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We catch up with Kirstin Smith ahead of the new term teaching Performance Studies on the new BA Creative Arts & Humanities.
1. Briefly introduce yourself and what you will be teaching on the BA Creative Arts and Humanities.
I'm Kirstin Smith and I'm a Lecturer in Performance Studies on the new BA in Creative Arts and Humanities. I joined UCL this summer having worked at the University of East Anglia and Queen Mary.
2. What are your academic interests, creative expertise and achievements?
I began my working life as an actor, before becoming a dramaturg and devising performer. My research analyses the relationships between performance, economy, and identity. I analysed the emergence of stunt performances in public life, and am now researching how casting has indexed and shaped conceptions of identity.
3. What are you most looking forward to with the launch of the programme at UCL East?
I'm excited to be part of an interdisciplinary department with all the possibilities that brings.
4. What kind of student do you think would thrive on this degree?
I hope we'll have a diverse cohort of curious, multifaceted students, who are keen to try something new. It's great to see students equally engaged with critical and creative work, and the intersections between them.
5. What most excites you about this course at UCL East?
I'm excited by the local performance venues such as the Yard, and the soon-to-open Sadlers Wells, as well as the V&A archive.
6. What is your journey to UCL East like?
I live nearby so I bike to UCL East through the Olympic Park.
