In this talk, Dr Katie Beswick will look at different methodological approaches to undertaking research in urban performance cultures: covering ethnography, practice-research, arts methods and theoretical framing. She will speak about how research ethics legislation and conventions in the UK have framed her approach to conducting research with participants in a variety of contexts (from professional artists to social housing residents). We will look at how various methods have been applied in Dr Beswick’s projects, and there will be a workshop session in which we will explore how China studies students and scholars might adapt these methods for their own practices.
 

Speaker 
Dr Katie Beswick
Dr Katie Beswick is the Programme Director for BA Arts Management at Goldsmiths, University of London. She is a scholar with wide interests in the city sound cultures, along with issues of identity, class and urbanism. Her published work includes a book on hip hop theatre (Making Hip Hop Theatre with Conrad Murray), as well as numerous works covering issues of housing, politics, performance and urban culture.