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Dr. Rosie Garton is an Associate Professor and Programme Leader for BA Acting. She is also a performance maker, director and writer. As Co-Artistic Director of Anglo-German performance company Zoo Indigo, she devises and directs contemporary performance work that tours nationally and internationally.  

Rosie has authored articles examining the everyday performance of women cycling in the UK and co-authored a series of articles and chapters exploring her theatre practice around dramaturgies of mirgation. She is currently co-editing a book on Nomadic Performance Making (Bloomsbury 2027). 

 

 Institute of Drama, Dance and Performance Studies

Research Interests

• The bicycle as a an ecological mode of travel
• Gendered spatial practices in urban spaces
• Multingual contemporary theatre
• Dramaturgies of Migration
• Feminist performance practice
• Inclusive pedagogic practices

Expertise

• Devising for contemporary theatre
• Autobiographical theatre making 
• Feminist performance making
• Original music and song for performance
• Immersive practice and sit-based performance

• Vocal Points
• Immersive Theatre
• Site-based performance
• Artists in Residence 
• Deconstructing Performance
• International Performance Project 
• Performance Company
• Professional theatre practice
• Research Project 
• Postgraduate supervisor

• PhD 'The Emotional Cycleborg: Women's Disruptive Performance of Cycling in Everday Urban Spaces'.  ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ 2026
• MA  Performance and Live Art. Nottingham Trent University 2005
• BA (Hons) Theatre Arts. ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ 2001

• Acting BA (Hons)
• Performing Arts BA (Hons)
• Drama Studies BA (Hons)
• MA Performance Practices
• MA Arts

2024. ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ 'Going the Extra Mile' staff recognition award. 

2023. ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ Teaching and Research Award. Nominated for: 'Best Practice-based Research'and 'Most Collegiate Lecturer'. 

2023. ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ COP28 'Climate Justice Champion'

2023. ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ 3 Minute Thesis - Winner

2021. ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ Teaching and Research Award. 'Best use of technology'

2021. ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ Teaching and Research Award 'Most Innovative and Adaptable Lecturer'

2020.  ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ Vice Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award

2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022. Nominated for ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Teacher Award 

 

 

 

Presentations at:

Garton, R. (2024) ‘Cycling Women: Everyday Performances of the Persistent and Hopeful Cycleborg’. ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ ADH Faculty Research Showcase.

Garton, R. (2023) 'The Disruptive Performance of Women on Wheels'. TaPRA, Univeristy of Leeds.

Garton, R. (2022) ‘Celebrating difference: using performance practices to give voice to lived experiences'. Social and Environmental Justice for a Sustainble Future,  Christ Church Canterbury University 

Garton, R. (2022) 'The cycleborg: the female on wheels as contemporary vehicle for environmental change’. Social and Environmental Justice for a Sustainble Future,  Christ Church Canterbury University 

Garton, R. (2022) 'Decolonising ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ: Through Co-Creation'. Advance HE’s EDI Colloquium: Decolonising Pedagogies

Garton, R. (2021) 'Spectacles of joy and risk: The female on a bicycle', Borderlines, De Montfort Univeristy, Leicester

Garton, R. (2021) 'Disruptive/ed Pedagogies' Teaching and Learning Conference, ÉëÒ÷Ö®Íõ, Leicester 

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2018) 'No Woman's Land'.  International Federation of Theatre Research,   University of Belgrade, Serbia

Garton, R., & Rippel, I (2018) 'Borders and Beyond',   Biography and Public History, University of Nottingham

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2016) 'Maternity and Borderlands: a reflection on No Woman’s Land'.   ‘International Conference on Culture,  Communication and Transnational Societies’ , Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2016) P'erforming Maternity'. Performance and the Maternal. Edge Hill University, Liverpool

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2015) 'Under the Covers: an interactive audience'  Play, Perform, Participate -   The International Society for  Intermedial Studies,  The University of Utrecht, Utrecht

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2013) 'Under the Covers: re-creating film' at The International Cinema in Theatre, Université Lumière, Lyon     

Garton, R. (2012) 'Between me you and the breast pump: the performance of  motherhood in public spaces'.  PSI Conference, at University of Leeds

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2012) 'Virtual distance: conversations between virtual and real spaces'.  Space and place conference, University of Worcester

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2010) 'This is now, this is live: Virtual parenting'. DRHA – Sensual Technologies, Brunel University 

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2010)  'This is now, this is live: Virtual parenting'  (re) Performing the Posthuman, University of Sussex  

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2010) 'This is now, this is live: Audience responsibility'. JAM The Audience Spectacular, Reading University 

Garton, R. (2009) 'This is now, this is live: Immediacy of virtual relationships'. MA symposium, University of Chester          

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2009) 'This is now, this is live: Immediacy and unpredictability of live virtual presence'.  Performing Presence Conference, University of Exeter

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2009) 'This is now, this is live: Virtual relationships'  Lincoln University      

Publications

Garton, R.; Rippel, I.; Crossley, M. (2027) Nomadic Performance Making: Embodied Journeys as Creative Process. London: Bloombury. 

