Joining Arkadium Performance Lab means becoming part of a dynamic group of researchers and artists committed to expanding what it means to do research.

How to Join Arkadium Performance Lab

Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Eligibility: open to doctoral and master’s students at the University of Edinburgh who are passionate about integrating performing arts into their research.
2. Application: email [edgar.rodriguez-dorans@ed.ac.uk] with a brief statement about your research interests and how you envision incorporating performance into your work.
3. Commitment: participate in monthly sessions between February and June 2026, collaborate on projects, and contribute to the lab’s creative outputs. At the end of the term, membership can be revised and renewed depending on individual circumstances. The commitment for at least one semester is essential to developing compelling projects.

The dates for this semester’s lab meetings are:

Friday 20th February 14-16 hrs

Friday 20th March 14-16 hrs

Friday 24th April 14-16 hrs

Friday 22nd May 14-16 hrs

Friday 12th June 14-16 hrs

As a member, you’ll gain access to:

• Regular lab meetings and workshops.
• Opportunities to develop ideas for your research project.
• Mentorship from Dr Rodríguez-Dorans, a specialist scholar in performance and health research.
• Feedback from peer members of the lab, including the lab organisers for this semester, Sylvia Hillman and Fangzhou Gu, doctoral researchers who are both using performance and embodied inquiry in their research projects.
• Opportunities to present your work in the context of the lab and specific events.

Research Opportunities

What will we work with in the lab?

Arkadium Performance Lab supports research that challenges scriptocentric conventions in academia and addresses pressing societal issues through the use of the body in qualitative research. Examples of the types of work you could develop in the lab include:

• Research-based performances: transforming qualitative data (e.g. interview transcripts, observational/reflexive notes, etc.) into compelling theatre and performance productions.
• Creative works: monologues, choreographies, and dramatised readings that communicate research findings.
• Academic articles: texts exploring the theoretical and methodological intersections of performance and research.

Our ethos emphasises collaboration, creativity, commitment, and the pursuit of accessible, socially-relevant research outputs. Members are encouraged to co-author papers/productions and contribute to impactful projects.

Our Ethos

Empowering through creativity

Arkadium Performance Lab is committed to creating a safe yet brave and inclusive space for intellectual and creative growth.

Through performance, we aim to amplify voices, widen access to knowledge, challenge societal norms, and foster meaningful connections between research and the public.

Contact Us

Take the first step. If you’re curious about taking part, please get in touch with the organising lab committee and let us know any questions you may have.

Edgar Rodriguez-Dorans

Sylvia Hillman

Fangzhou Gu

Photo by Roberto Ricciuti