Dr Kate Allen

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+44 (0) 118 378 8052
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Associate Professor
- Studio Tutor
- PhD supervision
- ArtLab
- Enterprise.
Areas of interest
Kate has research interests in:
- sculpture
- collaboration
- community/participatory art projects
- public art and engagement
- widening participation
- interactive sensory objects
- multidisciplinary performance
- digital technology and virtual environments.
Kate is the Principal Investigator of the award-winning Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) project, 'Interactive sensory objects made for and by people with learning disabilities', or Sensory Objects.
Sensory Objects creates multisensory interactive art works that respond to museum collections, alternative ideas for museum interpretation, developed through sensory art and electronics-based workshops by people with learning disabilities in collaboration with an interdisciplinary research team. Researchers from the University of Reading and RIX Research and Media at The University of East London have worked together with Mencap Liverpool Access to Heritage Group at Speke Hall, Reading College's Learners with learning difficulties and disabilities at the Museum of English Rural Life, and Tower Project London at The British Museum.
Kate also contributes to the Sensory Palaces project at Historic Royal Palaces London.
Kate works to commission undertaking public art projects working with community groups in collaborative artworks. Commissions examples include:
- Barton Oxford
- Alter' for the Lickey Hills Sculpture Trail in Birmingham
- The illuminated billboards at Snowsfield NCP car park Guy Street Park, London Bridge or the Sensory Trail at Speke Hall Liverpool.
Postgraduate supervision
Kate welcomes research proposals on part practice research projects in the areas of:
- sensory interactive sculpture
- community/participatory art practice
- public engagement
- digital media
- virtual environments.
Background
Kate was the co-Investigator on the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) "Everything and Nothing": a partnership for public engagement in mathematics through performance 2010-2011, with composer PI, Dorothy Ker University of Sheffield and Co-Investigator Marcus Du Sautoy, Oxford University. Learn more on the project's blog.
- In 2008 – 09 Kate was a partner in the EPSRC Creator: Connecting Communities for the Digital Economy.
- In 2008 Kate was co-investigator, EPSRC grant research performance the 19th Step.
- In 2006 – 07 Kate was awarded an AHRC small research grant in the Creative and Performing Arts.
Publications
- Allen, K. (2020) Tate lates power of bubble.
- Allen, K. , Minnion, A. , Judith, A. (2020) purpleSTARS – inclusive curation and production creates inclusive museums. Inclusive Digital Interactives: Best Practices, Innovative Experiments, and Questions for Research. Smithsonian ISBN: 9780970835888
- Allen, K. (2019) PurpleSTARS presentation at creative bridges SEN conference.
- Allen, K. (2019) PurpleSTARS DJ for animal magic, MERL late silent disco part of being human festival.
- Allen, K. , Headon, K. , Minnion, A. (2019) purpleSTARS virtual reality quad bike experience at the Berkshire Show 2019.
- Allen, K. , Minnion, A. , Headon, K. (2019) The MERL's making SENse.
- Allen, K. (2019) Sensory Objects. University of Reading (Collection)
- Allen, K. and Headon, K. (2019) Suitcase stories movement Tate Exchange. Soundcloud , London, UK.
- Allen, K. and Minnion, A. (2019) Pride of place.
- Allen, K. , Andy, M. , Headon, K. (2018) Sensory expedition and wiki training with the purpleSTARS at Glenside Hospital Museum.
- Allen, K. and Minnion, A. (2018) PurpleSTARS present at Preparing for Adulthood.
- Allen, K. and Andy, M. (2018) PurpleSTARS present to the Disability History Conference London Metropolitan Archive.
- Allen, K. and Minnion, A. (2018) #Purplelightup international persons with a disability day British Museum.
- Allen, K. (2018) Edinburgh Napier University, Public Engagement Seminars, Sensory Objects developed for and by People with Learning Disabilities become purpleSTARS. Edinburgh Napier University , Edinburgh.
- Allen, K. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. (2017) Sensory Objects Enterprise - Co-Development and Start Up project AHRC Follow on Fund Project pupleSTARS. AHRC
- Allen, K. and Hollinworth, N. (2017) ‘From the Outside In’ art award box, log and workshop plans . Orleans House Gallery , Orleans House Gallery.
- Allen, K. and Hollinworth, N. (2017) Madhouse My House: an immersive reclaiming of old long stay hospitals. Hackney Museum Exhibition.
- Allen, K. and Hollinworth, N. (2016) Interactive sensory cow for the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL). MERL , MERL.
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. , Kwiatkowska, G. (2016) Interactive sensory objects for and by people with learning disabilities. The International Journal of the Interactive Museum , 9 (1). pp. 21-38. | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.18848/1835-2014/CGP/v09i01/21-38
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. , Kwiatkowska, G. (2016) Interactive sensory objects for and by people with learning disabilities.
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. (2015) Seminar: access all areas. Museum Visitors Group
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. (2015) Sensory objects: a case study. Disability Cooperative Network
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. (2015) Seminar: sensory objects. Sensory Objects , British Museum.
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. (2015) Sensory objects at the British Museum.
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. (2014) Workshop: sensory objects.
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. (2014) Seminar: sensory objects in progress. Sensory Objects
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. (2014) Buckets, baskets and boots: exhibition event at MERL.
- Hollinworth, N. , Allen, K. , Kwiatkowska, G. , Minnion, A. , Hwang, F. (2014) littleBits go LARGE: making electronics more accessible to people with learning disabilities. ASSETS '14 Proceedings of the 16th international ACM SIGACCESS conference on Computers & accessibility pp. 305-306. ISSN: 9781450327206 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2661334.2661341
- Hollinworth, N. , Allen, K. , Kwiatkowska, G. , Minnion, A. , Hwang, F. (2014) Interactive sensory objects for and by people with learning disabilities. ACM SIGACCESS Accessibility and Computing (109). pp. 11-20. ISSN: 1558-2337 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2637487.2637489
- Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Allen, K. , Kwiatkowska, G. , Minnion, A. (2014) Making electronics more accessible to people with learning disabilities.
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. (2013) Seminar: sensory stories retold. Sensory Objects
- Allen, K. , Hollinworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. (2013) Sensory stories.
- Allen, K. , Hollingworth, N. , Hwang, F. , Minnion, A. , Kwiatowska, G. , Lowe, T. , Weldin, N. (2013) Interactive sensory objects for improving access to heritage. CHI '13 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems pp. 2899-2902. ISSN: 978-1-4503-1952-2 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2468356.2479569
- Ker, D. , Allen, K. , Du Sautoy, M. (2011) Everything and nothing project. the 19th step
- Allen, K. (2007) Auraproject.
- Allen, K. (2007) Grangerparklife: Online project. Northamptonshire County Council
- Allen, K. (2007) Second Life @ the Design Museum.
- Allen, K. (2004) Installation. St Charles Borromeo, Ogle Street, London