About Me

1990s

I have worked professionally as an interdisciplinary artist and academic since 1989. In the early part of my career I was a member of the BET4 collective of artists in the north midlands of the UK, painting, performing and showing work internationally in Germany and France (Documenta X, Kassel, Kunstverein Lingen, Jardin de Tuilleries, Gallerie Municipale Vitry sur Seine, Confluence Gallerie, Bastille, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Fulham Arts Centre). As a performer I developed as a Butoh Dancer, training with european practitioners such as Frank Van Der Ven and also joined Pina Bauch's Tanz Theatre Wupperthal for its revival of Viktor at Sadlers Wells. As an illustrator I began with album cover designs for the group Metal punk group Wolfsbane, commisioned by Phonogram and Def Jam America. Towards the end of the 90's I had emerged as a Performance Artist and was performing with BET4 at the National Live Art Review in Glasgow. I also began producing more solo works and collaborations.

Academic Posts: Burton Technical College, Stafford College 1990-1999

2000s

In 2000, I was invited as an artist to the 3rd International Experimental Art Show in St Petersburg, where I also began to collaborate on pieces with Shelley Good (now my wife Shelley Piasecka) and Glyn Davies Marshal. Davies Marshal and I subsequently joined each other for two residencies in the preserved trenches of Sanctuary Wood, Ypres and at the Chester Literary Festival. I continued also to collaborate with BET4 artist, Walt Shaw and perform solo works widely. The show in

St Petersburg had fortuitously led me to discover my lost family in Ukraine and I began making work that was engaged with notions of identity. I began a PhD, supervised by Adrian Heathfield, and developed several new works about flight from war, over mountains and at night.

Academic Posts: Derby University, University of Chester, Leeds Metropolitan University

2010s

Through my PhD I had engaged in numerous more solo works. With Theresa Brayshaw, Noel Witts, Oliver Bray and a little later Gillian. At Hope I developed a department of wonderful Performance Practitioners and researchers and also Artistically Directed the Cornerstone Festival for two years. I produced a number of works with the students and began to publish on the subject of Pilgrimage. I was so grateful of the support of my long-time mentor Professor Noel Witts in that, whom we sadly lost in the Covid Pandemic. My work on human journeys and refugees led to an adaptation of Antione De Saint-Exupery's Flight to Arras, with permissions of his Estate and publisher, which I was very honoured to receive. The work toured and, with support again from Noel, we were asked to perform in Yerevan at Highfest and a special memorial programme to the Armenian genocide. I also then joined Shelley Piasecka to perform her adaptation of Melville's Moby Dick, a version that concentrated on the migrant crew members. Again this was multi-role but I particularly enjoyed performing Ahab and also a scene describing the bloody rendering of a whale once caught. We performed this at festivals in Chester, Liverpool and even aboard the Zebu in the Albert dock. She was subsequently, and very tragically, wrecked against the sea wall at Holyhead. Both pieces had their final performances not long before the pandemic hit.

Academic Posts: Salford University (Head of Dept), Liverpool Hope University (Professor and Head of Dept, Artistic Director Cornerstone Festival)

2020s

Covid hit me hard, before the development of vaccines and has left a lasting issue. I also shifted post at the beginning of lockdown to Liverpool John Moores University and subsequently had to reapply for Professorship. My professorship there is in Interdisciplinary Arts practice and that suits me perfectly! The invasion of Ukraine though, took me away from my performance practice, and for a while my research, to concentrate on working as an aid volunteer. I'm onto my 5th convoy at this point and am eternally grateful to Macclesfield Ukrainian Aid for that - it gives me a real chance to do something that I know has a life-saving impact, but also allows me to see family out there, who need support.

During this period I have continued with my walking practice and become a member of an international community of Walking Artists united by a hub of incredible projects set up by....

Academic Posts: Liverpool John Moores University (Professor and Subject Group Head, Co-Leader of City Lab in the Institute of Art and Technology).

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