Beth Loughran

Biography

Beth has a professional background in dance and performance. Her artistic research interests lie in embodied knowledge and what can be revealed when expressed through dance, choreography and beyond. She focuses on practice and creativity as a way into the discovery of new insights and considers how knowledge can remain marginalised as a result of its form. Beth’s research and scholarship is based in themes of roots and identity, people and places, and political perspectives which she applies to her academic role at Centre for Arts and Participation in Institute of Arts, Education and Society. Beth is inspired by working collaboratively in a range of performance and creative direction roles in film and live performance production along with collaborative research projects.

Qualifications and memberships

MA Choreography & Performance (University of Bedfordshire)

BA Hons Modern Languages, French & Spanish (University of Newcastle upon Tyne)

Foundation Degree Dance (Newcastle College)

Post Graduate Certificate in Learning & Teaching for Higher Education (University of Cumbria)

Fellow of Higher Education Academy - FHEA

CMI Certificate in Management and Leadership in an Organisational Context

 

Theatre and Performance Research Association (TAPRA)

Laban Guild International

World Dance Alliance (Americas)

Academic and research interests

Roots & Identity, Equality & Diversity

Creative Practice, Practice Research, Artistic Research

German Expressionism in Dance, TanzTheater, Japanese Butoh, Jazz Dance

People's Dances, Social Dances, African Diaspora

Dance Improvisation, Dance Environments

Publications

Conferences & Creative Outputs

Loughran, B. (2024) ‘An Urban Culture Case-study on Citizenship and Community Engagement’, Dance Citizenship: Moving and Belonging, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds, 11-12 January 2024 

Loughran, B (2023) Autumn/Winter Season Launch Event, Dance City, 8 September 2023 

Pavey, L (2023) Living Stone Living Fossils as part of Wonder and the Wild Great North Museum Hancock, 30 June 2023 

Ashley & Loughran (2018) 'Creative Practice & Documentation: Nurturing the Environment', The Artist Researcher in Performance: Situating Artistic Enquiry in Research Design, University of Bedfordshire, Bedford, 6-7 June 2018.

Sandy Williams ft. Beth Loughran Exhaustion V, May 2017 - University of Cumbria, Institute of the Arts, UK & November 2018 - 'Cubed' Luminous Festival, Pensacola Museum of Art, Florida USA. Series available at https://youtu.be/pakOfDJ4iWM

Written Outputs

Loughran, B. (2024) 'Creative performing arts: ways of witnessing practice' in Betts, T. and Oprandi, P. (eds) From Lab to Laptop: Case studies in teaching practical courses online, Brighton, UK: University of Sussex Open Press (Available at: https://doi.org/10.20919/VTII8045/10)

Loughran, B. (2022) 'Artistic Research: A Creative Practice Perspective', ParTAKE: The Journal of Performance as Research, (5:1) (Available at https://doi.org/10.33011/partake.v5i1)

Burns, T., Desire, J., Gordon, J., McDonald, P. and Sinfield, S. (eds.) (2022) 'Into the Woods...A Tale of a Team', Say it with a story. The #creativeHE Annual 2022. Creativity for Learning in Higher Education Community, #creativeHE, (Story created by Beth Loughran with Victoria Barbé, Dr James Issitt and Tristan Poyser) DOI: 10.25416/NTR.21806085

Loughran, B. (2021) 'Sharing my practice and research in higher education: ‘universal soul’, university soul, my university role and context', Movement, Dance and Drama: the magazine of the Laban Guild, (40:2), courtesy of www.labanguildinternational.org.uk

Reviews

Loughran, B. (2023) b12: research or die: The festival for contemporary dance and performance art in Berlin, summer event, July 2022 by Evangelos Poulinas & Johannes Wieland, Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices, Intellect Books, volume 15.1 (Available at 10.1386/jdsp_00101_5) 

Loughran, B. (2023) Inclusivity and Equality in Performance Training: Teaching and Learning for Neuro and Physical Diversity by Petronilla Whitfield (eds), National Drama: Drama Research, volume 14 (Available at https://www.nationaldrama.org.uk/drama-research-volume-14/)

Loughran, B. (2022) Embodied Performance: Ecologies of Skill by Kath Bicknell & John Sutton (eds), National Drama: Drama Research, volume 13 (Available at https://www.nationaldrama.org.uk/drama-research-volume-13/#Book_Reviews)

Recent external roles

External Examiner at Newcastle College University Centre for BA Hons Dance & BA Hons Musical Theatre

External Examiner at University of Lincoln for BA Hons Dance

Independent Evaluator for Everyone Here - Creative People and Places

FRAME West Cumbria Cultural Educational Partnership, University of Cumbria Liaison Representative

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