About
I am an arts practitioner and resident artist at Primary Studios, Nottingham, UK. I am currently a Post Doctoral Researcher for the Digital and Material Artistic Research Centre (DMARC), College of Arts at the University of Derby. I co-founded InDialogue (2012 - present), an International biannual symposium for artists, researchers and industry, exploring the use of dialogue through practice.
I am Chair of Contemporary Art working group for Cumulus, (2019-present) and a Trustee of New Art Exchange, Nottingham. I am a steering group member for DerbyCAN Producing Hub (2019-present). Until very recently, I was General Manager of Third Angel Theatre Company (ACE portfolio), and Associate Lecturer at NTU in the school of Art and Design. I am a freelance mentor to the arts industry and professionals and often advise new and emerging artists.
I am cofounder and curator of InDialogue a collborative reserach project with Dr Heather Connelly (2012 - present). InDialogue hosts a range of International Arts Symposia and Artist Residencies. In November 2019 InDialogue is working with 16 cultural partner organisations across 3 midland cities in Derby, Nottingham and Lincoln.
The Social Higher Education Depot (S.H.E.D), in partnership with artist Simon Burrows, touring nationally from summer 2019-22. I am also a selected artist in the Expanded Studio Project, supported by ACE and Belfast City Council.
In parallel to this activity I have recently authored a chapter for Intellect Playtext Series –The Trilogy: Acts of Dramaturgy and an article in Staging the Wreckage, for Performance Research Journal. I am co-editing the publication InDialogue: an anthology and S.H.E.D: transforming spaces for cultural, social and political discourse, both publications with Palgrave.
Research interests
I have a PhD by practice from Nottingham Trent University (2016). In which my thesis The Artistry of Conversation looked at the performative and tactile nature of Conversation.
My research continues to be focused on the artistic and spacial curation of conversation, and the design of dialogue within the arts.
I co-founded InDialogue (2012 - present) an International biannual symposium for artists, researchers and Industry, to explore the use of dialogue through practice. I have a keen interest in performative and socially engaged practices. I am also interested in new modes of artistic documentation that can be considered as practice.
I often work closely with Industry and Academia in order to generate spaces for conversation between HE and Creative Cultural Organisations. My research process is always collaborative and typically the work makes manifest in the form of exhibitions, published texts and symposia operating both Nationally and Internationally.
I am also a co-founder of Thinking Through Practice Research Group.
Recent conferences
Recent exhibitions and shows
2020
- Glass Tank –collaborative ongoing practice and exhibition Spring 2020 with Traci Kelly
- S.H.E.D Youth Participation Project, Derby Theatre – touring works throughout 2020
- S.H.E.D ArtCore –commissioning project, Celebrating Togetherness, summer 2020
- Practice without Walls, Exhibition Curator, City of Rome, June 2020
- S.H.E.D Presents – Derby County Community Trust Project
- S.H.E.D – various events, workshops and festivals 2020-21
2019
- S.H.E.D Youth Participation Project, Derby Theatre – touring works throughout sept - Dec
- Expanded Studio Project, Selected Artist, Belfast City, Exhibiting Artist PSsquared, August 4th - September 2nd 2019
- New Voices Conference, Derby Theatre, InDialogue Paper, Speaker, January 2019
- Chair of International Contemporary Art, Speaker, Resilliance and Intellegence, University of Lapland, Finalnd, May 2019
- Format Festival - Exhibitor, University of Derby Staff Artist and Format Conference Chair, March 2019
- Arts in Society International Conference, This is Derby Paper, Lisbon Univeristy, Porto, 19 -21 June, 2019
- Departure Lounge Festival, Artist, commission of S.H.E.D and producing artists for S.H.E.D, 18 -21 July 2019
- This Is Derby, Celebration Day, Commissioned Artist, 13th July, 2019.
- InDialogue Sympoisum, lead creative and curator, 19 - 21 November 2019. (3 cities in 3 days symposium, (in partnership with Derby City Council, Deda, Derby Theatre, Nottingham Contemporary, Mansions of the Future, Derby City Council, University of Lincoln, University of Derby).
- InDialogue International Artist Residency, Curator, in partnership with Dance4 and In Good Company. October - November, 2019
2018
- Horizon, Curator, Surface Gallery, Nottingham, UK
- Inherited Cities, General Manager Third Angel, The Crucible, Sheffield Theatres, UK
- Design without walls,Cumulus, Guest Speaker, Ecole Boulle, Paris
- Parenthesis (working title) (2014 – Present) Collaboration with artist Traci Kelly under the name of Kelly&Jones
2017
- I predict a riot Invited author for exhibition publication for Jimmy Cauty’s ADP Riot Tour, New Art Exchange
- Extract from The Beginning (2012) by Michael Pinchbeck. Devised and performed with Nicki Hobday and Ollie Smith. Delivered at You, The Audience (2017), Royal Exchange, Manchester by Michael Pinchbeck and Rhiannon Jones.
