Dr Teri Howson-Griffiths
Liverpool Screen School
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: T.R.HowsonGriffiths@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 6556
Teri (she/her) is a Senior Lecturer whose work centres on arts and health practices, focused on utilising applied approaches to support and improve individual and community well-being.
Teri is currently on a three-year, part-time 0.6 FTE secondment working 3 days for the North Wales Health Board as the Arts in Health Strategic Lead, where she is engaged in the development, planning, commissioning, and advocating for arts-based approaches within health and wellbeing. Alongside this, she maintains a 0.4 FTE part-time role within the Drama programme team.
She joined LJMU as a Lecturer in Drama in 2017. Prior to this, she was a Research Officer on Dementia and Imagination, a UK wide AHRC funded study looking at the potential of visual arts for people living with dementia. She graduated with her PhD in 2016 which was a practice-led study on the therapeutic potential of immersive theatres to augment personal well-being, focusing on sensory labyrinth theatre and other forms of immersive practice to better understand audience experiences, supervised by Professor Kate Taylor-Jones. This involved practice-led and qualitative audience research explored partially through the creation of two immersive performances.
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Research
As a researcher, Teri is interested in immersive theatres, verbatim and sensory methodologies, particularly linked to socially engaged and applied practice, as well as the broader arts in health sphere. She is interested in practice-led, qualitative, and creative forms of research and utilising creativity for engagement and dissemination.
Teri has published several journal articles and a co-authored book chapter within the scope of immersive theatres, arts and dementia and arts in health. She has also contributed to conferences both nationally and internationally to present her research (see publications for further details). Recently, Teri contributed to the 'Let's talk preventative Healthcare' podcast episode on arts and health: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6G8Ld0edTlWAP34ns7RsR9
Teri is a member of the City Lab research group and the Institute for Health Research at LJMU.
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Teaching
Teri became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2018.
At LJMU, she contributes at all levels to the BA Drama programme. She is currently Director of Studies for a PhD study on 'Rape and Intimacy on the Fourth-Wave Stage'. She is also on PhD committees for two studies on: 'a practise-based exploration into identity, mental health and the impact of Covid 19 on the Showmen community' and 'Towards a new musical theatre practical pedagogy'.
She has previously taught on the undergraduate Theatre Studies and Performance programme and Visual Culture modules in the then School of Creative Studies and Media at Bangor University. Teri has supported a Masters level open research project in Drama at Bangor University, and previously taught on the MA in Immersive Theatres at LJMU.
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Service
Teri serves as a Wellbeing Connector within LJMU (since 2021). She is also the department representative for DramaHE who 'provide a forum for professional and scholarly debate' and 'represents the interests of drama, theatre, and performance in the Higher Education sector of the United Kingdom' (Drama HE). She has previously served as the Ethics Committee Representative for Drama (2018-2022) and School EDI rep (2019-2020). In 2018 she co-convened a symposium on arts, health, and well-being at the university and is developing further work within this field through her current secondment into the NHS in Wales.
She has been a volunteer mentor with The Girls Network since 2021, which 'aims to inspire and empower girls from the least advantaged communities by connecting them to a mentor and a network of professional role models who are women' (The Girls Network, no date). Teri was a Volunteer Community Manager (2020-2023) for a Facebook group related to her love of reading and literature.
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Practice and training
Since 2009 Teri has been performing in and creating work that is embedded in its performance site by its response to place and community.
She has been involved with the construction of labyrinths with labyrinth artist Alex Irving, assisting with a candlelit labyrinth for Light Night, Liverpool 2017. She has also collaborated with Alex and Elaine McNeill from the School of Art and Design, for Tangled Tales, a dementia project looking to use humour and positive stories to challenge the stigma associated with dementia, through drawing on collected experiences and stories of living with dementia. The team created a labyrinth installation at the Open Eye Gallery in October 2017 , the Anglican Cathedral as part of the Liverpool Biennial 2018 which was visited by around 2000 people, Manchester Museum of Science and Industry's Open Late on Well-Being in March 2019, as well as several primary schools in the area. The collected stories have been developed into a comedy play for adult audiences, 'On Cloud 79', with several performances at venues across the city including Laughterhouse Comedy Club, NHS Royal Liverpool Hospital, and Hope Street Theatre.
