Dr. Karen Thornton,Programme Leader BA Film and Television Production
Information about Dr. Karen Thornton at the University of Bradford.
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Biography
My area of research is within documentary and issues of representation in factual discourses. My PhD research explored the role of remediation, simulation and spectacle within contemporary BBC television documentary practices, in relation to public service broadcasting, and in October 2022 took part in a panel discussion exploring the future of the BBC on the Radio 4 series Inside Science https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001d591 In 2019 as part of community engagement and outreach I developed a project with Schools of Sanctuary, exploring issues of representation in under-represented, local communities. Collaborating with young refugee and asylum seekers This Is Me was an exhibition-based photography project which facilitated the young people telling their story through a series of chosen artefacts https://refugeeweek.org.uk/this-is-me-exhibition-by-bradford-school-students/ My most recent research project is with Dr Mark Goodall in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the BBC, re-working the J B Priestley WWII Postscripts. Working with six artists who have a connection to Bradford, their stories have been developed into a series of aural soundscapes (or contemporary postscripts) which are published on the BBC Website: https://canvas-story.bbcrewind.co.uk/postscripts/ I am currently writing chapters for two publications, one examining the 'imitating the dog' theatre production Night of the Living Dead - Remix for a book on George A. Romero and one exploring the BBC television series Storyville for Global Documentary and Cinematic Storytelling.
Research
My main research interest focuses on discourses of power and representation in contemporary film and television. More specifically, I am interested in exploring the representation of (working) class in British factual series, examining the link between neoliberal politics and austerity measures. In addition, I am interested in precarity and how this is represented within British cinema. Other areas of interest include examining the relationship between public service broadcasting and the role of spectacle in contemporary documentary, using a media archaeological approach to draw parallels with early cinema and contemporary practices. I am also interested in collaborative projects, working with film, photography and sound to explore issues of self-representation and identity.