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The Film, Theatre & Television Research Division carries out research under the University's Heritage & Creativity Research Theme.
Our research analyses the languages and conventions of film, theatre and performance, television, and new media. We explore their cultural impact and how they engage with identity and representation, inclusion and social justice, conflict, and migration.
We produce innovative research in print, online, and in practice. For example, the project User Not Found led to a show that won the Fringe Groundbreaker Award in 2018.
Our research is impactful: 100% of our research is of international standing (Research Excellence Framework 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies).
Our postgraduate research students range from recent graduates just beginning their careers to established industry professionals.
We host an annual conference, Journeys Across Media, which is an opportunity for students to meet and learn about each other's work.
We also have three postgraduate research groups, where students can discuss departmental research in an informal setting.
Our Department plays a leading role at the Centre for Film Aesthetics and Cultures (CFAC). CFAC investigates the aesthetic politics of film and explores film’s cultural impacts.
CFAC regularly hosts events at Minghella Studios, including talks and symposiums.
Image credit: Gozo Yoshimasu
Staff and students in the Department develop a diverse and exciting range of projects using practice-as-research methodology.
These include:
Find out more about individual staff members' research areas
On the occasion of the University of Reading’s conferment of an honorary degree to Brazil’s iconic filmmaker, Walter Salles, a symposium in his honour has taken place on 30 June and 1 July 2022, addressing his oeuvre and artistic vision. The symposium included a keynote by the director himself, as well as conversations with Laura Mulvey and Geoff Andrew.
This project was a collaboration between our Department, theatre company Dante or Die, technology agency Marmelo, and the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath.
It explored the relationship between life, death, identity and social media.
We are based in Minghella Studios, which houses a collection of versatile performance spaces and facilities to support staff and postgraduate research practice.
We also host talks, workshops, residencies and public performances by eminent scholars and practitioners.
Within the Department, we have more than 9,000 audiovisual assets for film, theatre and television research.
We frequently collaborate with other departments at Reading on research projects.
For example, we partnered with the Department of Politics and International Relations on Disappearing War: Cinema and the Politics of Erasure in the War on Terror.
Our staff and students work with museums, universities and arts institutions on research projects, nationally and internationally.
They also engage with a wide range of communities in the UK, abroad, and online.
If you are interested in collaborating with us on a research project, please contact Professor Jonathan Bignell by emailing j.bignell@reading.ac.uk.
