Research

I am currently completing a monograph entitled When Yoko Ono did not come to Wales: Locating the History of Performance Art. The book emerges from my AHRC-funded research project, “‘It was forty years ago today…’ - Locating the early history of performance art in Wales 1965-1979” [http://
www.performance-wales.org]

My research interests include:

• Histories of performance art (especially in Wales and the UK generally)
• Performance, archiving, documentation and historiography
• Disciplinary histories and genealogies of performance studies
• Teaching the avant-garde – Performance’s pedagogical histories
• Performance and ecology; performance, landscape and environment

Biography

I joined the Department in 2005, after three years as Lecturer in Theatre and Media Drama at Glamorgan University. I received my PhD in 2001 from the University of Wales Aberystwyth, following a Masters (Magister Artium M.A.) in Literature, German philology and Musicology from Hamburg University. Between 1985 and 1995 I worked for various theatre organisations in Germany, as dramaturg, production manager and head of press and publicity for organisations such as the Kampnagelfabrik Hamburg, the Internationales Sommertheater Festival Hamburg and the Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen.

Teaching

TP32720 Performance Writing

TP33320 Documenting Performance

TPM0130 Theoretical Practices (MA)

TPM0430 Research Practices (MA)

TPM0660 Research Project (MA)

Publications

Selection of Publications since 2006 – a full list of earlier publications can be sent on request

Edited Volumes

Heike Roms, Mike Pearson and Stephen Daniels (eds) (2010) Fieldworks, London: Taylor and Francis (Performance Research 15:4).

Heike Roms, Jon McKenzie and C.W.W.L. Wee (eds) (2010) Contesting Performance: Emerging Sites of Research, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Heike Roms, Patrick Primavesi and Karoline Gritzner (eds) (2009) On Dramaturgy, London: Taylor and Francis (Performance Research 14:3).

Heike Roms (2008) What’s Welsh for Performance? - An Oral History of Performance Art in Wales (Volume 1), Cardiff: trace: Samizdat Press.

 

Book Contributions

Heike Roms (2010) ‘Remembering Performance – Performing Memory: An Oral History of Performance Art in Wales’, in Nicole Leclercq, Laurent Rossion and Alan R. Jones (eds) Capter l’essence du spectacle - Capturing the Essence of Performance, Proceedings of the Congrès de Glasgow SIBMAS Glasgow Congress 2008, Brussels: Peter Lang, pp. 209–220.

Heike Roms (2010) ‘The Lure of the Local, the Seduction of the Global: Locating Intermediality in Eddie Ladd’s Scarface*, in: Melissa Sihra and Pirkko Koski (eds) The Local Meets The Global In Performance, Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp.65–80.

Heike Roms (2010) ‘The Practice Turn: Performance and the British Academy’, in Heike Roms, Jon McKenzie and C.W.W.L. Wee (eds) Contesting Performance: Emerging Sites of Research, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 51–70.

Heike Roms, Jon McKenzie, C.J.W.-L. Wee (2010) ‘Contesting Performance in an Age of Globalization’, in Heike Roms, Jon McKenzie and C.W.W.L. Wee (eds) Contesting Performance: Emerging Sites of Research, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1–22.

Heike Roms (2008) ‘What Substance is Substance? – André Stitt’s Material Performances’, in André Stitt, Substance: Residues, Drawings & Partial Objects 1976–2008, Exeter: Spacex, pp. 12–19.

Heike Roms (2007) ‘Staging an Urban Nation: Place and Identity in Contemporary Welsh Theatre’, in Nadine Holdsworth and Mary Luckhurst (eds) Concise Companion to Contemporary British and Irish Drama, Oxford: Blackwells; pp.107–124. (ISBN 978-1-4051-3053-0)

Heike Roms (2006) ‘Eye and Ear, Foot and Mouth: Mapping Performance in three journeys and one withdrawal’, in: Judie Christie, Richard Gough and Daniel Watt (eds) A Performance Cosmology: Testimony from the Future, Evidence of the Past, London: Routledge; pp. 10–14. (ISBN 978-0-415-37258-9)

Heike Roms (2006) ‘Footnotes: Four walks in the company of Simon Whitehead’, in Simon Whitehead (ed.) Walking to Work, Abercych: Gwaith Cerdded/ Shoeless 2006, pp. 4–5 (ISBN: 0-9554020-0-X)

Heike Roms (2006) ‘Encountering Memory – Acco Theatre Center’s Arbeit macht frei MiToitland Europa’, in Joe Kelleher and Nicholas Ridout (eds) Contemporary Theatres in Europe – Encounters, Locations, Practices, London: Routledge, pp. 47–60. (ISBN 0-415-32940-X)

