, Edinburgh University Press.

Edelman, J.A., 2024. 'Occupation and Sacred Space in a Post-Secular Society''. In Battista, S. (eds.) Sacred Places: Performances, Politics and Ecologies.

Pinchbeck, M., Smith, O., 2024. 'The Development'. In Pinchbeck, M., Smith, O. (eds.) Following the Score: The Ravel Trilogy, Intellect, Intellect.

Pinchbeck, M., Smith, O., 2024. 'The Exposition'. In Pinchbeck, M., Smith, O. (eds.) Following the Score: The Ravel Trilogy, Intellect, Bristol.

Pinchbeck, M., Smith, O., 2024. 'The Recapitulation'. In Pinchbeck, M., Smith, O. (eds.) Following the Score: The Ravel Trilogy, Intellect, Bristol.

Barber, F., 2024. 'Women in Long Kesh/Maze prison: We Were There (2014), memory and visuality'. In McAtackney, L., Ó Catháin, M. (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of the Northern Ireland Conflict and Peace, pp. 277-288, Routledge, London.

Lineham, M., 2023. 'Between Illumination and Darkness: Blackpool's Contemporary Amusement Arcade Atmosphere'. In Steadman, C., Coffin, J. (eds.) Consuming Atmospheres: Designing, Experiencing, and Researching Atmospheres in Consumption Spaces, pp. 107-121, Routledge, London.

Pinchbeck, M., 2022. 'A dance of absence: (in)visible dramaturgies within A Duet Without You'. In Dechery, C. (eds.) Performing collaboration in solo performance: A Duet Without You and practice-as-research, Intellect, Bristol.

Pinchbeck, M., Baynton, R., 2022. 'Co-creation: Igniting response-ability: co-creating one-on-one audience experience'. In Reason, M., Conner, L., Johanson, K., Walmsley, B. (eds.) Routledge Companion to Audiences and the Performing Arts, pp. 409-417, Routledge, London.

Hunt, A., 2022. 'Elizabeth MaGill'. In Elizabeth Magill: Flag Iris, Miles McEnery Gallery.

Media

BBC Radio 4, , 2022. 'Taxi Drivers'.

Reports

Child, D., 2024. 'Culture in Crisis: Impacts of Covid-19 on the UK Cultural Sector and Where We Go From Here'.

Maples, H., Edelman, J., FitzGibbon, A., Harris, L., Klich, R., Tartoff, K., Young, A., 2022. 'Freelancers in the Dark: the economic, cultural, and social impacts of Covid-19 on theatre freelancers', University of Essex.

Internet Publications

Lineham, M., 2024. ''Seaside Pleasures', Exhibition catalogue essay for 'Super Fun Tyre' by Stuart Robinson.', https://stuartrobinson.net/super-fun-tyre-catalogue.

Journal Articles

Singleton, H., 2025. 'On the Hill: Representations and retellings of the Pendle Witches' history within the rural landscape of Lancashire, England', Revenant, TBC (Forthcoming).

Hunt, A., 2024. 'Atiéna R. Kilfa', Artforum International, January 2024.

Faulkner, S., 2024. 'Introduction: Visibility, images, Palestine/Israel', Visual Studies, 39 (3), pp. 351-357.

Hunt, A., 2024. 'John Russell', Artforum International, April 2024.

Hunt, A., 2024. 'Kaye Donachie', Artforum International.

Pinchbeck, M., 2024. 'Somewhere between breathing in and breathing out: Making immersive audio work about the experience of Long Covid', Performance Research: a journal of the performing arts, 29 (3).

Hunt, A., 2024. 'Stephen Willats', Artforum International.

Barber, F., Gilson, J., 2024. 'Stormy Weather: textile art, water and climate emergency', Textile: the journal of cloth and culture, 22 (3), pp. 515-527.

Babbage, F., Pinchbeck, M., 2023. 'Acts of Unsettling: An Immersive Adaptation of Berger and Mohr's A Seventh Man', Arts, 12 (2), pp. 50-50.

Hunt, A., 2023. 'Hannah Starkey', Artforum International, April 2023.

Pinchbeck, M., 2023. 'Leaving a space to listen: working with John Berger on Another Way of Telling', Études Britanniques Contemporaines, 65.

Hunt, A., 2023. 'Pam Glick', Artforum International, November 2023.

Boll, J., Edelman, J., 2023. 'The Affective Underpinnings of British Toryism: Nostalgia, Futurity, and the Performativity of the Commons', Coils of the Serpent: Journal for the Study of Contemporary Power, 12, pp. 52-73.

