Professor Aleksandar Dundjerovic | Principal Investigator
Aleksandar Sasha Dundjerovic is Professor of Performing Arts at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He is a professional award winning theatre director with international experience working in Serbia, Ireland, Canada, Colombia, Iran and Brazil. He finished Conservatoire for Dramatic Arts, Theatre Directing in Belgrade and holds a PhD in Theatre Studies from Royal Holloway University of London. His teaching includes University of London (Royal Holloway), Brunel University, University of Manchester, University College Cork (Ireland), University of São Paolo (Brazil), and University of Belgrade (Serbia). He is a published author of number of books and academic articles on contemporary theatre making and cultural production, particularly on the work of Robert Lepage and Brazilian collaborative and performance practices. He is Founder and Artistic Director of Kolectiv Theatre UK.
Dr. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez | Co-Investigator
Maria is a lecturer in Interior Architecture and Design at the Birmingham School of Architecture and Design (BCU) and researcher at the Center for Interdisciplinary Performing Arts (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire). Maria is PhD Architect, specialised on the study of the space and its relationships with body movement. She has recently published a monograph Dynamic Cartography: Body, Architecture and Performative Space (Routledge, 2020). Her professional practice has been developed across several fields related to architecture with a strong interdisciplinary focus. Her research practice is based on practice and research methodologies. Her work has been presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Reina Sofía (Madrid, 2012) in the Prague Quadrennial of Scenography (2015, 2019), the Dance Biennale of Venice (2016), the Arquería de Nuevos Ministerios (Madrid, 2017) or the Biennale of Architecture of Venice (2018).
Professor Stephen Simms | Professional Practitioner
Stephen is the Vice Principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he is the Head of the School of Acting and Professor of Actor Education. Stephen is a graduate of Bristol University and an Honours graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where he received the George Bernard Shaw scholarship, the Beerbohm-Tree Prize, and the RADA Silver medal as best male actor. He went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company with whom he acted for several years in Stratford-upon-Avon and London. He has appeared in London’s West End, various television series, and major international feature films. He has worked as a director and drama tutor with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, amongst many other companies and universities. He has presented and performed at numerous international conferences, and has recently published with London Macmillan.