Teri has participated in a number of community performance ventures, including a sensory labyrinth and interactive/ immersive theatre performances such as: 'Fear' (2014) Theatr Dan y Coed, 'Cerebellium' (2012 and 2013) Pontio, Bangor; 'Digital Tea Dance' (2011), Pontio, Bangor; 'Come the Dawn' (2009), Theatr Cynefin, Conwy Falls. Teri also created a small installation piece for the Gwaith Powdr nature reserve trail in Penrhyndaedraeth in 2009, as part of an art project in the reserve.
Between 2009 and 2012, Teri attended training and performance events through the European Youth in Action programme in Portugal, Macedonia, Austria, Romania and the UK, in Sensory Labyrinth Theatre, Forum Theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed, and Danceability, led by several European theatre companies and taught by Iwan Brioc (TROTI and Theatr Cynefin), Vera Rebl (Danceability, Wien) and Barbara Santos (TDU Wien). In 2017 she attended a training workshop on Timeslips with City Arts, Nottingham.
Degrees
2016, Bangor University, Wales, UK, PhD
2009, University of Wales, Bangor, Wales, UK, MA
2006, University of Wales, Bangor, Wales, UK, BA (Hons)
Certifications
2018, Advance HE, Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy
Academic appointments
Research Officer, Dementia Services Development Centre, Wales, School of Healthcare Sciences, Bangor University, 2014 - 2016
Graduate Teaching Assistant, School of Creative Studies and Media, Bangor University, 2010 - 2014
Journal article
Howson-Griffiths T. 2024. Beyond spectacle: inadvertent and intentional use of the mundane in immersive theatres Performance Research: A journal of the performing arts, 28 :100-110 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Howson-Griffiths TR. 2019. Locating sensory labyrinth theatre within immersive theatres history Studies in Theatre and Performance, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Hogarth SE, Bramley E, Howson-Griffiths T. 2018. Immersive Worlds: an exploration of how performers facilitate the Three Worlds in Immersive Performance Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 9 :189-202 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Windle G, Joling K, Howson-Griffiths TR, Woods B, Jones C, van de ven P, Newman A, Parkinson C. 2018. The impact of a visual arts program on quality of life, communication and well-being of people living with dementia: A mixed-methods longitudinal investigation. International Psychogeriatrics, 30 :409-423 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Windle G, Howson-Griffiths TR, Newman A, Goulding A, Gregory S, O'Brien D. 2017. Exploring the theoretical foundations of visual art programmes for people living with dementia Dementia, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Howson T. 2015. Zombies, time machines and brains: Science fiction made real in immersive theatres Thesis Eleven: critical theory and historical sociology, 131 :114-126 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Newman A, Baber M, O Brien D, Goulding A, Jones CH, Howson T, Jones C, Parkinson C, Taylor K, Tischler V, Windle G. Carrying out research across the arts and humanities and social sciences: developing the methodology for Dementia and Imagination Cultural Trends, 25 :218-232 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Chapters
Newman A, Davenport B, Howson-Griffiths T. 2018. Narrative identity and resilience for people in later life with dementia living in care homes: The role of visual arts enrichment activities Resilience and Ageing: Creativity, Culture and Community :87-110 Policy Press 9781447340911
Artefact
Irving A, McNeill E, Howson-Griffiths T. 2017. Lost and Found Labyrinth
Howson T. 2015. ‘Fragments from two sensory performances: The College on the Hill (2011) and When Autumn Passed Me By (2014). Presented at the TAPRA conference practice as research gallery, 2015
Internet publication
Howson-Griffiths TR, Windle G. 2017. Arts and science combine for dementia care Publisher Url Public Url
Other
Howson T. 2017. Reflections on connecting communities through the arts - presentation at Dementia and Imagination end of project conference, 31st January 2017
Carter L, Howson T. 2016. #Dementiafutures imagining dementia friendly futures through community creativity. Presentation at the Connected Communities Utopia Conference, December 2016.
Howson T, Windle G, Hedd Jones C. 2016. Dementia and Imagination: qualitative research findings from a visual art and dementia study. Presentation at Alzheimer's Europe conference November 2016.
Howson T. 2016. From research to practice: Public engagement in the Dementia and Imagination research study. Presentation at the Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research (CADR) conference, October 2015.
