Staff Profile
Dr Ruth Raynor
Lecturer in Urban Planning, APL Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Co-director of the Performance Research Network.
- Email: ruth.raynor@ncl.ac.uk
- Telephone: 0191 2088811
- Address: Room 8.05 Henry Daysh Building, Newcastle University
Summary
My work draws together feminist theories of embodiment and relationality with performing arts practice to develop creative, co-produced, interventions into space and place, with social justice at their heart.
Education
2011- 2016 - PhD Human Geography (Unconditional Pass) ESRC 1 3 Quota Studentship Durham University, UK [P/T] Thesis title: Dramatising Austerity (On ‘holding things together’ and why they fall apart....) Examiners: Prof Louise Amoore, Dr Rebecca Coleman
2009- 2010 - MA Research Methods (Distinction) ESRC 1 3 Quota Studentship Durham University, UK
2006-2007 - Higher Apprenticeship in Arts Management TeesValley Arts.
2003- 2006 - Drama: Theatre, Film and Television Studies BA (Hons) 1st Class Bristol University, UK
Biography
I am a Lecturer in Urban Planning. My research covers three interconnected areas: 1. The study and practice of performing arts for co-produced social research. 2. The feminist politics of emotion and affect, specifically loss, grief, precarity and hope. 3. Intimate and embodied experiences of social and political change. I have a growing international reputation for my research, which offers a range of original and significant interventions into geographical and urban debates around performance. My paper ‘Dramatising Austerity: Holding a story together, and why it falls apart’ was selected as one of Cultural Geographies’ top 25 papers since its formation (of over 1000 published). I adopt creative approaches to co-produced research with communities that explores social (in)justice. For example, as well as co-creating a play with women at the sharp end of austerity, I have worked with artists to imagine 'Alternative Futures' with residents in Sunderland, Gateshead and Newcastle, and an ESRC 'Open Chair with Dr David Webb, explored the re-working of relationships between third sector, private sector and public sector organisations amidst austerity. In different ways these projects explored how local residents and key stake-holders related to (felt, imagined and sought to intervene in) the effects of a changing (withdrawing) state. My current research examines the embodied geographies of grief, bereavement and memorialisation during covid-19 developing novel participatory methodologies that make visible otherwise unseen experiences of loss.
Together with Dr Emma Whipday in SELL I co-direct the Performance Research Network - an interdisciplinary group drawing together thinkers and doers from across Newcastle University spanning literature, theatre studies, human geography, creative writing, urban planning, music, business studies, architecture, fine art, culture and media studies, digital cultures, and beyond. We research performance; conduct research through performance; and research to create performance: for us, ‘performance’ is a subject, a methodology, and an outcome. This network enables colleagues to share their research; learn from each other's methodologies and approaches; share teaching materials and exercises; and develop relationships with local practitioners, companies, and arts organisations. The network also aims to increase the visibility of both performance research at Newcastle (within the University, nationally and internationally) and the vibrancy of the North East performance sector.
FUNDED RESEARCH
2022 – Medical Humanities Network for the Wellcome Trust ISSF Medical Arts, Humanities and Social Scienes Bid Preparation Scheme £6650 ‘Beyond the Waves: Living Geographies of Grief, Bereavement and Memorialization, Catherine Cookson Foundation £5000 ‘Beyond the Waves: Living Geographies of Grief, Bereavement and Memorialization,’ for the same project: Dean’s discretionary HEIF fund, £2000; Pioneer award £1000. GCRF award for set design training training £1200; 2021-2022, 2020-2021, 2019 – 2020 (rolling) £7173 – ICAP and NUHRI Pioneer Award with Dr Emma Whipday to develop and run the Performance Research Network 2018- 2019 - £9000 - ESRC IAA ‘Alternative Futures: Gateshead, Sunderland and Newcastle.’ 2018 – 2019 £18,000 - ESRC Open Chair (with P.I. Dr. David Webb) ‘Doom and Hope in Austerity?’ 2019 £2000 - ICAP Newcastle University fund to develop Performance Research Network 2015 - £15,000 - N8 & ESRC IAA (with P.I. Prof. Rachel Pain) to develop strategies for co- produced research and understanding impact. 2015 £5000 - Washington Arts Centre in kind support for the above project 2015 - £1000 Durham University post-graduate fund for research in support of the above.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Raynor, R. and Veal, C. (Fortchoming) Spectacle of Endings in an Endless Present
(Introduction to special issue on ‘Endings in Creative Practice’ for Geohumanities.
