Projects per year
Personal profile
Vision Statement
My research inspiration is taken from my deep interest in the acquisition of knowledges in and with the body. Interdiscplinary research and working collaboratively and collectively are values in my practice. I am curious about artistic practices, how these are supported and other discplines that overlap. I am a keen advocate of working in the profession and bringing this experience into academia to understand and share the experience and support the future dancers and leaders of our industry.
Biography
Karen is currently a dance practitioner/ researcher/ educator. She works at the Centre for Dance Research at Coventry University, as Associate Professor and Co-Director of Birmingham Dance Network. Her current research interests are exploring concepts of collaboration, ethics of care and responsibility, collective identities and leadership in relation to freelance communities and cultural policy. She is Chair of the Board for Vanhulle Dance Theatre and on Brum Pro Class Steering Group.
For her artistic research, Karen uses the lens of phenomenology, particularly perception and embodiment, and improvisation to explore screendance, digital technologies, contemporary dance and tap dance practices. Karen is passionate about working with artists to expand professional practice. She sees the value in artist-led initiatives and how they can create opportunity and encourage risk taking for dance making practices. Her work includes artistic research projects that have previously been supported by Arts Council England and involved collaborating with other art forms, such as neuroscience, fine art, lighting design and music.
Area of Expertise:
Freelance working conditions, collaboration, ethics, contemporary dance and tap dance practices, embodied research methods, practice research, dance film, dance science.
Education/Academic qualification
Doctorate, Kinesthetic Empathy and Sceendance Audiences, University of Manchester
1 Jul 2008 → 30 Jun 2012
Award Date: 26 Sept 2012
MSc, Dance Science
Award Date: 10 Jun 2007
External positions
Board Member, Vanhulle Dance Theatre
7 Jan 2019 → …
Editorial Board, Body, Space and Technology Journal
30 Nov 2018 → …
London School of Contemporary Dance
Sept 2018 → Aug 2022
External Examiner, University of Salford
Nov 2015 → Sept 2019
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Interactive Dialogues
Wood, K. (Principal Investigator), Cisneros, R. K. (Principal Investigator), Charalambous, E. (Principal Investigator) & Ingram, C. (Principal Investigator)
Project: Internally funded project
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Freelance Dancer: the movement for dance workers
Wood, K. (Principal Investigator)
1/12/23 → 31/07/24
Project: Internally funded project
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‘Strictly’ Inclusive: Co-creating the past, present and future
Wood, K. (Principal Investigator), Meehan, E. (Co-Investigator), Foellmer, S. (Co-Investigator) & Stamp, K. (Co-Investigator)
9/05/22 → 30/11/22
Project: Research
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Freelance Dance Artists and Representation
Wood, K. (Principal Investigator)
31/03/22 → 30/03/23
Project: Research
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The working conditions of freelance dance artists
Wood, K. (Principal Investigator)
1/03/22 → 31/03/24
Project: Research
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EcoSomatics Conversations Series
Wood, K. (Curator) & Hudson, P. (Curator), Feb 2025Research output: Practice-Based and Non-textual Research › Digital or Visual Media
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Dance filmmaking as practice for social change
Wood, K. & Gonsai, S., 11 Jan 2024.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
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Parenting and freelance working in the dance sector
Wood, K., 13 Sept 2024.Research output: Contribution to conference › Other › peer-review
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Strictly: three ways the show can make things better for all dancers
Wood, K. (Artist) & Stamp, K. (Artist), 17 Sept 2024Research output: Practice-Based and Non-textual Research › Web publication/site
Open Access -
Strictly at 20
Wood, K. (Other) & Stamp, K. (Other), 2024Research output: Practice-Based and Non-textual Research › Web publication/site
Activities
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Inequalities and Diversity in the Arts and Creative Industries Conference
Wood, K. (Speaker) & Stamp, K. (Speaker)
16 Jan 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation
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Inequalities and Diversity in the Arts and Creative Industries
Wood, K. (Speaker) & Pedley, R. (Speaker)
16 Jan 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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Representation of Diversity in Mediated Popular Culture in the Twenty-First Century
Stamp, K. (Speaker) & Wood, K. (Speaker)
2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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Kinesthesia festival
Cisneros, R. K. (Keynote Speaker) & Wood, K. (Keynote Speaker)
17 Jul 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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Being Human Festival 2021
Petts, L. (Speaker), Artpradid, V. (Speaker), Hayward-Smith, L. (Speaker), Wood, K. (Speaker) & Johnson, P. (Speaker)
11 Nov 2021 → 20 Nov 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
Prizes
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Research Team of the Year
Whatley, S. (Recipient), Waelde, C. (Recipient), Wood, K. (Recipient), Marsh, K. (Recipient) & Blades, H. (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)