CultureLab Newcastle

Culture Lab Newcastle

Dr Sally Jane Norman
Director of Culture Lab (on research leave until 2010)

• Email: s.j.norman@ncl.ac.uk
• Telephone: +44 (0) 191 246 4646
• Fax: +44 (0) 191 246 4607
• Address: Culture Lab - Newcastle
  Grand Assembly Rooms
  Kings Walk
  NE1 7RU
  

Citizen of Aotearoa/ New Zealand and France, Docteur de 3ème cycle/ Docteur d'état (Paris III), I coordinated the 1993 Louvre “New Images” conference, and have led research activities at institutions including the International Institute of Puppetry (Charleville-Mézières), Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie (Karlsruhe), IRCAM (Paris), Studio for Electro-Instrumental Music (Amsterdam), serving as STEIM's Artistic Co-Director from 1998-2000. As Director General of the Ecole supérieure de l'image (Angoulême/ Poitiers), I piloted a multi-million euro funding scheme and Digital Arts PhD, joining Newcastle in 2004 to found Culture Lab’s £4.5M SRIF interdisciplinary research programme.

Research Interests

As a theatre and art historian I am interested in performing arts and technology, history of scenography and theatre architectures, and in the inherent theatricality of interactive and distributed technological systems. My work engages with collaborative, interdisciplinary practice and disruptive innovation processes, and I frequently advise on research and cultural policy frameworks. I welcome research proposals from students interested in any of these areas.

Current Work

I am currently on research leave to prepare a monograph linking theatre's integration of technological developments, including artificial life, interactive and distributed environments, with a broader history of stage architectures and live performance. With Bennett Hogg I am editing a special issue of the Contemporary Music Review based on our joint "Music and Machines" initiatives (www.musicandmachines.co.uk).

In January 2010 I shall be leaving Newcastle to join the University of Sussex as Director of the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts with a Chair in Performance Technologies. As founder of this new interdisciplinary structure, I will create and contribute to research and teaching programmes with emphasis on performance, new media practice and critical theory, whilst steering refurbishment of the Grade II Gardner theatre, an iconic building at the heart of Sussex's parkland campus bordering the South Downs.

Selected Publications

• Norman, Sally Jane (PI), co-authors Lawson, Sian E.M. (Co-I); Olivier, Patrick (Co-I); Watson, Paul (Co-I); Chan, Anita M-A; Dade-Roberston, Martyn; Dunphy, Paul; Green, Dave; Hiden, Hugo; Hook, Jonathan; Jackson, Daniel G. AMUC – Associated Motion capture User Categories. Philosophical Transaction of the Royal Society A, Royal Society 2009, (Special Theme Issue entitled "Crossing Boundaries: Computational Science, E-Science and Global E-Infrastructures").
• Norman, Sally Jane. Anatomies of Live Art. In: Bleeker, Maaike, ed. Anatomy Live. Performance and the Operating Theatre. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2008, pp. 187-204.
• Norman, Sally Jane. Foreword. In: Su Ballard, Stella Brennan, ed. The Aotearoa Digital Arts Reader. Auckland: Cloud Publishing, 2008, pp. 5-10.
• Norman, Sally Jane (principal author); co-authors Blackwell, Alan; Warren, Lorraine; Woolford, Kirk. Gesture and embodied interaction: capturing motion/ data/ value. Leonardo Transactions (submitted) 2009.
• Nagl, Sylvia; Norman, Sally Jane. Raranga Tangata: The Weaving Together of People. In: HASTAC, ed. Electronic Techtonics: Thinking at the Interface 2007. Duke University, Durham, US: Lulu Press, 30-33.
• Norman, Sally Jane. Instant conductors. International Journal of Performance Art and Digital Media 2006, 2(2), 109-121.

More Publications

Postgraduate Supervision

Main supervisor, Will Schrimshaw, AHRC-funded PhD on "Sound and Sensation in Interactive Environments", co-supervisor Lars Iyer (commenced 07)

Co-supervisor, John Ferguson, AHRC-funded PhD in Music, Newcastle; thesis on New Roles for the Live Musician in Contemporary Digital Media Art, main supervisor Bennett Hogg (commenced 05)

Co-supervisor, Nick Williams, AHRC-funded PhD in Music, Newcastle; thesis on the vernacular of electronic music within cross-disciplinary performance practice, main supervisor Bennett Hogg (commenced 07)

Co-supervisor, Merrie Snell, AHRC-funded PhD in Music, Newcastle; thesis on "Giving Voice/Taking Voice: Impersonation, Appropriation, and the Absent Original in Popular Musics", main supervisor Will Edmondes (commenced 07)