Hedd Jones C, Howson T. 2016. Dementia and Imagination: an overview of a visual arts and dementia research study. Presentation at the The Art of Health in Wales Symposium, The All Wales Arts Health & Wellbeing Network, 21.05.2016.
Howson T. 2015. Participant engagement across the researcher encounter: a case study from the Dementia & Imagination study. Presentation at Living well with Dementia through the Arts:Celebrating creativity for people living with dementia in North Wales symposium. 21.04.2015.
Howson T. 2013. 'Well being practices in sensory performance', presentation at Well-Being Conference, Birmingham City University, 24 July 2013
Howson T, Howson-Griffiths TR. Sensory, Sensual and Questionable Interactions: Distinguishing theatrical and aesthetic forms in immersive theatre - conference presentation, TAPRA conference 2013
Books (edited)
2016. Imagining Dementia Friendly Futures: Activity by Dementia and Imagination for the Connected Communities 2016 festival Howson TR. E-Publi Author Url
Book review
Howson TR. 2015. Cinema of the dark side, atrocity and the ethics of spectatorship. Transnational Cinemas, 6 :209-211 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Poster
Howson-Griffiths TR, Windle G. 2014. Dementia and Imagination Understanding Art in Dementia Friendly Communities. Poster presentation at the Connected Communities Festival, June 2015.
Performance
Griffiths M, Egerton G, Howson-Griffiths TR. Codex: the well of lost plots
McNeill E, Howson-Griffiths T, Irving A. The Tangled Veil and the Cloud of Unknowing - LOL
Conference publication
Howson-Griffiths TR, McNeill E, Irving A. Utilising humour through participatory arts practice to explore living well with dementia British Society of Gerontology 47th Annual Conference
Howson T. The Senses in Performance: utilising audience response to identify therapeutic affect in Immersive Theatre’, methods and findings 43rd Annual Conference of the British Society of Gerontology
Howson T, Howson-Griffiths TR. Process versus outcome? Considering different approaches to the production of art made by people living with dementia in a visual arts intervention 45th Annual Conference of the British Society of Gerontology
Hedd Jones C, Howson-Griffiths T. The impact life cycle of Dementia and Imagination
Lopes Ramos J, Maravala P-J, Howson-Griffiths T. Arts & Health: touch, empathy & simulation PSi29 Publisher Url
Solga K, Gallagher K, Lu J, Howson-Griffiths T, Hall L, Charise A, Poli A, Kouznetsova M. Leading With Performance: Interdisciplinary Arts-Led Innovations Inside the Neoliberal University Staging Justice/ Mettre en Scene La Justice Publisher Url
Howson-Griffiths T. Arts in Health overview/ Mental Health focus across BCUHB Patiently Friendly Mental Health Services: what does good look like? Publisher Url
External collaboration:
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Arts in Health. 2022
Research Grants Awarded:
HEFCE QR funding, ‘On Cloud 79’: challenging the stigma of dementia for people living with dementia and their supporting communities through comedy performance, Alex Irving LJMU and Elaien McNeill LJMU and Densie Parker LJMU, Grant value (£): 1894, Duration of research project: 1 year. 2018
Arts Council England, Research and Development of 'The Tangled Veil and the Cloud of Unknowing’ - a performance challenging the stigma of people living with dementia, Elaine McNeill, Alex Irving, Monkey Minds, Grant value (£): £10000. 2018
HEFCE QR Funding, Lost and found – using humour to foster positive well-being for people living with dementia and their supporting communities, Elaine McNeill LJMU, Alex Irving LJMU, Grant value (£): 1939, Duration of research project: 9 months. 2018
British Society of Gerontology, Co-designed Dementia Labyrinth, Elaine McNeill LJMU, Alex Irving LJMU, Grant value (£): 500, Duration of research project: 1 year. 2017
AHRC Connected Communities, Connected Communities festival 2016, Dementia and Imagination: connecting communities and developing well-being through socially engaged visual arts practice., Grant value (£): £19905.40, Duration of research project: 10 months. 2016
AHRC Connected Communities, Connected Communities festival 2015, Dementia and Imagination: connecting communities and developing well-being through socially engaged visual arts practice., Dr Catrin Hedd Jones, Bangor University, Grant value (£): £9,300, Duration of research project: 6 months. 2015
Teaching qualification:
Fellowship Higher Education Academy. 2018