Heike Roms (2006) ‘From map to Trace: Situating performance in Wales’, in André Stitt (ed.) trace installaction artspace – 00-05, Bridgend: Seren, pp. 14-36. (ISBN 1-85411-408-5)

 

Journal contributions

Heike Roms (2010) ‘Das Ereignis als Evidenz, die Evidenz als Ereignis: Zur Geschichtsschreibung der Performance Art’, MAP – media | archive | performance e-journal 2 (‘Entscheidung und Augenschein’), www.perfomap.de (German version) ISSN 2191-0901 http://perfomap.de/current/gesch/ereignis-und-evidenz-

Heike Roms (2010) ‘Eventful Evidence: Historicizing Performance Art’, MAP – media | archive | performance e-journal 2 (Entscheidung und Augenschein), www.perfomap.de (English version-reprint) http://perfomap.de/current/gesch/eventful-evidence-1

Heike Roms (2008) ‘Eventful Evidence: Historicizing Performance Art’, Maska. 117–118 (Issue: History – Experience – Archive) (Autumn 2008), pp. 69–77. (published in English and Slovene as 'Dodokovni dokazi / Dogodkovno dokazovanje: Zgodoviniti performans'; translator: Barbara Hribar)

Heike Roms (2008) ‘What’s Welsh for Performance? Constructing an Archive of Performance Art in Wales’, Cyfrwng Media Wales Journal 5: 54–72. ISSN 1742-9234

Heike Roms (2007) ‘The “Performed Essay” as a mode of assessment’, Practice which works: a snapshot of assessment practice in Wales, The Higher Education Academy, accessible at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/nations/wales/01_aberystwyth_a_performed_essay_as_assessment.doc

Reviews and non-scholarly publications

Roms, Heike (2009) ‘Interview with John Cale’, Dyddiau Du/ Dark Days – Wales at the Venice Biennale, Cardiff: Wales at Venice Biennale/ Arts Council of Wales, with the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Roms, Heike (2008) ‘What Substance is Substance? – André Stitt’s Material Performances, in André Stitt, Substance: Residues, Drawings & Partial Objects 1976–2008, Exeter: Spacex, pp. 12–19.

Roms, Heike (2008) ‘Performance Drawing’, WelshArtNow 1 (Oct-Dec 2008), pp. 24-28.

Roms, Heike (2007), various contributions to Marijke Hoogenboom and Alexander Karschnia (eds) Na(ar) Het Theater – After Theatre? Supplements to the International Conference on Postdramatic Theatre, Amsterdam: Amsterdam School of the Arts/ Art Practice and Development Research Group.

Roms, Heike (2007) ‘Performance Archives Performance’, in Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion: Stuart Brisley, Ian Hinchliffe, Alastair MacLennan, Tatsumi Orimoto, exhibition catalogue, Cardiff: Chapter, pp. 7–15.

Roms, Heike (2007) 'Remembering Performance - Heike Roms in conversation with Ivor Davies'. Platfform (Contemporary performance practice in Wales) tri/3 (August 2007): 13-17.

Roms, Heike (2007) 'Performance and Protest'. New Welsh Review 76 (Summer 2007): 16-26.

 

Publications in Electronic Media

Heike Roms (2007) ‘What’s Welsh for Performance – Database’, [searchable online Archival Project database], supported by Dept. Theatre, Film and Television Studies, What’s Welsh for Performance? website, www.performance-wales.org/english/archive

Heike Roms (2007 cont.) ‘What’s Welsh for Performance? Beth yw ‘performance’ yn Gymraeg?’ – website and blog, supported by Dept. Theatre, Film and Television Studies, www.performance-wales.org/english/archive

Exhibitions & Performances

Aberystwyth in Flux 1968-2008 (2008)
[Principal Investigator: Concept, Research, Direction, Organisation]
Restaging the FLUXCONCERT BY AND FOR FLUXUS 1968;
funded by Sir David Hughes Parry Awards 2008 and presented at the Castle Theatre Aberystwyth 29.11.08.
[documented on Culture Colony – Y Wladfa Newydd website: http://www.culturecolony.com]

Mapping Performance Art in Cardiff (2008)
[Principal Investigator: Concept, Research, Direction, Organisation]
An installation devoted to locating and mapping performance art memories in Cardiff. Commissioned by Chapter Arts Centre and presented at Experimentica 2008, 19.10.08

Trace Dis:placed (2008)
[Co-Investigator: co-conceived Concept, Performance, Documentation]
A project exploring live archiving by the Trace collective (André Stitt, Beth Greenhalgh, Lee Hassall, Phil Babot) and Heike Roms. Guest: Roddy Hunter.
Presented at the National Review of Live Art, Tramway Glasgow 6-9 Feb 2008
Reviewed in The Scotsman and Art Monthly.