PhD committee member, John Shearer, Computing Science, Newcastle, thesis on typologies of gesture, gestural recognition and synthesis; main supervisor Patrick Olivier (successful completion 07)

PhD committee member, Phil Heslop, Computing Science, Newcastle, thesis on development of socially intelligent games characters; main supervisor Patrick Olivier (commenced 06)

External supervisor, Hellen Sky, Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory, School of Architecture and Design, RMIT University, Melbourne; research on "Borderless Bodies: the cellular data body", principal supervisor Pia Ednie-Brown

External supervisor, Sher Doruff, PhD on The Translocal Event and the Polyrhythmic Diagram, University of the Arts, London (successful completion 06)

Esteem Indicators

PhD VIVAS

Scott deLahunta, Falmouth/ Plymouth University, Shifting Interfaces: art research at the intersections of live performance and technology, 2009

Olga Goryunova, Media Lab, University of Arts and Design, Helsinki, Art Platforms: The Constitution of Cultural and Artistic Currents on the Internet, 2007

Jin Moen, KTH – Stockholm, Kinaesthetic interaction - Design for the Pleasure of Motion, 2006

Clarisse Bardiot, Université de Paris III, Les Théâtres virtuels, 2005

Jorgen Callesen, Aarhus University, The Puppet Theatre as a Model for Communication, Representation & Aesthetics in Mixed Reality Environments, 2005

Jean-Marie Dallet, Université Paris 8, Les Figures de l'interactivité, 2001

Anne-Sarah Le Meur, Université Paris 8, Création artistique en images de synthèse: expression de la corporéité, 1999

ARTS RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

HC Gilje - Bergen National Academy of the Arts, three-year practice-based arts research fellowship, examination committee chair, 2009

Trond Lossius - Bergen National Academy of the Arts, three-year practice-based arts research fellowship, evaluation committee chair, 2007

POST-GRADUATE EXAMINER ROLES

- External examiner, Lasalle College of the Arts/ Open University, Singapore, BA (Hons) Animation Art, Interactive Art and Video Art, 2010-2012

- External examiner, Duncan of Jordanstone, University of Dundee, MSc Media Arts and Imaging, 2007-2010

- External examiner, Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam, MA Media Design, 2007-08

- European Masters Programme Accreditation Committee, Amsterdam Dance and New Media Masters Programme, 2006

KEYNOTES AND INVITED LECTURES (selection from 2004)

November 2009,"European Identity through Space", European Space Policy Institute, Vienna [www.espi.or.at]

June 2009, “Mapping Interfaces: The Future of Knowledge”, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, policy workshop under the aegis of the Interdisciplinary New Initiatives Fund (INIF), European Science Foundation [www.esf.org/activities/esf-meetings.html]

April 2009, Inside Movement Knowledge Symposium, Springdance Festival Utrecht [www.springdance.nl/extra.php?contentID=8]

April 2009, "Risk and Innovation" workshop, AHRC Creativity and Innovation series, Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities, Cambridge [www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/781/]

March 2009, seminar, National Centre for e-Social Science, Manchester [www.ncess.ac.uk/about_eSS/seminarsseminars/?seminar=5]

February 2009, SCANZ (Solar Circuit Aotearoa New Zealand) symposium keynote, Govett-Brewster Gallery/ Western Institute of Technology, Taranaki, New Zealand [www.intercreate.org]

November 2008, keynote, Inter- and Transdisciplinary Problem Framing, td-net & Collegium Helveticum, ETH, Zurich [www.transdisciplinarity.ch/e/Conference/international/2008/index.php]

October 2008, speaker, "Transcending Boundaries: Future Research in Sciences, Arts, and Media", opening Research Symposium, Experimental Media and Performing Ars Center (EMPAC), Rensselaer Polytechnic [empac.rpi.edu/events/opening/symposium/symposium.html]

September 2008, keynote, Digital Resources for the Humanities and Arts 2008, Cambridge [www.rsd.cam.ac.uk/drha08/]

September 2008, speaker, "e-Science in the Arts & the Humanities", UK eScience meeting, Edinburgh [wwww.allhands.org.uk/2008/]

August 2008, speaker, Performance Studies International, University of Copenhagen [psi-web.org/]

July 2008, delegate, Mini Summit on New Media Arts Policy & Practice, co-organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies, Singapore [singaporeagenda.wordpress.com/about/][media.ifacca.org/uploads/ASEFReport2008.pdf]

July 2008, speaker, International Symposium on Electronic Art, Singapore [www.isea2008singapore.org]

June 08, speaker, 5th Biannual European Conference of the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts [www.zfl.gwz-berlin.de/fileadmin/bilder/Projekte/slsa/update_20080529.pdf]

February 2008, speaker, "From Body without Organs to Body Area Networks", Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths, London [www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/cultural-studies/events.php]