2016
- Dance4 season launch, guest facilitator in conversation with dancer and choreographer Roberta Jean, Dance4, hosted by Dance4 and Backlit, Nottingham
- InDialogue, founder and Co-curator, Nottingham Contemporary, Dance4, New Art Exchange, Nottingham City Council, Birmingham City University, Nottingham Trent University, UK
- InDialogue, Rhiannon Jones In Conversation with Grant Kester, Nottingham Contemporary.
- InDialogue, Dr Elena Cologni and Rhiannon Jones (paper presentation), Nottingham Contemporary.
- On the Horizon, curator of artist residency for Chloé Déchery (Fr) and Jane McKernan (AUS) in collaboration with Dance4 and InDialogue
- The Man Who Flew Into Space From His Apartment Exhibition, assistant curator, The Collection Lincoln, supported by hÅb Arts (Manchester) and Lincoln Performing Arts Centre. Developed at First Bite, Forest Fringe and Hatch. Supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
2015
- Parenthesis (working title) explorations and collaboration with artist Traci Kelly, Chalk Pit, Cambridge
- The Man Who Flew Into Space From His Apartment, assistant Director, supported by hÅb Arts (Manchester) and Lincoln Performing Arts Centre. Developed at First Bite, Forest Fringe and Hatch. Supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
- Wonderland Story Poles Permanent Public Art Commission, Queens Walk, Nottingham
2014
- InDialogue, founder and Co-curator, Nottingham Contemporary, Dance4, Primary, Backlit, Loughborough University, Nottingham Trent University, UK
- InDialogue, Rhiannon Jones In Conversation with Grant Kester, Nottingham Contemporary.
- InDialogue, Panel facilitator Professor John Newling (Uk), WockhenKlausur (Austria), The Harrisons (USA) (paper), Nottingham Contemporary.
- InDialogue Residency, curator of artist residency for Rajni Shah and Karen Christopher, in collaboration with Backlit and InDialogue
- Wonderland,creative director Various BEVOCAL events, in partnership with New Art Exchange supported by Nottingham City Council.
- Wonderland Meadows Older Persons Exhibition, creative, Bromley House, Nottingham, supported by Nottingham City Council.
- The Drawing Board, artist residency (2014) Kelly & Jones, Primary, Nottingham.
- The Drawing Board, exhibition, Kelly & Jones, Primary, Nottingham.
- The Drawing Board in conversation with Kelly & Jones facilitated by Dr Michael Pinchbeck, Primary, Nottingham.
2013
- Light Night, commissioned artist, supported by Nottingham City Council, Nottingham
- Freedom in Air, resident artist commissioned by The Cutting Room & Nottingham Playhouse to deliver a community engagement project for national touring production of The Kite Runner.
- Research and the Researcher postgraduate research conference, curatorial team, Nottingham Trent University
- Mediated Riots, artist,commissioned by Synapse Arts & New Art Exchange.
- The Art of Conversation, artist, touring solo exhibition Backlit, UK & Georgia, Athens USA
2012
- Wonderland 1, creative director, project in partnership with New Art Exchange supported by Nottingham City Council.
- InDialogue, founder and Co-curator, Nottingham Contemporary, Primary, Vessel, Loughborough University, Nottingham Trent University, UK
- Dialogical Self,International Conference, paper presentation, Georgia USA
- The Art of Conversation: Uncovering Artistic Inspiration. In: Defining Contributions: Inspiration Driving Original Research, Paper and publication. Nottingham Trent University
2011
- AHRC funded Research Project, New Research Trajectories, Loughbourgh University, Nottingham Trent University
- Radical Aesthetics, paper presentation, Loughborough University
- Archipelago,artist Bonington Gallery, Nottingham Trent University.
- Causality and Performativity of Scars , paper and publication, Nottingham Trent University.
- Discourse / Conversation / Communication, International conference, Paper presentation, Loughborough University, UK
Experience in industry
I have been the Marketing Director for Backlit Gallery, Nottingham and General Manger of Third Angel Theatre Company both ACE Portfolio Organisations.
I have produced, curated and toured works Nationally and Internationally, most recently in Gent, Belgium, Athens, Georgia, Sweden, Denmark, France, Italy and USA. I have regular conversations with arts industry and professionals and is active within the arts industry. I produce International residencies for artists as part of InDialogue in partnership with Dance4 in 2014 and 2016 and InGoodCompany for 2019. I am co-founder of InDialogue for industry and artists and researcher to come together biannually to discuss dialogic modes of artistic practice and research.
I have made work that has exhibited at venues such as Nottingham Contemporary, New Art Exchange, Sheffield Theatres, Backlit Gallery, Bromley House, Nottingham City Council, Little Theatre Leicester, Surface Gallery. I have successfully fundraised for major arts projects from ACE and Trusts and Foundations.
Various regional and national print, radio and television interviews, examples including:
- BBC Radio Nottingham
- BBC Radio Derby
- East Midlands Today BBC News
- NottsTV (various).
- Kemet FM
- Nottingham Post
- West Bridgford Wire
- The Times
- Left Lion
- Art Industry
- Primary Programme Notes