Professor of Moving Image & Director of the Animation Research Centre

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Professor Birgitta Hosea

Professor Birgitta Hosea is an artist and Director of the Animation Research Centre at the University for the Creative Arts. She was previously Head of Animation at the Royal College of Art and prior to that at Central Saint Martins (where she completed her PhD).

Professor Birgitta Hosea

Bio

Professor Birgitta Hosea is an artist and Director of the Animation Research Centre at the University for the Creative Arts. She was previously Head of Animation at the Royal College of Art and prior to that at Central Saint Martins (where she completed her PhD). At both, she led audience engagement projects for organisations (including the National Gallery, English National Opera, RSC, and the Old Operating Theatre Museum) in which animation was used to extend exhibition design and audiences.

Her own expanded animation work has been exhibited internationally including at ASIFAKEIL, Vienna; National Gallery X; Venice & Karachi Biennales; Oaxaca & Chengdu Museums of Contemporary Art; Hanmi Gallery, Seoul; Centre for Recent Drawing, London; Hunan Museum, China.

Birgitta’s accolades include a collection in the Tate Britain and Centre d’Arte Contemporain, Paris, archives; an Adobe Impact Award; a MAMA Award for Holographic Arts; a fellowship of the RSA; artist residencies in Azerbaijan, Ireland, Italy and Sweden. She has co-curated events and exhibitions for, amongst others, Adobe, Ars Electronica and Guizhou Provincial Museum, China: Fission (2022), featured 44 international digital artists reaching 250,000 people.

Commencing with technical research for Adobe as software BETA tester, Birgitta’s funded research includes Sensory Spaces, developing tactile, VR sculpture software for StoryFutures (2020) and Future Transport 2030, animated visualisation of Synaptic Transport (EU R&I) with Bartlett School of Planning, UCL (2013). She is currently leading on feminist AI research with the City University of London in which hand drawing is used with Generative Adversarial Networks to visualize statistics on domestic violence through animation.

Her writing has featured in publications such as Animation Interdisciplinary; The Crafty Animator; Experimental and Expanded Animation;  Experimental Animation: From Analogue to Digital; Animating the Spirited; Animated Landscapes; and Expanded animation with her most recent book being Performance Drawing: New Practices Since 1945 (Bloomsbury, 2020) co-written with Foá, Grisewood and McCall.

Further information:

Research supervision

Birgitta has an interest in research that investigates animation and drawing through numerous theoretical lenses. She has supervised practice-based research students whose interests include: graphic facilitation as methodology for working with marginalised groups; the application of Rudolph Laban’s movement theories to the production of animation; the use of animation as ethnographic research method; feminist investigation of traditional Chinese painting through CGI animation; experimental moving image as a means to explore Taoism, the use of abstract animation to express the annihilation of minorities in Iraq and the evocative use of space in animation to express female subjectivity.

Current UCA research students:

  • 2023 – Yifang (Griffin) Gu, “Visual Jockey System Using Large Language Model AI”, UCA (enrolled)
  • 2023 – Anahita Fazaeli, “Ethnic Diversity Representation in British Children’s Stop Motion TV Series”, UCA (enrolled)
  • 2022 – Jingyue Chang, “Storying Outside the Box: A Practice-based Investigation into Spatial Forms of Narrative in Immersive Media”, UCA (passed Transfer)
  • 2021 – Eleanor Thorpe, “The Other: The Representation of Queer and Trans Women in Survival Horror”, UCA (passed Registration)
  • 2021 – Anna De Guia-Eriksson, “Afterthoughts: reimagining representations of Spanish-Philippine colonial history in Spanish & Filipino cinema”, UCA (passed Registration)
  • 2021 – Josephine Tiri Muai, “UK Rap and Luxury Fashion: A Study of Influence and Consumer Patterns from 2015 to 2024”, UCA (passed Transfer)
  • 2020 – Kirsty Lamont, “Archiving Atmosphere: Extracting the Ecstasies of Dusk in St. Gilgen, Salzkammergut, Austria” (passed Registration), UCA
  • 2019 – Maybelle Peters, “Hacking the Master’s Tools: using data as materiality”, UCA (passed Confirmation)
  • 2019 – Ruini Shi, “Exploring the Role of Animation in Representing and Reconstructing Speculative Design for Serving Intimate Relationships in Marginalised Communities”, UCA (passed Registration)
  • 2019 – Annette Mills, “The Intensive Journal Method: advancing insights in creative practice.”, UCA (passed Confirmation)

