Dr Victoria Bianchi is a Lecturer in Drama & Performance in the Division of Media, Communications and Performing Arts at QMU.
- Overview
- Research Interests
- Research Publications
- Teaching & Learning
Victoria is a theatre maker and academic whose work explores the relationship between space, feminism and identity. Upon completing her undergraduate degree in Performance at the University of the West of Scotland, she specialised in contemporary performance practice during her MA studies at Central School of Speech and Drama. She has presented her work at performance events and conferences across the UK. She is a member of the Culture in Society Research Centre.
Victoria’s PhD thesis ‘Ayrshire Herstories’ explored the interplay between space, gender and heritage in site-specific performance practice. As a theatre maker, she has written and performed work for, amongst others, the National Trust for Scotland, Camden People’s Theatre, Òran Mór’s A Play, A Pie & A Pint and Assembly (Edinburgh). Victoria has also worked extensively in community arts practice having worked on projects with organisations including the Tron Theatre, the MacRobert Arts Centre, and the University of Glasgow.
She has previously lectured at Royal Holloway, University of London and the University of the West of Scotland, where she completed her doctoral studies in 2018.
Victoria’s research interests are interdisciplinary but focus on heritage and site-specific performance. Her PhD research explored themes of feminism, marginalisation and socio-spatial relationships in heritage sites. This work is a development of her earlier research on site-specific theatre and audience participation carried out at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Since completing her PhD, Victoria’s research focus has also included exploring pedagogy in Scottish schools relating to heritage education. Community arts practice is also a key research interest, as she has worked with children and young people in neighbourhoods with high levels of child poverty to explore creative, community-responsive approaches to improving outcomes. Outputs include articles, performances, and a number of conference papers and talks.
Active research interests:
- Site-specific performance
- Heritage performance
- Feminism
- Applied theatre
- Community arts
Research Methods:
- Practice as research
- Collaborative action research
- Participatory research practice
Throughout her career Victoria has lectured in contemporary performance practices, postdramatic theatre, autobiographical performance, cultural landscapes, performance and politics, devised theatre and community arts. At QMU she teaches across a range of modules including applied arts, performing arts and drama in education.