An Oral History of Performance in Wales – Hanes Llafar Celfyddyd Perfformio yng Nghymru (2006-2008)
[Principal Investigator: Concept, Research, Direction, Organisation]
A two-year series of events devoted to key artists who have shaped the development of performance art in Wales since 1968. Public conversations with Ivor Davies, Roland Miller, Shirley Cameron, Anthony Howell and others. Cardiff School of Art and Design and Aberystwyth University.
Funded by Arts Council of Wales/ National Lottery Fund.

 

Seminar & Conference Papers

For a list of recent seminar and conference papers in relation to my current research project please visit:

http://www.performance-wales.org/english/events/lectures.htm

Additional Interests

Fellowships

Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA); Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; Fellow of the Daimler-Benz-Foundation.

External Examinerships (UG and Taught PG)

External Examiner BA (Hons) Art, Event, Performance, Leeds Metropolitan University (2009-2013)

External Examiner BA (Hons) Drama, Brunel University (2009-2012)

External Examiner BA (Hons) Theatre, MA Devised Theatre, MA Performance and Cultural Location in Contemporary Europe (PCLCE); BA (Hons) Choreography (2003-4), Dartington College of Arts (2003-2008)

Research Degree Examinations

PhD External Examinerships:

Queen Mary University of London: ‘Livegraphy: Performance Art, Language, and the Multiplicity of Sense’ (2009); University of West of England: ‘A Practical and Theoretical Exploration of Process-based Participatory and Interdisciplinary Artistic Practice Informed by Ethno-methodology and Live Art’ (2011-12); Royal Holloway University of London: ‘Space and Non-Visual ‘Spectatorship’: Experience, Presentation and Representation in the Cycle of Cultural Consumption’ (2012); University of Warwick: ‘Bodies in/of Crisis’ - Remembered experiences of former East German women in the context of the ‘Wende’ (post-1989) (2012); University of Roehampton (2012).

MPhil External Examinership:

University of Glasgow: ‘Performance in a Can: Considering Recorded Theatrical Performance’ (2007).

PhD Internal Examinerships:

‘Misfires that Matter: Invisible Disabilities and Performances of Everyday Life’ (2012); ‘Vicious Performance as Entertainment: A critical study of Fulani Soro’ (2009)

PhD Supervision:

Successful Completions:

“Family, Kinship and Personal Narrative as Thematic in Contemporary Performance” – practice-based (2008)

“Live = Role + Play – Performance and Liveness in Digital Arts and Computer Media Communication” (2010)

“The Journey as aesthetic practice in contemporary performance” (AHRC / APRS funded) (2011).

 

Current supervision:

“Notation of physical theatre in live and mediated environments” - practice-based (AHRC funded) – (completion scheduled for 2012).

“The Role of the Lecture Performance in Contemporary Performance Practice and Research” (APRS funded) (completion scheduled for 2013)

“Toward a Queer Archive of Performance” (AU-funded; completion scheduled for 2014)

“Listening in the land of song (place, voice and listening in bi-lingual countries)” - practice-based (AHRC funded) (completion scheduled for 2015)

I welcome PhD applications in all areas of my research interests: performance art; performance historiography; performance, archiving and documentation; disciplinary histories and genealogies of performance studies; performance, landscape and environment.

 

Awards/Prizes

2011 Winner of the David Bradby TaPRA Award for Research in International Theatre and Performance, awarded for outstanding research in any area of Theatre and Performance Studies by TaPRA Theatre and Performance Research Association.

 

Membership of Scholarly Organisations and Learned Societies

since 2008 Oral History Society

since 2006 TAPRA (Theatre and Performance Research Association UK)

since 2002 FIRT International Federation of Theatre Research

since 1998 PSi Performance Studies international (2001-04 Board of Directors)

 

Since 2011 Associated Scholar, Graduiertenkolleg (PhD programme): Versammlung und Teilhabe: Urbane öffentlichkeiten und performative Künste, HafenCity Universität Hamburg (Germany)

Since 2008 International Advisory Board, MA Degree Programme Live Art and Performance Studies, Theatre Academy Helsinki (Finland)

