My PhD in Creative and Critical Writing was funded through the SWWDTP, based at Cardiff University and Aberystwyth University. It is titled Craquelure: Ekphrastic Inquiry as Engagement with Art, and examines the use of ekphrastic poetry (poetry written in response to visual art) as a means of enriching our engagement with art in museums. The critical component is now available to download by clicking here. The creative component will be published in book form soon, and some of the poems have appeared in magazines. A section of this short article from the Journal of Artistic Research gives a brief overview of this research. I am now working on an academic book, provisionally titled Ekphrastic Poetry in Practice: Art and Words in Conversation, due to be published by Bloomsbury in 2027.
I am also interested in other practical applications of reading/writing poetry in different contexts, and have begun seeking ways to explore links between neurodiversity and poetry, following on from the publication of my debut poetry collection Octopus Mind.
In addition to the PhD, I have an MA in Museum Studies and an MA in Creative Writing, and I am currently teaching at Cardiff University and Aberystwyth University. You can find more details about my academic experience here.
Some Recent Creative and Academic Projects…
In So Many Words / Celf a Cherdd – 2022
In partnership with National Museum Wales, as part of my PhD research, I delivered a series of in-person workshops in the museum, inviting people to respond to the artwork. Their poems formed part of an interactive display that took place in 2022, inviting visitors to write poems of their own. More details on the museum webpage, here…
Art & Words – 2021
I ran a series of ten online creative writing workshops in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, working with a group of people living in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Poems written by participants in response to artwork from the museum’s collection were shared on Instagram over several weeks, with an invitation for members of the public to respond by writing a poem of their own. Visit the museum’s blog for more details and an opportunity to take part.
SWWDTP Summer Research Festival – June 2021
I was one of two co-directors for the inaugral South West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership Summer Research Festival, alongside Iona Ramsay from Exeter University.
My Creative Time – November 2020
I was commissioned by Voluntary Arts Wales to run a workshop with a local community group as part of the ‘My Creative Time’ project. The resulting poems will be published in an anthology in 2021.
Virtual Poet in Residence – Cynon Valley Museum – 2020
I spent a month writing poems in response to images from the museum’s online art exhibitions. I also ran an online creative writing workshop, to encourage others to seek inspiration from these exhibitions, and posted the poems on Instagram. The poems can be viewed on their website.
Crossing Points – Art / Poetry Project – Autumn 2018
I was commissioned by the madeinroath community arts festival to produce an exhibition of photographs and poems, exploring ideas of belonging, connection and dislocation within a shared urban environment.
Charles Byrd Story Trail – Art / Story Writing Workshop – Autumn 2018
A collaborative project with artist Sharon Magill, delivering a creative writing workshop focusing on paintings by Charles Byrd, encouraging people to write flash fiction pieces in response, commissioned by the madeinroath festival.
African Music & World Poetry Charity Event – March 2018
I organised a large-scale performance event to raise money for EASL, a charity that supports children’s education in Sierra Leone, as part of my work in Cardiff University, working in partnership with the Oasis World Choir & Band (a group of refugees and asylum seekers), students within the School of Music and professional poets.
Edward Thomas Centenary – April 2017
I organised a series of events to mark the centenary of the poet Edward Thomas, including a poetry performance event, a creative writing workshop and a series of daily poetry prompts for National Poetry Writing Month. I gained funding from Literature Wales for these events, and organised them on behalf of Cardiff University’s Special Collections and Archives.
