Cara completed her PhD in 2017 at the University of Bristol which houses one of the largest British theatre collections in the world. Her thesis was called Activating Archives and involved interrogating the integration of archival theory with performance art. It was an AHRC-funded project aimed at modelling strategies for engaging with archive material on three levels: artists dealing with their own material; artists dealing with others’ work; and how institutions recontextualise such materials through exhibitions.
Cara’s own performance history and her curatorial archiving experience informed her research and practice. Whilst living at home during her studies, she was inspired to undertake her own practice research by broadcasting online about why and how we keep or store objects in domestic environments: engaging audience members in a wider social discourse on the subject. Post-PhD she has applied her deep reading and critical analysis skills to everyday business uses as well as continuing to contribute to academia and participating in art collectives on social projects.
Please note, this episode was recorded in 2018.
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