January 2008, speaker, «Tangible, Intangible, Tact, Contact», Universite de Technologie de Compiegne, France
[www.utc.fr/un_savoir/page000122e2.php]

November 2007, keynote, "Sensuous Knowledge", Bergen National Academy of the Arts

November 2007, speaker, "Mobile/Immobilisé : Art, Technologies & (In)capacités", Montréal [mobileimmobilise.uqam.ca/]

October 2007, delegate, GOLD Governance Debate for North East cultural organisation board members [goldnet.wikispaces.com/space/showimage/FFG+Governance+debate+2007report-1.pdf]

July 2007, speaker, "Digital Representations in the Performing Arts", National e-science Centre/ AHDS, Edinburgh [www.nesc.ac.uk/esi/events/784/]

June 2007, speaker, inaugural meeting of AHRC-EPSRC "Branding Meeting Places" research project, Edinburgh University (Richard Coyne et al) [ace.caad.ed.ac.uk/Branded/]

May 2007, plenary speaker, "Globalisation and Cultural Transmission, CRASSH, Cambridge University [www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/2006-7/globalisation.html]

May 2007: panelist, Open Grid Forum, Manchester[www.ahessc.ac.uk/ogf]; National e-Science Centre Newsletter [www.nesc.ac.uk/news/newsletter/May07.pdf]

April 2007, chair and convenor, "Open Technology" panel, "Enter_Unknown Territories", international festival and conference of new technology arts, Cambridge [www.enternet.org.uk/enternet/unknownterritories]

April 2007, speaker, HASTAC international conference (Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory), Duke University, Durham, USA [www.hastac.org/informationyear/conference]

April 2007, speaker, Dutch Electronic Arts Festival (DEAF), "Transdisciplinary Innovation", V2, Rotterdam [www.deaf07.nl]

April 2007, chair, FLOSS+Art, Make Art 2007, Poitiers
[makeart.goto10.org]

March 2007, speaker, "The Art of Partnership", London Centre for Arts and Cultural Enterprise"[www.lcace.org.uk/events]

February 2007, speaker, "Monitoring Scenography: Power and Place", Hochschule fuer Gestaltung und Kunst Zurich

November 2006, keynote, "Performing Places", Theatre Academy of Finland, Helsinki[www.m-cult.org/performingplaces]

September 2006, podcast interviewee, Vida - Art and Artificial Life [www.biota.org/podcast/]

August 2006, chair/ moderator of "Transvergence" session, International Symposium of Electronic Art, San Jose

July 2006, speaker, "Machinations en spectacles", Maison Jean Vilar, Avignon Theatre Festival

July 2006, speaker, "Imaging the Future" symposium, Museum of Ethnography, Neuchatel [www.men.ch/actualites.asp/1-0-23-99-5-4-1/]

April 2006, speaker, British Geriatrics Society/ North East Regional Forum on Ageing, Sage Gateshead

April 2006, keynote, "The Anatomical Theatre Revisited", Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis/ Department of Theatre Studies of the University of Amsterdam [www.anatomicaltheatrerevisited.com]

March 2006, keynote, AV Symposium, "Sustaining Life, Designing Life", Social Futures Institute, University of Teesside [www.avfest.co.uk/06/]

November 2005, keynote, Digital Cultures Symposium, Nottingham Trent University [www.digitalcultures.org/symp.html]

November 2005, invited delegate, International Workshop on Cultural Utilisation of the International Space Station, The Arts Catalyst/ European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

July 2005, keynote, Navigate Festival Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, July 2005 [navigatelive.org/speakers.html]

June 2005, panelist, World Summit on the Information Society, ICT and Creativity, Vienna [www.wsa-conference.org/]

June 2005, panelist, "Up to Speed: the Potential of Broadband as a New Space for Research, Development and Production", session jointly organised by the AHRC - Arts Council England, Bristol

March 2005, speaker, re:mote Auckland, Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland, via streamed presentation from Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle [www.archive.org/details/sally]

February 2005, panelist, Transmediale New Media Festival, Berlin [www.transmediale.de/05/page/home.0.2.html]

December 2004, moderator, Multimedia Sessions, Monaco Dance Forum, Monte Carlo

ADVISORY, EDITORIAL and REVIEWING RESPONSIBILITIES

Trustee, Electronic Arts North East, registered charity, organiser of the AV Festival (Newcastle)

Advisory Board, Mute Publishing Ltd (London)

International Advisory Board, The Cultural & Media Industries Research Centre (CuMIRC), University of Leeds

International Advisory Board, Anglia Research Centre in Digital Culture, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge

Reviewer, New Media and Leonardo Books, MIT Press

Advisory Board, Inflexions open-access journal for research-creation [www.inflexions.org]