Professional Membership, Affiliation and Consultancy

Professional recognition:

  • Higher Education Academy, Fellow
  • RSA, Fellow

Subject organisations:

  • Animation Alliance UK
  • NAHEMI
  • Adobe Education Leader
  • Society for Animation Studies, Member
  • BECTU, Art Director Grade

Editorial / Review:

  • Guest editor, 2024, Animation Practice Process and Production (Intellect Books journal): Decolonising Animation Edition
  • Judge, 2023, SIGGRAPH Asia; London International Animation Festival
  • Judge, 2022, CINANIMA festival, Portugal; Brighton International Animation Festival; Under_the_Radar Festival, Vienna
  • Judge, 2021, Arts Foundation Futures Awards: Animation; AHRC Research in Film Awards: Animation
  • Guest editor, 2019-21, International Journal of Film and Media Arts: Ecstatic Truth issues
  • Advisory Panel member, 2019/20, Creative Media Research Centre, St Pölten University of Applied Sciences, Vienna, Austria
  • Judge, 2019-20, Prix Arts Electronica: Computer Animation category, Linz, Austria
  • Book proposal reviewer, 2003-21, Focal Press, Elseveir, Routledge, Springer, Palgrave MacMillan
  • Peer reviewer, 2014-21, Animation: Interdisciplinary Journal (Sage)
  • Peer reviewer, 2019, Society for Animation Studies Annual Conference, Universidade Lusófona, Lisbon
  • Peer Reviewer, 2019, ANIVAE Panel on Augmented and Virtual Environments, IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, Japan
  • Chair, 2019, Animating Performance Performing Animation conference, King’s College London
  • Scientific Committee Member, 2015-2019, CONFIA, International Conference on Illustration and Animation, Portugal
  • Judge, 2017, 1st Fishing Town New Media Competition, Chongqing, China
  • Peer Reviewer, 2016, Leverhulme Trust Fellowship Awards
  • Judge, 2015, Adobe / Film Doo Film Fan Art Poster Competition, Sundance Film Festival, USA
  • Chair, 2015, NAHEMI panel on animation education, Future Film Festival, British Film Institute
  • Editorial board member and peer reviewer, 2013-6, Animation Journal
  • Judge, 2014, Campus Movie Fest, Student Film Competition, London, UK
  • Peer Reviewer, 2012-14, Co-Design journal
  • Member of SKILLSET Higher Education Audiovisual Forum, 2006-8
  • BETA Tester, 2001-3, Adobe Systems Inc: Premiere and Flash

Research degree examination:

  • 2023 – Examiner, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
  • 2022 – Examiner, Canterbury Christchurch University, UK
  • 2022 – Pre-examiner, Aalto University, Finland
  • 2021 – Examiner, University for the Creative Arts
  • 2020 – Examiner, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
  • 2020 – Chairing of Viva examination, University for the Creative Arts
  • 2019 – Examiner, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
  • 2019 – Examiner, City University of Hong Kong
  • 2018 – Chairing of Viva examination, School of Art, Royal College of Art
  • 2017 – Examiner, Middlesex University, London
  • 2016-17 – Chairing of Interim examinations for the School of Communication, RCA
  • 2017 – Examiner, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
  • 2016 – Examiner, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
  • 2016 – Examiner, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
  • 2015 – Examiner, University of Huddersfield, UK
  • 2014 – Confirmation Examiner, Central Saint Martins, UAL
  • 2014 – Examiner, CCW, UAL