Jurack, B., 2023. 'You Look at Me Looking at You Looking at Me', Arts, 12 (2), pp. 73-73.

James, S., 2022. ''Stefan Lorant's Lilliputian Look-Alikes: Cultivating an Optical Imagination'', Fotogeschichte-Themenheft: Zirkulierende Bilder. Fotografien in Zeitschriften, pp. 14-24.

Hunt, A., 2022. 'Allison Katz', Artforum International, May 2022.

Hunt, A., 2022. 'Minor painting: Outsiders and outliers', Journal of Contemporary Painting, 8 (1-2), pp. 3-29.

Genc, E.A., Kennedy-Schtyk, B., Miles, S., 2022. 'Reimagining the cultural impact of neoliberalism: an analysis of Istanbul and Liverpool biennials', The International Journal of Cultural Policy, 29 (5), pp. 618-633.

Pinchbeck, M., Egan, K., 2022. 'Staging Scores: Devising Contemporary Performances from Classical Music', Representing Classical Music in the Twenty-First Century, 7 (457).

Child, D., 2022. 'The Great Escape: the visibility of class in Tracey Emin's Margate', Oxford Art Journal, 45 (2), pp. 253-268.

Oliver, E., Whitehall, J., 2022. 'The Past Dreams the Future Present': Dream as Political Visual Historiography in the work of Artist and Film Maker Derek Jarman', IDEA - Interdisciplinary Discourses, Education and Analysis, 2, pp. 72-88.

Non-Peer Reviewed Articles

James, S., 2024. ''Ashley Holmes: Skylarking'', Art Monthly, NO. 475,, pp. 40-41.

James, S., 2024. ''Taking a Stand'', Art Monthly, 473, pp. 4-16.

James, S., 2023. ''Letter from Berlin',', Art Monthly, no. 469, pp. 43-44.

James, S., 2023. ''Liverpool Biennial',', Art Monthly, No. 469, pp. 31-32.

James, S., 2023. 'The Crisis in Art Education', Art Monthly, 468.

Conference Papers

Lineham, M., 2024. 'Let it WIP! Foundational Atmosphere', Foundational: Exploring the Legacies and Impacts of Foundation Art & Design Education, Royal College of Art, London, 29/8/2024 - 30/8/2024.

Child, D., 2023. ''Considering Art's "Building Site" for Production Studies: The Case of Art Fabrication'', Simpósio Internacional de Estudos da Produção: Aquitetura, Projecto s Canteiro, Centro Mariantonia da USP, São Paulo, Brazi, 4/4/2023 - 5/4/2023.

Child, D., 2023. 'A Question of Class: Marxist Art History in the UK', (De)Politicising Art Studies. Marxist Traditions since 1968, Technical University Berlin, 10/11/2023 - 11/11/2023.

Lineham, M., 2023. 'Between the floors: art school atmospheres', GLAD (Group for Learning in Art and Design Higher Education) Symposium 2023: Gathering Ourselves, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London, 8/9/2023 - 8/9/2023.

Warstat, A., 2023. 'Seeing Nothing - Empathy and Invisibility (Or "Blackness is the site where absolute nothingness and the world of things converge")', 16/11/2023 - 15/12/2023.

Warstat, A., 2022. 'Exhausting metaphor - Andrea Fisher and the infinitely deferred image', Times of Metaphor : A Symposium on the Temporal, Metaphorical, and the Still and Moving Image, Royal College of Art, 8/7/2022 - 8/7/2022.

Pinchbeck, M., 2022. 'Immersive archives: making "Sit with us for a moment and remember"', 17/11/2022 - 19/11/2022.

Pinchbeck, M., Lo, L., 2022. 'Talking Trees/??/??: a virtual journey to the East in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic', The Migration Conference 2022, Rabat, Morocco, 7/9/2022 - 10/9/2022, in The Migration Conference 2022: selected papers, pp. 59-64.

Other Outputs

Biswas-Rodgers, S., 2024. 'Flights of Passage by Sutapa Biswas. Part of RadioCity2014/15, Tate Britain'.

Lacon, A., Cornford, M., Cross, D., Morgan, E., 2024. 'Plane Materials: Cornford & Cross and Andrew Lacon'.

McLeer, B., 2024. 'The Triumph of Crowds'.

Pinchbeck, M., 2024. 'Ways of Staging: A Fortunate Man and A Seventh Man'.

White, B., Simpson, E., 2023. 'Toward Usership: Collaborative data mining in an orchestra's record collection.'.

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