Meet the New Researchers’ Network committee! As you’ll see, we’re a committee of diverse interests and specialisms. If you see any of us at an event or symposium or theatrical event in the future, say hello!

Ella Hawkins – Co-Chair & Event Organisation [EKH501@bham.ac.uk]

I’m currently studying for a PhD in Shakespeare Studies at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon. My research focuses on the significance of Jacobethanism in 21st-century stage and costume design for Shakespeare, and is funded by the Midlands3Cities AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership. I previously completed a BA (Hons) in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Warwick, followed by an MA in Shakespeare and Theatre at the Shakespeare Institute. Stage design and theatre history (particularly early modern playing practices) are my favourite things, and my research interests also extend to intercultural theatre and archiving processes. Tweet me @EllaMcHawk

Rachael Nicholas – Co-Chair & LiveStream [e-mail: nicholar1@roehampton.ac.uk]

I’m currently a PhD student at the University of Roehampton. My research looks at how livestreaming in all of its forms is altering, shaping and creating audiences for Shakespeare. My interest in early modern drama and media was cultivated at the University of Exeter, where I graduated with a BA (Hons) in English in 2014, which led to an MA in Shakespeare Studies at King’s College London, which I completed in 2015.  I am especially interested in audience research and interdisciplinary research methods, the intersections between theatre and the digital, and the circulation of cultural capital through performance and distribution. Tweet me @rachienix

Michelle Leonforte – Event Organisation [michelle.manning@pgr.anglia.ac.uk]

I’m currently studying for a part-time, fees-funded PhD at Anglia Ruskin University. My research examines two indoor theatre reconstructions, situated in London and Virginia – the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and the Blackfriars. It questions the impact the two theatres have on the academic and cultural landscape of each country, and the resulting wider implications on the perception of early modern drama in a modern climate. Ask me about ‘authentic’ reconstructed spaces! I previously completed my BA Hons and MRes in English Literature at Nottingham Trent University. My Master’s dissertation focused on the newly built Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, on the site of Shakespeare’s Globe, and the original Blackfriars theatre. Wearing my other hat, I work as a Civic Officer organising events for the Mayor of Broxtowe. Tweet me @EarlyModernMiss

Cara Davies – Event Organisation [cara.davies@bristol.ac.uk]

I am an interdisciplinary theatre scholar, artist and archivist who recently completed their practice-led research PhD at the University of Bristol in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. As part of the AHRC-funded project Performing Documents: Modelling Creative and Curatorial Engagements with Live Art and Performance Archives my strand of research specifically examined techniques for the construction, use and dissemination of archives as work of live art and performance, critiquing the impact and potentiality of embedding archival theory into artists’ creative and curatorial strategies for producing performance works. Beyond the PhD, I work as an artist, educator, research assistant and records manager for varying institutions across the arts and heritage sector, information science and construction industries, and as co-artistic director of the arts and research collective Tracing the Pathway. For more information on my creative and research interests see: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/school-of-arts/people/cara-j-davies/overview.html

Hailey Bachrach – Social Media and Blog Management [hailey.bachrach@kcl.ac.uk]

I am currently studying for a PhD at King’s College London and Shakespeare’s Globe. I received my MA in Shakespearean Studies through the same partnership, and as the resident foreigner, have also studied at Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University School of the Arts, both in New York. My current focus is on historical and contemporary performance of female characters in early modern history plays, and how Shakespeare’s dramaturgy continues to influence our understanding of the role of women in historical narratives. I am also interested in all-female performance of Shakespeare, boy players, and contemporary dramaturgy and new play development. I also work as a drama critic for various online outlets. You can follow me on Twitter @hbachrach

Emily Garside – Social Media and Blog Management [emilymgarside@gmail.com]

Having originally been a Historian I fell back into theatre while living in Montreal. Coming home I did my MA at RADA/Kings College on their then ‘Text and Performance Studies’ course. After a short diversion into academic administration and Secondary School teaching I started my PhD at Cardiff Metropolitan University, completing in 2015. My PhD looked at the role of theatre as a response to the AIDS epidemic. This work focused on Tony Kushner’s Angels in America and Jonathan Larson’s Rent as case studies. In 2017 I was able to work on the National Theatre’s production of Angels in various ways- from advising director Marianne Elliott, to education events and writing an essay for the programme (“It’s my favourite”- Andrew Garfield, 2017). My academic interests include activism and performance, audience research and Fan Studies. I’ve published across a range of interests/disciplines including Iain Banks, Sherlock Holmes, Location and TV and Punchdrunk. Tweet me @EmiGarside