- Raynor, R. (2021) Hopes multiplied amidst decline: Understanding gendered precarity in times of austerity, EPD: society and Space 39 (3) 553-570
- Raynor, R. (2020) Performance, Performativity and Performing Arts in ‘Introduction to Social Geographies’ the Newcastle Social Geography Collective eds. Rachel Pain and Peter Hopkins (Rowman and Littlefield)
- Raynor, R. (2020) Writing the End in ‘Creative Writing for Social Research’ ed. Richard Phillips and Helen Kara (Policy Press)
- Raynor, R. (2019) Speaking, Feeling Mattering: Theatre as Method and Model for Co-produced Research Progress in Human Geography 43 (4) 691- 710.
- Hitchen, E. and Raynor, R. (2019) Encountering Austerity: Materialities, Intensities and Localities Introduction to special issue co-edited for Geoforum.
- Raynor, R. (2019) Making Theatre That Matters: Troubling Subtext, Motive and Intuition (2019) in ‘Non-representational Theory and the Creative Arts’ ed. Dr. Candice Boyd and Dr. Christian Edwardes, Palgrave Macmillan
- Raynor, R. (2017) Dramatising Austerity: On Holding a Story Together (And Why it Falls Apart) Cultural Geographies24 (2) (selected for
- Raynor, R. (2017) (De)composing Habit Through Theatre-as-Method Geohumanities 1 (3)108-121
- Davoudi, S. Crawford, J. Raynor, R. Reid, B. Sykes, O. Shaw, D. (2018) Spatial Imaginaries: Tyrannies or Transformations Town Planning Review 89 (2).
REPORTS, COMMENTARIES AND CREATIVE WRITING
Raynor, R (2020) 'Pandemic Unrealities' in Civil Society and Post Pandemic Planning ed. Emma Ormerod, Simin Davoudi and Miranda Iossifidis
Raynor, R (2019) Changing the question from 'Is this the end of austerity?' to 'what ends in Austerity?’” Antipode, Online Intervention
This commentary draws focus on the gaps in provision that, in part, form the hidden life of austerity and it centres the challenge of researching how endings and losses are lived.
Webb, D. Raynor, R. and Ormerod, E. (2018) ‘Collaboration in the North East, Learning from Current Practice’ for the North East collaboration network event – November 2018. Examines the opportunities and threats for partnership working as a mechanism for ‘community resilience.’
Pain, R. et. al. (2016): ‘Mapping Alternative Impact: Alternative Approaches to Impact from Co-produced Research’ http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/115470/1/115470.pdf N8 and ESRC funded report, developed collaboratively at a Durham University network meeting (organised by Rachel Pain and myself) makes the case for an expanded understanding of what constitutes ‘impact.’
Pain, R. and Raynor, R. (2016) ‘A Soup of Different Inspirations: Impact and Co-produced Research’ http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2016/01/28/a-soup-of-different- inspirations-impact-and-co-produced-research/ Blog summarizing reflections on a participatory theatre- making process.
Pain, R. and Raynor, R. (2016): ‘Knowledge that Matters Realising the Potential of Coproduction’ https://coproductionblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/final-report-co- production-2016-01-20.pdf. Report outlines non-linear and often-intangible relationships between co-produced research and impact.
Raynor, R (2015) ‘Diehard Gateshead’ Produced by Theatre of Moths, Directed by Neil Armstrong.
Raynor, R. (2011) Evaluation Report ‘Herstory Told’ for Open Clasp Theatre Company Report on collaboration between Open Clasp Theatre Company and GAP project – a support group for women sex workers in the North East of England.
SELECTED PEER REVIEWS
America Quarterly; Cultural Geographies; EPD: Society and Space, Geohumanities; Geoforum; Social and Cultural Geography; Progress in Human Geography; Distinktion: Journal for Social Theory; Sage, Palgrave MacMillan.
SPEAKING AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
I have been invited to speak at 15 academic and cross-sector conferences, events and seminars (external to my own institution) to discuss austerity and precarity, creative methodologies, and gender politics. Presentations include:
Vicarious Life (with Harrison Smith) for Panel Discussant for ‘'Collective feelings and contemporary conditions', Organised by Esther Hitchen, Helen Wilson and Ben Anderson, RGS-IBG
Panel discussant for 'Troubling Hope' Organised by Harry Pettit RGS-IBG.
