
Overview
Background
Professor Joanne Tompkins is currently seconded to the Australian Research Council as Executive Director of the Humanities and Creative Arts panel, for a period of three years (until 2019).
Her research interests include spatial theories and virtual reality; post-colonial, intercultural, and multicultural drama, literature, and theory; performance theories; and feminist performance.
Her current research includes 3D visualisation and modelling of theatre spaces; the spatial theory of heterotopia; space in Australian and Canadian theatre; database of Australian performance; multicultural theories and drama, and intercultural performance.
She is the author of articles on: Spatial theory and virtual reality; post-colonial, multicultural, and intercultural drama and theory; Australian drama and literature and Canadian drama;
She is author of: Theatre’s Heterotopias: Space and the Analysis of Performance. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014; and Unsettling Space: Contestations in Contemporary Australian Theatre. Basingstoke: Palgrave/Macmillan, 2006.
She is co-author of: A Global Doll's House: Ibsen and Distant Visions. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016 (with Julie Holledge, Frode Helland and Jonathan Bollen); Women's Intercultural Performance, Routledge, 2000 (with Julie Holledge); and Post-colonial Drama: Theory, Practice, Politics, Routledge, 1996 (with Helen Gilbert).
She is editor of: Theatre Journal, "Space and the Geographics of Theatre," a special issue of Modern Drama, 2004; "Theatre and the Canadian Imaginary," a special issue of Australasian Drama Studies, 1996.
She is co-editor of: Performing Site-Specific Theatre: Politics, Place, Practice, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012 (with Anna Birch); Site-Specificity and Mobility, a Special Issue of Contemporary Theatre Review 2012 (with Anna Birch); Performance and Design, a special issue of Australasian Drama Studies (with Andrew Filmer and Miranda Heckenberg) 2012;Modern Drama: Defining the Field, University of Toronto Press, 2003 (with Ric Knowles and WB Worthen); Modern Drama 1999-2005; Performing Women / Performing Feminisms: Interviews with International Women Playwrights (with Julie Holledge).
Availability
- Emeritus Professor Joanne Tompkins is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, University of Toronto
- Masters (Coursework), University of Waterloo
- Doctoral Diploma, Queen Mary University of London
Research interests
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Theatre and Spatiality
I am interested in the creation and manipulation of imaginative space/locations on stage, and the ways in which architecture contributes to imaginative stage space. I am also interested in the relationship between space on stage and space in the cultural context outside a theatre venue. I describe this through the concept of heterotopia, a development of Kevin Hetherington's formulation of Foucault's version of the term.
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Theatre and Virtual Reality
I research the ways in which theatre might engage with virtual reality. I explore this primarily through the redevelopment of historical theatre venues, virtually. These venues are useful to explore architectural structure, how special effects worked, how actors moved and performed on such stages, and how stage properties functioned then.
Research impacts
Professor Tompkins has made a research impact in terms of the development of cultural spaces for theatres, galleries, and museums. Through the Ortelia project (www.ortelia.com), she, in conjunction with two Virtual Reality modellers, has developed tools for managing contemporary cultural venues. There is also the capacity for curating and archiving gallery and museum exhibitions and designing theatre productions. There is also a historical component to the theatre projects: this aspect of Ortelia models early modern theatres from London to investigate how performance was staged then. Ortelia has also developed the capacity to provide the curation of 3D mobile objects for museum exhibitions and for greater investigation by the museum community and by the cultural community from which the objects have emerged.
She is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Queen Mary, University of London (2015).
Works
Search Professor Joanne Tompkins’s works on UQ eSpace
2011
Conference Publication
The use of virtual reality models in capturing the spatiality of early modern venues
Tompkins, Joanne (2011). The use of virtual reality models in capturing the spatiality of early modern venues. 9th World Shakespeare Congress 2011, Prague, Czech Republic, 17-22 July, 2011.
2010
Journal Article
'Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar': Australian theatre blogging practice
Harvey, Neal, Grehan, Helena and Tompkins, Joanne (2010). 'Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar': Australian theatre blogging practice. Contemporary Theatre Review, 20 (1), 109-119. doi: 10.1080/10486800903225626
2010
Book Chapter
Balancing the 'Local' and the 'Global' in theatre for the international stage: The stage adaptation of David Malouf's Johnno
Tompkins, Joanne (2010). Balancing the 'Local' and the 'Global' in theatre for the international stage: The stage adaptation of David Malouf's Johnno. The local meets the global in performance. (pp. 81-98) edited by Pirkko Koski and Melissa Sihra. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
2010
Journal Article
The politics of locating Othello in Finland
Tomkins, Joanne (2010). The politics of locating Othello in Finland. Nordic Theatre Studies, 22, 20-29.
