Organisation profile
Organisation profile
This research centre combines concentrations of research themes existing in the School of Art Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield. It aims to drive a radical reconceptualization of teaching and research practice as exemplified by the Barbara Hepworth Building where all disciplines in the School sit under one roof. This intensely collaborative environment is part of the development of new approaches to transdisciplinary working in creative and cultural research practices.
Cultural Ecologies embraces the integrated biological, geopolitical, social, aesthetic and technological convergences of the ‘symbiotic real’, and with it, new research strategies capable of evaluating creative and cultural production within an enlarged field of post-human combinations of things, data and values.
In this respect, the centre seeks to reimagine cultures of place, engage in mixed ecologies of exchange through the co-production and/or co-creation of cultural practices and to consider new materialisms in relation to existing research orthodoxies. We encourage collaborations that will develop new ecologies of thinking and production for our times.
Our projects embrace research-focused projects and initiatives that pursue a range of thematic avenues of investigation, underpinned by several research questions, including:
- How might mixed ecologies of cultural activity generate new assemblages of distributed power and meaning-making?
- How can transdisciplinary practices of art, design and architecture contribute to the expanding field of cultural ecologies?
- What role might ecological thinking play in the formations and receptions of art and culture?
If you are interested in collaborating with us please contact the Centre Director, Dr Rowan Bailey – [email protected]
UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Our work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 15 Life on Land -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Profiles
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Debbie Allsop
- Department of Design and Architecture - Lecturer in Fashion
- School of Arts and Humanities
- Centre for Cultural Ecologies in Art, Design and Architecture - Member
Person: Academic
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Contextualized Digital Heritage Workshop - Barley Hall: An Interdisciplinary Collaborative Event Connecting Architecture and Heritage Tourism
Di Mascio, D., Tuckley, C. & Liu, Y., 1 Mar 2026, AMPS Proceedings: Heritages 2025: Critical Questions – Contemporary Practice. AMPS (Architecture, Media, Politics and Society), p. 238-248 11 p. (AMPS Proceedings).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review
Open Access -
Creative Health in Practice: Hub-and-Spoke Consortium Working Across West Yorkshire
Bailey, R., Durham, S., Michael, S., Coard, F., Clayton, G., McQuillan, D., Brauns, C., Cooper, E., Rogers, J., Towns-Andrews, L., Stenberg, N. & Andrews, E., 19 May 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Perspectives in Public Health.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Drawing as Placemaking: Environment, History and Identity
Journeaux, J. (Editor) & Woolham, S. (Editor), 19 Feb 2026, 1st ed. Bloomsbury Publishing. 280 p. (Drawing In)Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
Projects
- 17 Finished
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A series of co-creation projects - HOMEWARD BOUND, HUGGING AND DRAWING OUT THE CANAL, THE FROG ON THE CANAL and CONNECTING THE CANAL
Woolham, S. (PI)
1/07/25 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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Centre for Biominetic Societal Futures
Towns-Andrews, L. (PI), Kusev, P. (CoI), Kara, A. (CoI), Herath, D. (CoI), Validi, S. (CoI), Jabbar, A. (CoI), Nikitas, A. (CoI), Roper, S. (CoI), Ginger, M. (CoI), Phillips, R. (CoI), Du, C. (CoI), Amaratunga, D. (CoI), Haigh, R. (CoI), Murphy, A. (CoI), Hill, R. (CoI), Parkinson, S. (CoI), Johnson, A. (CoI), Bryan, H. (CoI), Thomas, P. (CoI), McIntyre, D. (CoI), Jeffries, L. (CoI), Bailey, R. (CoI), Townsley, J. (CoI), Unver, E. (CoI), Goswami, P. (CoI), Roach, J. (CoI), Grimm, V. (CoI), Worley, C. (CoI), Siebers, P.-O. (CoI), Bardone, E. (CoI), Madsen, J. K. (CoI), Neumann, M. (CoI), Seri, R. (CoI), Durrant, R. (CoI), Wortley, R. (CoI), Sidebottom, A. (CoI), Ekblom, P. (CoI), Pease, K. (CoI), Taylor, M. (CoI), Silke, A. (CoI), Dewandre, N. (CoI) & Hemachandra, K. (CoI)
1/10/21 → 30/09/24
Project: Research
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Co-creative practices in sonic heritage public art project
Hudson, G. (PI)
1/11/24 → 31/03/25
Project: Research
Activities
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Assessing and evaluating the role of the costume maker and reconsidering their craft in an ever-evolving digital world
Garland, L. (Speaker)
Sept 2026Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
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Introduction: Digital Capture between the Analytic and the Synthetic
Clear, N. (Speaker)
4 Jul 2026Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation
Press/Media
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Architecture alumni share experiences with current cohort
Bradshaw, S., Gregson, L., Haider, H. & Di Mascio, D.
24/04/26
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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International book design award for Dr Yan Wang Preston
Preston, Y., Adkins, M., Elliott, A. & Nicolson, E.
17/03/26
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research