Curatorial Committee, ACM Multimedia 2008 Interactive Arts Program [mmart.iat.sfu.ca]

Technical Co-Chair, Human Computer Interaction 2009, Cambridge [www.hci2009.org/]

Scientific Committee, DPPI09, "Designing Pleasurable Products and Interfaces", Université de Technologie de Compiègne [www.utc.fr/dppi09]

Funding

EPSRC Research Hub on Inclusion through the Digital Economy, one of twelve Co-Investigators led by Paul Watson
[research.ncl.ac.uk/side/aboutus.html] £12M (2009-13)

EPSRC Digital Economy cluster [www.creatorproject.org], steering group member, PI of "Gesture and Embodied Interaction: Capturing Motion/Data/Value", practice-led project with Sussex, Cambridge, Southampton universities; [gow.epsrc.ac.uk/ViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/G002088/1]; total award £210,363; administered allocation £16K (2008-09)

ESRC project "Identifying and Promoting Sustainable Business Models in Creative Industries", PI Feng Li (Newcastle University Business School), co-investigator (25%), total award £57K (2007-08)

FP6 Integrated Project, INSCAPE, on "Interactive Storytelling": administered allocation £121K, total award €7.75M (2004-08)

North England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI), interactive audiovisual document to inform the public on cord blood donations for stem cell research, administered allocation £6K, total award £10K (ongoing)

"Beyond Powerpoint", university-funded project (Science Faculty) to develop new media-rich teaching resources, in collaboration with Grant Burgess, Dove Marine Biology Laboratory, School of Marine Science and Technology, administered allocation £4K, total award £17K (ongoing)

AHRC-EPSRC e-science demonstrator: £40K (2006-07)

TELEFONICA (Madrid) sponsorship to attend the International Symposium of Electronic Arts, San Jose, as Chair of the Transvergence session: £1K (August 2006)

Ministère de l’Education Nationale (France): €35K, Université Européenne d’Eté, co-organisation Ecole supérieure de l'image/ University of La Rochelle (2002), as Director General of the Ecole supérieure de l'image

FP5 Fifth Framework Thematic Network project RADICAL (Research and Development Informed by Creative Arts Labs), IST-1999-29108, administered allocation €80K; total award €500K (2001-02), as Director General of the Ecole supérieure de l'image

FP4 esprit Long-Term Research Project escape, ZKM-administered allocation €445,330; total project cost €2,439,259 (1997-99), as Research Associate employed at the Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Karlsruhe

FP4 esprit Long-Term Research Project erena, ZKM-administered allocation €333,125; total project cost €2,415,827 (1997-99), as Research Associate employed at the Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Karlsruhe

Industrial Relevance

Performance technologies and related projects led in Culture Lab link academic, artistic and industrial know-how. Knowledge Transfer activities (AHRC Review Committee) provide a vantage point for connections between creative industries and technology development. As Director of premium digital research infrastructure, I regularly host visitors and sponsors from industry and business sectors.

Qualifications

Doctorat d'état ès Lettres et Sciences humaines (Université de Paris III - Sorbonne Nouvelle); Doctorat de 3e cycle (Institut d'études théâtrales, Paris III)
Master of Arts, University of Canterbury, New Zealand/ Aotearoa

Memberships

INTERNATIONAL:

Architecture, Design, Media and Art Research Panel, Aalto University Research Assessment Exercise, Finland, 2009
[www.aaltoyliopisto.info/en/view/innovaatioyliopisto-info/research-evaluation]

Project evaluation committee, Foundation for Science and Technology, Ministry of Science, Technology & Higher Education, Lisbon, 2007, 2009

Research Committee, Bergen National Academy of the Arts (KHiB), 2009-2013

Jury member, VIDA International Competition on Art & Artificial Life, Telefonica Foundation, Madrid, edition 11.0, October 2008 [www.fundacion.telefonica.com/at/vida/index.shtml]
Chair, VIDA, Telefonica, Madrid, 2005-06
Founding member, VIDA, Telefonica, Madrid, 1998

Chair, Transvergence theme and session, International Symposium on Electronic Arts, San Jose, 2006 [www.01sj.org/]

Chair, five-year Performance Evaluation Committee, Hexagram, Montreal, 2006 [www.hexagram.org]
Member, Research and Creation Committee, interdisciplinary project evaluation, Hexagram, Montreal, 2003-2006

Elected Board Member, European League of Institutes of the Arts, 2000-02

Elected Board Member, Isea International Advisory Committee, 1998-99

NATIONAL UK:

AHRC Knowledge Transfer Peer Review Panel

AHRC Peer Review College

Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour

Creative Industries Knowledge Transfer Network (CITIN)

Languages

English, French