Alternative Futures for ‘Time and Austerity: Troubled Pasts/ Hopeful Futures’ Organised by Sarah-Marie Hall, Stephanie Denning and Ruth Raynor, RGS-IBG
Vicarious Life for ‘Mediated Presents’ Leverhulme funded workshop, Goldsmiths University, UK (May, 2019)
Post-show panel discussant for ‘Locker Room Talk’ written by Gary McNair directed by Anna Ryder Live Theatre, Newcastle (May, 2019)
The Politics of Hope Amidst Decline: Gendered Precarity in an Austere UK for ESRC funded cross-sector conference, ‘Feminist Engagements with Austerity’ University of Bristol, UK (January, 2019)
Hope and Gendered Precarity for Cities Seminar Series: ‘The Emotional Life of the City’ LSE, UK (January, 2019)
Starting with the End for ‘Creative Writing for Social Research,’ AHRC funded workshop Sheffield University, UK (November, 2018)
Making Theatre for Social Research, for ‘Methods on the Move’ the Sociological Review Foundation workshop, Liverpool University, UK (October, 2018)
Dramatising Austerity: Holding a Story Together (And Why it Falls Apart...) for ‘Tyneside Specificities’ panel, at ‘Undisciplining: Conversations from the Edges’ The Sociological Review Annual Conference, Gateshead, UK (June, 2018)
Mediating, Scenes: The Politics of the Present (with Prof Ben Anderson) for ‘The social life of time: power, discrimination and transformation’ Edinburgh, UK (June, 2018)
Austerity Futures for the Global Urban Research Unit Symposium, Newcastle University, UK (May, 2017)
Panel Discussant for public screening of I, Daniel Blake, directed by Ken Loach, Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle, UK (November, 2016)
Holding Things Together (and why they fall apart ... ): Encountering and Dramatising Austerity for ‘Performing Politics’ RGS-IBG, London, UK (September, 2016)
Austerity: Suspended Dissonance ‘Austerity Geographies’ Conference for Distinguished International Visitor Mark Blyth, Durham University, UK (May, 2015)
Making, Play, Work: on Austerity Lived ‘Annual Social Justice Conference,’ Durham, University, UK (June, 2015)
2014 Discussant: Crisis/emergency and Austerity for ESRC ‘Austere Futures’ seminar series, Durham University, UK (June, 2014)
CONFERENCES, EVENTS, WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS – SPEAKER
‘Alternative Futures’ Time and Austerity: Troubled Pasts/ Hopeful Futures RGS-IBG Scenes: Mediating Spatial Imaginaries
Austerity Futures for ‘Encountering Austerity,’ RGS-IBG, London, UK (September, 2016) Scene: the Present Tensed, (with Prof Ben Anderson) for ‘The Present’ AAG, Chicago, USA
Theatrical Attunements: on (De)Composing habit at the ‘Spaces of Attunement: Life, Matter and the Dance of Encounters’ conference at Cardiff University, UK (March, 2015)
Working with Women, Dancing, Pulled and Resisting through Austerity’s Smog for ‘Futures in Question Conference,’ as part of the ESRC Austere Futures seminar series, Goldmiths, London, UK (September, 2014)
Imagining State-welfare Relations as Domestic Abuse for ‘Intergenerational geographies of family and intimate relations’ RGS-IBG, London, UK (August, 2014)
Exploring a Process of Participatory Script Development with Focus on the Productive Role of Future (Imagined) and Present Audiences for: ‘Complicating the co-production of art: Hidden humans and acting objects’ RGS-IBG, London, UK (August, 2014)
The Sun-Shines on: Drama Games and Habit for ‘Locating performance and the political,’ Durham University, UK (January, 2013)
CONFERENCES, EVENTS, WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS - ORGANISER
Events, conferences and sessions, organised to encourage cross-disciplinary and cross-industry collaboration, and/or lay out new directions for research and activism.
2019 Co-organised Starting with The End(s) with Nick Rush-Cooper x 2 sessions for the RGS- IBG, London (August, 2019)
Co-organised Time and Austerity: Troubled Pasts/ Hopeful Futures with Sarah Marie Hall and Stephanie Denning, double session and pop-up exhibition for the RGS-IBG, London (August, 2019)
2016 Co- organised and chaired: Encountering Austerity (1) (2) and (3) with Dr. Esther Hitchen for the RGS- IBG, London (September, 2016) resulting in a special issue in Geoforum
2015 Co-organised and chaired with Prof Ben Anderson, Durham University: The Present (1) (2), American Association of Geographers, Chicago, USA, (April, 2015)
Co-organised with Prof Rachel Pain, Durham University: Mapping Impact Together Participatory Research Hub, Durham University, UK funded by N8 and ESRC IAA (October, 2015)
2013 Co-organised with Dr Elizabeth Richardson, Durham University: Locating Performance and the Political Durham University Geography Department, funded by the Cultural Geographies Research Cluster UK (January 2013)
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Organised and Chaired: Creative Methods as part of the Distinguished International Visitor Conference: Gerry Pratt, at the Empty Shop, Durham, UK (May 2013)
ESRC funded ‘Alternative Futures’ participative exhibitions at ‘Thought Foundation’ Gatesead, ‘Mackies Corner’ Sunderland and ‘Gosforth Civic Theatre,’ Newcastle, supported by an additional 2019 Global Urban Research Unit, Newcastle University, fund for research: £2000
Organised and chaired ‘Interrogating form: critical creative practice in participatory research’ Newbridge project and Newcastle University funded by the Global Urban Research Unit, The Geographies of Social Change Research Cluster, and the Participatory Geographies Research Group, attracted over 70 participants from a range of disciplines, industries and practices.