2010
Book Chapter
Spatiality and contaminated land: Staging Maralinga
Tompkins, Joanne (2010). Spatiality and contaminated land: Staging Maralinga. Halfway house the poetics of Australian spaces. (pp. 310-319) edited by Jennifer Rutherford and Barbara Holloway. Crawley, W.A., Australia: UWA.
2009
Journal Article
Staging International Feminisms. Edited by Elaine Aston and Sue-Ellen Case
Tompkins, Joanne E. (2009). Staging International Feminisms. Edited by Elaine Aston and Sue-Ellen Case. Contemporary Theatre Review, 19 (1 Special Issue: The Broadway Musical: New Approaches), 118-119. doi: 10.1080/10486800802556444
2009
Book Chapter
Staging the imagined city in Australian theatre
Tompkins, Joanne (2009). Staging the imagined city in Australian theatre. Performance and the city. (pp. 187-203) edited by D. J. Hopkins, Shelley Orr and Kim Solga. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
2009
Book Chapter
AusStage: From database of performing arts to a performing database of the arts
Harvey, Neal, Grehan, Helena and Tompkins, Joanne (2009). AusStage: From database of performing arts to a performing database of the arts. Resourceful reading: The new empiricism, eResearch and Australian literary culture. (pp. 325-333) edited by Katherine Bode and Robert Dixon. Sydney, Australia: Sydney University Press.
2009
Conference Publication
Using virtual reality modelling in cultural management, archiving and research
Tompkins, Joanne and Delbridge, Matt (2009). Using virtual reality modelling in cultural management, archiving and research. EVA 2009 London Conference, London, UK, 6-8 July 2009. Swindon, UK: British Informatics Society.
2009
Conference Publication
BoF: AusStage and the Aus-e-Stage Project: Collaborative eResearch in the performing arts
Tompkins, Joanne and Erskine, Shona (2009). BoF: AusStage and the Aus-e-Stage Project: Collaborative eResearch in the performing arts. eResearch Australasia 2009, Sydney, Australia, 9 - 13 November, 2009. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: The University of Queensland.
2009
Conference Publication
Virtual recreations of historical theatres: How VR meets theatre history
Tompkins, Joanne (2009). Virtual recreations of historical theatres: How VR meets theatre history. eResearch Australasia 2009, Sydney, Australia, 9 - 13 November 2009. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: The University of Queensland.
2009
Journal Article
The politics of location in Othello, Djanet Sears's Harlem Duet, and Ong Keng Sen's Desdemona
Tompkins, Joanne (2009). The politics of location in Othello, Djanet Sears's Harlem Duet, and Ong Keng Sen's Desdemona. Contemporary Theatre Review, 19 (3), 269-278. doi: 10.1080/10486800902985881
2009
Journal Article
Urban entanglements in three African Canadian plays: Lorena Gale's Angelique, George Boyd's Consecrated Ground, and Andrew Moodie's Riot
Tompkins, Joanne (2009). Urban entanglements in three African Canadian plays: Lorena Gale's Angelique, George Boyd's Consecrated Ground, and Andrew Moodie's Riot. Theatre Research in Canada, 30 (1-2), 17-36.
2009
Journal Article
Review: Impact of the Modern: Vernacular Modernities in Australia 1870s-1960s edited by Robert Dixon and Veronica Kelly
Tompkins, Joanne (2009). Review: Impact of the Modern: Vernacular Modernities in Australia 1870s-1960s edited by Robert Dixon and Veronica Kelly. Contemporary Theatre Review, 19 (3), 372-374. doi: 10.1080/10486800903000151
2008
Journal Article
Adapting Australian novels for the stage: La Boite Theatre's versions of Last Drinks, Perfect Skin, and Johnno
Tompkins, Joanne (2008). Adapting Australian novels for the stage: La Boite Theatre's versions of Last Drinks, Perfect Skin, and Johnno. Australian Literary Studies, 23 (3), 305-317.
2008
Book Chapter
Landscapes and Soundscapes in Noelle Janaczewska's Theatre
Tompkins, Joanne (2008). Landscapes and Soundscapes in Noelle Janaczewska's Theatre. Songket; This territory/two plays by Noëlle Janaczewska. (pp. ix-xiv) edited by Noelle Janaczewska. Strawberry Hills, Sydney, N.S.W: Currency Press.
2007
Journal Article
Review: Staging social welfare
Tompkins, Joanne (2007). Review: Staging social welfare. Canadian Literature: A Quarterly of Criticism and Review (193), 112-115.
2007
Book Chapter
Performing history's unsettlement
Tompkins, Joanne (2007). Performing history's unsettlement. Critical theory and performance. (pp. 71-84) edited by J. Reinelt and J. Roach. Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.: The University of Michigan Press.