External examining experience (selected):

  • 2019-25 – External Examiner, BA Digital Animation, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia
  • 2022 – External panel member for Professorship, Canterbury Christchurch University
  • 2021 – Assessment of staff research outputs, Education University of Hong Kong
  • 2020 – External panel member for Professorship, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
  • 2018 – Validation Panel Member, MA Fine Art/Illustration/Photography, York St Johns University
  • 2012-6 – External Examiner, BSc / MSc Multimedia, Dublin City University, Ireland
  • 2012-6 – External Examiner, MA Media Programme, University of Hertfordshire
  • 2005-09 – External Examiner, fDA Multimedia, Westminster Kingsway College, University of Westminster
  • 2005-08 – External Examiner, BA Animation, University of Wales Newport
  • 2004-08 – External Examiner, fDA Animation, Cavendish College, University of Wales
  • 2002-06 – External Examiner, MA New Media Production, Liverpool John Moores University
  • 2004 – Validation Panel Member, BA Animation Production, Bournemouth Arts Institute, University of Surrey
  • 2023 – Artist Residency, Konstepidemin, Gothenburg, Sweden
  • 2022 – P-I, HEIMR, (co-I Dr Laden Hashemi, Violence and Society Unity, City University), UCA AHRC IAA funding
  • 2022 – Honorable Mention for vision and unique contribution to cinema (Holes), Experimental Forum, Los Angeles
  • 2022 – P-I, Animating Farnham, KE funding
  • 2021 – Artist Residency, C4RD (Centre for Recent Drawing), London
  • 2020 – Co-I, Sensory Spaces, StoryFutures Immersive Fellowships
  • 2020 – Norman McLaren-Evelyn Lambert Award for Best Book on Animation Published
  • 2018-19 – Society for Animation Studies, Experimental and Expanded Animation (eds. Hamlyn and Smith, Ch.12 by Birgitta Hosea)
  • 2018-2023 – Named Researcher, StoryFutures, AHRC Creative Cluster in Immersive Storytelling
  • 2019 – Visiting Researcher, Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, Exeter
  • 2017 – Norman McLaren-Evelyn Lambert Award for Best Book on Animation Published
  • 2015-16 – Society for Animation Studies, Animated Landscapes (ed. Chris Pallant, Ch.9 by Birgitta Hosea)
  • 2017 – Society for Animation Studies grant in support of Ecstatic Truth II symposium
  • 2016-18 – Visiting Professorship and Researcher, School of Arts and Film, Chengdu University, China
  • 2016 – Artist Residency, Cill Rialaig, Ireland
  • 2016 – Artist Residency, Goan Conversations, India
  • 2015 – Artist Residency, Atina Asilo, Lazio, Italy
  • 2014-5 – Mindfulness through Animation, Futurising the Curriculum, UAL pedagogical research grant
  • 2014 – RE-LIFT, Finalist for NESTA/AHRC Digital R&D Award
  • 2014 – Artist-in-residence, Yarat Contemporary Arts, Baku, Azerbaijan
  • 2013 – project co-ordinator / co-direction: Future Transport 2030, animated visualisation of Synaptic Transport European Research Project in conjunction with Bartlett School of Planning, UCL
  • 2012 – Conversing with Cartoons, CSM internal research grant
  • 2010 – Artist-in-residence, Digital Arts and Animation Department, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA, travel funding sponsored by Adobe
  • 2010 – Adobe Impact Award, San Jose, USA
  • 2010 – Artist-in-residence (with DT), the Centre for Drawing, Wimbledon College of Art, London
  • 2009 – Second prize, MAMA Award for Holographic Arts (Performance category), Musion Academy
  • 2008-9 – Artist Programme, Musion Academy Holographic Arts, London