Organised and co-chaired ‘Exploring issues of trust and mistrust: ethics in participatory research, design, democracy and action’ for ESRC funded TRUST MAP, Durham University, UK (February, 2017).
Organised and chaired ‘How to be heard: collaborative research using arts and drama’ for the Participatory Research Hub, at St. Mary’s church, Gateshead, attended by a range of participants for the University and the local community.
‘Diehard Gateshead,’ theatre play developed in collaboration with North East women, was staged in three regional venues. The play, described as ‘powerful, moving and beautifully crafted’ received positive audience feedback and was reviewed enthusiastically, nationally in the British Theatre Guide: http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/Diehard-gateshe- alphabetti-thea-11689 and locally in the North East Theatre Guide:http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/review-Diehard-gateshead-at- gateshead.html as well as by the Cuckoo writers http://review.cuckoowriters.com/theatre- review-die-hard-gateshead-alphabetti-theatre/ and http://the-sphinx-without-a secret.blogspot.co.uk/2015_07_01_archive.html
As convenor and lecturer
Urban Poverty (L2 Planning)
Dissertations (L3 Planning and Geography)
Previous Teaching in Human Geography University of Durham:
People, Participation, and Place (L3)
Using Geographical Skills and Techniques (L2)
Research Frontiers (L3 and 4)
Social Research in Human Geography (L4)
Geographies of Everyday Life (L3)
Cities (L2)
Environment and Society (L1)
Space and Place in a Changing World (L1)
Introduction to Geographical Research (L1)
- Davoudi S, Crawford J, Raynor R, Reid B, Sykes O, Shaw D. Spatial imaginaries: Tyrannies or transformations?. Town Planning Review 2018, 89(2), 97-124.
- Raynor R. (De)composing Habit in Theatre-as-Method. Geohumanities 2017, 3(1), 108-121.
- Raynor R. Dramatising austerity: holding a story together (and why it falls apart...). Cultural Geographies 2017, 24(2), 193-212.
- Raynor R. Speaking, feeling, mattering: Theatre as method and model for practice-based, collaborative, research. Progress in Human Geography 2019, 43(4), 691-710.
- Raynor RI. Performance. In: Newcastle Social Geographies Collective, ed. Introducing Social Geographies. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2020.
- Raynor RI. “Changing the Question from ‘The End of Austerity?’ to ‘What Ends in Austerity?’”. Antipode Online, 2018. Available at: https://wp.me/p16RPC-1Ra.
- Raynor RI. Making Theatre That Matters: Troubling Subtext, Motive and Intuition. In: Candice Boyde and Christian Edwardes, ed. Non-Representational Theories and the Creative Arts. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018, pp.183-193.
- Hitchen E, Raynor R. Encountering Austerity in Everyday Life: Intensities, Localities, Materialities. Geoforum 2020, 110, 186-190.
- Hopkins P, Newcastle Social Geographies Collective, Pain R, Shaw R, Gao Q, Bonnett A, Jones C, Richardson M, Rzedzian S, Benwell MC, Lin W, McAreavey R, Stenning A, Blazek M, Pande R, Najib K, Finlay R, Nayak A, Ridley G, Mearns G, Bonner-Thompson C, McLaughlin J, Boussalem A, Iqbal N, Heslop J, Jarvis H, Burrows R, Bambra C, Copeland A, Tate S, Campbell E, Thompson M, James A, Raynor R, Cunningham N, Powells G, Herbert J, Hocknell S, ed. Social Geographies: An Introduction. London, UK: Rowman and Littlefield, 2021.
- Raynor RI. Hopes multiplied amidst decline: Understanding gendered precarity in times of austerity. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 2021, 39(3), 553-570.
- Raynor RI. Writing the end(s). In: Phillips R; Kara H, ed. Creative Writing for Social Research. Bristol: Policy Press, 2021.
- Raynor R, Veal C. Spectacle of Endings: In an “Endless Present”. GeoHumanities 2023, 9(1), 158-169.