Since 2006 Associated Scholar, Master-Studiengang Dramaturgie (Master-Programme in Dramaturgy), Institut für Theater, Film und Medienwissenschaft, Frankfurt University/ Hessische Theaterakademie (Germany)

since 2007 Board of Honour, International Centre for Performance Studies, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tangier, Morocco

 

Membership of Editorial Boards:

since 1995 Editorial Board (Contributing/ Consulting Editor)

Performance Research -A Journal of Performing Arts, London: Routledge

since 2005 International Editorial Board Inter Magazine for Action Art (Canada)

since 2005 International Editorial Board Frakcija Magazine (Croatia)

2002-2006 Editorial and Management Board (Theatre Editor) New Welsh Review (2005/6 Vice-Chair)

 

I have peer-reviewed book proposals and journal submissions for: Routledge; Taylor & Francis; Palgrave Macmillan; Contemporary Theatre Review; Journal of Adaptation in Film and Performance.

 

Member of Management Boards (Non-Academic):

since 2008 Board, Blaengar Artist-led organisation for contemporary inter-disciplinary art in Mid Wales

since 2008 Board, Culture Colony / Y Wladfa Newydd

2005-2009 Board of Directors, Mes:a Performance Collective (Marc Rees, Eddie Ladd, Sean Tuan John) (Wales)

since 2004 Initiator and Chair, Traws: Inter-University Research Group for Performance in Wales

2003-2004 Chair English Jury Welsh Book of the Year Award 2004

since 2002 Board of Directors (Secretary) trace Installaction Artspace Gallery Cardiff

since 2001 Founding Member and Chair, Second Wednesday Group

Guest Teaching

I have taught guest sessions at, among others, Royal Holloway University of London, Frankfurt University and Theatre Academy Helsinki.

Research Grants (since 2008)

AHRC Research Grant (Standard)

Project: “’It was forty years ago today…’: Locating the Early History of Performance Art in Wales 1965-1979”

Value: £165,779; Start Date: 01/04/2009 – End Date: 31/03/2011 [Principal Investigator (PI)]

Sir David Hughes Parry Award

Project: “Aberystwyth 1968: Recovering and Reconstructing the Avant-garde in Wales” Value: £745; Start Date: 01/08/2008 – End Date: 31/12/2008 [Principal Investigator (PI)]

University of Wales Aberystwyth Research Fund (Value: £850; 2007–2008; Principal Investigator (PI)]

Sir David Hughes Parry Award (Value: £800; 2006–2007; Principal Investigator (PI)]

Arts Council of Wales/ National Lottery grant (Value: £14,000; 2006-2008; Principal Investigator (PI)]

Contribution to Collaborative Research Projects

Member of Steering Group: AHRC-funded Network and Workshop: Living in a Material Word: A cross-disciplinary enquiry into the performativity of emptiness – A series of site-based workshops and symposia in collaboration with Bristol University and University of West of England – funded by AHRC Landscape & Environment Programme – Research Networks and Workshops grant

Member of the ‘Performance and Politics’ Research group, a joint research collaboration between TFTS and International Politics, Aberystwyth University (2007ff)

Member of the Centre for Theatre, Performance and Philosophy, TFTS

Associate Member of the SHIFTwork Time-Based Art Research Group (Chair: Professor André Stitt, UWIC) – part of WIRAD Welsh Institute for Research into Art and Design

Initiator/ Founding Member of TRAWS: Inter-University Research Group into Performance in Wales

 

Conference Organisation (since 2008)

Annual Conference of the Association for Welsh Writing in English (UK): “Performing Wales: Theatre, Art, Identities”, Co-organiser and Programme Co-chair, Gregynog 30 March - 1 April 2012.

Symposium: “Culture, Change and Continuity in the 1970s” (UK), Co-organiser, Aberystwyth University, 14+15 September 2011.

Conference: “Living Landscapes – An international conference on performance, landscape and environment” (AHRC Programme Conference), Co-director, Aberystwyth University in collaboration with the ARHC ‘Landscape and Environment’ Programme, Aberystwyth 18-21 June 2009.

Symposium: “Holy Hiatus – Ritual and Community in Public Art” (UK), Conference Advisor and Chair, funded by Arts Council of Wales, curated by Ruth Jones, Cardigan 24.5.08

I also co-organised the 5th Performance Studies International Conference, “Here Be Dragons- Mapping the undiscovered realms of Performance Studies”, Aberystwyth 1999, and "here we come - dyma ni'n diwad"- Traditional and contemporary folk performances in Britain, Aberystwyth 2006.

Links

What’s Welsh for Performance? Beth yw ‘performance’ yn Gymraeg?

Trace Installaction Artspace