Dr Richard Whitby PhD, MRes, MA, PGCert, FHEA

Dr. Richard Whitby is a Senior Lecturer in Contextual Studies in Film, TV and Media and Year 3 Lead for Digital Film Production.

His current research examines what it means for performers to be live in performance and how their physical work is valued. Dr. Whitby is exploring how this work is treated in commercial productions, how it's used in less mainstream performances, and whether it has special importance in an online cultural context.

A connection to his own creative work is the element of ‘visible labour’. This relates to creative acts, gestures and decisions that are perceptible to an audience - whether the work is live, gallery based or distributed digitally.

Dr Whitby's artwork is predominantly video work but also extends into performance and music. He often uses humour and is interested in handmade and rough modes of making. He usually treats works and texts as containers, designed to house heterogenous materials that might seem like they are pulling the work apart. Dr Whitby's work has been described as dark, weird and surreal. He, also likes to use physical materials blended with digital techniques.

Often the subjects of Dr Whitby's critical research work are in counterpoint with the artwork he creates. For example, the national displays that constitute Olympic opening ceremonies seek to celebrate the state, whereas his own artwork is more likely to critique it. Mainstream filmmaking usually employs a ‘sutured’ form or realism, whereas Dr Whitby's work use a disjunctive and rough editing style.