2006
Book Chapter
The Shape of a Life: Constructing the ‘Self’ and ‘Other’ in Joan MacLeod’s The Shape of a Girl and Guillermo Verdecchia and Marcus Youssef’s A Line in the Sand
Tompkins, Joanne (2006). The Shape of a Life: Constructing the ‘Self’ and ‘Other’ in Joan MacLeod’s The Shape of a Girl and Guillermo Verdecchia and Marcus Youssef’s A Line in the Sand. Theatre and autobiography: Writing and Performing Lives in Theory and Practice. (pp. 124-136) edited by Sherrill Grace and Jerry Wasserman. Penticton, British Columbia: Talonbooks.
2006
Book Chapter
Gendering space: The desert and the psyche in contemporary Australian theatre
Tompkins, Joanne (2006). Gendering space: The desert and the psyche in contemporary Australian theatre. Feminist Futures? Theatre, Performance, Theory. (pp. 190-208) edited by Elaine Aston and Geraldine Harris. New York, N.Y, United States: Palgrave Macmillan.
Funding
Supervision
Availability
- Emeritus Professor Joanne Tompkins is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Theatre
Among the topics I could supervise are theatre history, theatre theory, and cultural, national, spatial approaches to theatre. I am particularly interested in Australian and Canadian theatre.
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Digital Humanities and Virtual Reality
I am interested in topics relating to digital humanities and theatre and VR theatre.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
An Internationalist Turn: Ecocritical Connections in Writing Climate Crisis from Australia and Beyond
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Tom Doig, Associate Professor Stephen Carleton
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Doctor Philosophy
Gender Equality and the Cycle Play
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Stephen Carleton
Completed supervision
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Brecht in India: The Poetics and Politics of Transcultural Theatre
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Bernadette Cochrane
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2016
Master Philosophy
"Being With:" Establishing Co-presence Between Multimedia Images and Performers in Multimedia Performance.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Amelia Barikin
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2014
Doctor Philosophy
Shakespeare's Voice: A Theory of the Voice in Performance
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Richard Fotheringham
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
Dramaturgy, Playtext, and Structure
Principal Advisor
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
Really Moving Drama
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Stephen Carleton
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2012
Doctor Philosophy
Re-Imagining Citizenry: National Identities in Canadian and Australian Multicultural Drama
Principal Advisor
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2011
Master Philosophy
Carving Out a Space: Founding Performance Space in the City
Principal Advisor
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2010
Doctor Philosophy
The space and performance of virtual reality
Principal Advisor
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2009
Doctor Philosophy
Theatre audience contribution through the post-performance discussion
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Veronica Kelly, Emeritus Professor Richard Fotheringham
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2008
Doctor Philosophy
Staging the North: Finding, Imagining and Performing an Australian Deep North
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Veronica Kelly
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2007
Doctor Philosophy
Beyond the Visible: Disability and Performing Bodies
Principal Advisor
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2006
Master Philosophy
RECONCILIATION ON STAGE: THE POLITICS OF INDIGENOUS REPRESENTATION IN BRISBANE THEATRE'S 1999 'RECONCILIATION PLAYS'
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Richard Fotheringham
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2004
Master Arts Creative Writing
DEERMEKAAR
Principal Advisor
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2003
Master Arts Creative Writing
Vampires in the Bush (text for performance)
Principal Advisor
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2023
Master Philosophy
Concrete Mirage, An Anthropocene Fever Dream: City Space on Stage in a New Epoch
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Stephen Carleton
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2018
Master Philosophy
The Nature of Engagement of Audiences in Prison Theatre: a case study of the Shakespeare Prison Project
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Rob Pensalfini
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Posthuman Drama: Identity and the Machine in Twenty-First-Century Playwriting
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Stephen Carleton
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2011
Master Philosophy
Never the Ordinary: Training and Performance in Contemporary Australian Physical Theatre; a Zen Zen Zo Case Study
Associate Advisor
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2008
Doctor Philosophy
Happy Together: The Family in Australian Drama since 1975
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Veronica Kelly
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2007
Doctor Philosophy
WHITE VANISHING: A SETTLER AUSTRALIAN HEGEMONIC TEXTUAL STRATEGY, 1789-2006
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson
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2005
Master Philosophy
THE KINESTHETICS OF ROCK MUSIC PERFORMANCE: AN EXAMINATION THROUGH PERFORMATIVITY, MASCULINITY, AND NICK CAVE.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner
Media
Enquiries
Contact Emeritus Professor Joanne Tompkins directly for media enquiries about:
- Australian drama
- Australian fiction
- Canadian drama and fiction
- Computer animation of theatre design
- Cultural space as virtual reality
- Drama
- Fiction
- Intercultural theatre
- Multicultural theatre
- Multimedia in theatre
- Post-colonial drama/theatre
- Spatial theory - theatre
- Stage design
- Theatre stage design
- Virtual reality - stage design
- Virtual reality modelling
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