All Staff Members | Sandie Fisher | University of Cumbria

Biography

Sandie is Principal Lecturer for Performing Arts in the Institute of the Arts. Sandie joined University of Cumbria in 2016 following three years as Senior Lecturer and Joint Programme Director for the BA Hons Dance programme at Cardiff Metropolitan University, nine years as Dance Artist in Residence and Lecturer at University of Ulster, Northern Ireland and two years as Dance Artist in Residence at De Montfort University.

Sandie's research and teaching is informed by an interest and expertise in interdisciplinary practice, collaboration and creative learning and is informed by her professional practice as a Dance Artist and Artistic Director of performance company Assault Events. Sandie has over fifteen years experience teaching in Higher Education, designing and delivering professional performance projects, practice based arts consultancy and creative learning projects and is passionate about exploring the link between professional practice and the learning environment through innovative curriculum design and delivery. Recent research work is focused on Dance and Health and the impact of interdisciplinary models of working across the Arts and Health sectors.

Qualifications and memberships

Academic Qualifications

2013 Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education plus 2 SEDA qualifications in Teaching and Learning, University of Ulster.

1998 Masters Contemporary Performing Arts, University of Leeds, Bretton Hall College.

1994 BA Hons Dance (First Class), University of Leeds, Bretton Hall College.

Professional Qualifications

2012 Level 3 Advanced Pilates Matwork, National Training Centre/Pilates Institute,

2008 Pilates Matwork, National Training Centre/ Pilates Institute.

Memberships

Higher Education Academy Fellow

People Dancing (formerly Foundation for Community Dance)

Academic and research interests

Academic & Reserach Interests:
Choreography, Collaboration, Devising, Interdisciplinary Practice, Dance Science, Teaching and Learning, Dance and Health.

Themes:
Practice based research exploring models of artist collaboration; the impact of collaborative, devising and/or interdisciplinary practice on new forms of creative dance performance; training the interdisciplinary performer; the role of the audience as collaborator; technique and performance, dance and health - interdisciplinary models of practice.

Publications

Conference Presentations

Fisher, S and Tate, S, ABout Being - Interdiciplinary Ways of Working, Arts and Health Conversation, University of Cumbria, Jan 2019

Fisher, S, Wilson, S, Tate, S, McGahon, H, Counter, P; 'About Being' AESOP, Arts in Helath Conference, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and College of Medicine. April 2018

Smith, S. and Fisher, S. ‘Telling Stories: New Approaches to Interdisciplinary Practice’, Music Composition and Interdisciplinary Practice, York University, June, 2016.

Fisher, S. 2013 “Performance for Children & Young People”, Dance Focus, Northern Ireland, March 2013.

Smith, S. and Fisher, S. (2011) “Performance for Early Years Audiences” The Gathering, Ireland, October 2011.

Smith, S. and Fisher, S. (2010) “Putting the Audience in the Picture: Involving Audience as Creative Process”, Audiences NI Annual Conference, Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, March 2010.

Fisher, S. (2010) “The Quest: A Case Study” Theatre for Young Audiences, Belfast Northern Ireland, March 2010.

Consultancy and Professional Practice

Participatory Practice: An Artist Perspective (Study underway) 2016

Lead Researcher: Collaborative research project in partnership with Cardiff Metropolitan University Dance, Wales and Rubicon Dance.

An exploration into the nature of participatory practice. Funded by ArtWorks Cymru, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Rubicon Dance.

Telling Stories, Assault Events, 2016

Practice Research/ Cardiff, Wales.

Lead Researcher: Interdisciplinary practice. Funded by Arts Council Northern Ireland and Arts Council England.

Elsoms, Assault Events/Transported Arts, 2014 Performance/ Site Specific /

Lincolnshire Dance in the workplace. Audience engagement performance project. Commissioned by Transported Arts http://www.transportedart.com/news/2015/03/report-elsoms-creates/

The Giant is Coming, Assault Events/ Young at Art, 2012

Performance/ Touring Production/ Northern Ireland

Performance installation for children and young people. Commissioned by Cultural Olympiad. http://www.roevalleyarts.com/rv_events/the-giant-is-coming/

Wobble, Assault Events/ Replay Theatre Company, 2011, 2012 & 2013 Performance/ Touring Production/ Northern Ireland and New York, USA.

Co-production exploring interdisciplinary work for early years. Funded by Arts Council Northern Ireland. http://www.replaytheatreco.org/projects/project-single.php?v=10

Total Theatre, Assault Events/Tinderbox Theatre Company, 2011

Performance Research/ Northern Ireland.

Interdisciplinary practice research: Building an ensemble of multi-skilled performers.

Funded by Arts Council Northern Ireland. http://www.tinderbox.org.uk/2011/02/15/total-theatre-ensemble/

Recent external roles

External Roles

1998 – Ongoing Founder Member and Artistic Director Performance Events Company ‘Assault Events’

Performance arts company specialising in collaborative interdisciplinary work.

www.assaultevents.co.uk

2010 – 2015 Board Member ‘Tinderbox Theatre Company’ Belfast, Northern ireland.

Professional Theatre company specialising in New Writing.