Garton, R. (2024) 'Agentive Green Mobility: Everyday Performance Training for Women on Wheels', Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 15: 3. Pp. 366-374. 

Garton, R. (2024) 'The Cycleborg: Everyday Performances of Solidarity and Hope of the Cycling Female', Studies in Theatre and Performance Journal,  44:1, pp. 24-40.

Garton, R. & Rippel, I. (2021) ‘Loss and Being Lost: Performing Precarity through Multilingual text, Song and Music’ Critical Stages, 24.

Garton, R. & Rippel, I. (2019) ‘No Woman’s Land - Walking as a Dramaturgical Device in Performance of Maternal Migration’ Critical Stages, 20.

Garton, R. & Rippel, I (2019) ‘Borders of Time and Transportations of Digital Image’ in Intermediality in Theatre, ed. Crossley, M. London: Routledge, pp. 175-183.

Rippel, I. & Garton, R. (2017) Maternal Ruptures/Raptures, Performance Research Journal, 22:4, pp. 36-43.

Garton, R. & Rippel. (2016) Fantasizing Motherhood, Live Art and the Maternal, Live Art Development Agency.

Garton, R. & Rippel, I. (2016) Constructing Performance, The Drawing Board.

Rippel, I. & Garton, R. (2011) This is Now, This is Live, Body, Space and Technology Journal.

 

Performance projects

The Conditional Citizen (Don't You Want me Baby?) - performance (2025 - currently touring)

Don't Leave Me This Way - performance (2020 - 2023)

No Woman’s Land  - performance (2015 – 2019)

No Woman’s Land  - documentary film (2016)

Celluloid Souls –performance (2016 – 2019)

Flat Out – street performance (2013)

Blueprint - performance (2010-2012)

Circle Symphony – site specific performance (2011)

Under the Covers - performance (2009 – 2013)

For further practice as research projects please see

2024

Project: Borderlands 

Details: Directing a performance work with emerging artists from migratory backgrounds. 

Funders: Arts Council England

2020 

Project: Britizenship  - a tryptic project

Details: Development of live touring performance, a performance video and a performance lecture. 

Funders: Arts Council England

2018 

Project: Research and development for Britizenship

Details: Research in Romania, Ireland and Hungary - re-tracing our British-ness (or lack of it) in a post-Brexit Britain

Funders: Arts Council England

 

Project: Yes/No/Maybe

Details: touring performance work exploring binary code

Funders: AHRC

2016

Project: Organisational Development
Funders: Arts Council England

 

Project: No Woman’s Land - performance
Details: Multi-media performance exploring a history of expulsion and walking mothers post World War II
Funders: In Good Company and Arts Council England

Nationally and internationally touring project

Project: No Woman’s Land – a film documentary
Details: An experimental film documentary following the Zoo Indigo duo across Poland and Germany retracing the footsteps of Lucia Rippel in 1945
Funders: In Good Company and Arts Council England

Nationally and internationally touring project

Project: Celluloid Souls - performance
Details: A multi-media performance using the cinematic experience to examine gender and cultural roles in cult films
Funders: Arts Council England and In Good Company
Commission: Pilot Nights, Birmingham

UK touring project

2015

Project: No Woman’s Land – walking project
Details: International project walking across Poland and Germany, research and creation of film documentary
Funders: Arts Council England and In Good Company (Derby Theatre, Attenborough Arts Centre, Create Theatre)

2012-2013

Project: Blueprint - performance
Details: Multimedia theatre/science collaboration
Commissioned: Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham
Funded: Arts Council England

Nationally and internationally touring project

Project: Flat Out  - Street Performance
Details: Intervention performance work exploring public mothering
Commissioned: Hatch, Nottingham and Hazard Festival, Manchester

2011

Project: Circle Symphony – large-scale site specific performance
Details: Site-specific durational project at Nottingham Playhouse; part of NEAT11 festival
Commissioned: Nottingham Playhouse
Funded: Arts Council England

2009

Project: Under the Covers - performance
Details: Multi media performance collaboration with ventmedia exploring virtual mothering
Commissioned: HATCH Nottingham, Forest Fringe (Edinburgh);
Funded: Arts Council England

Nationally and internationally touring project 

2008

Project: Cultural exchange project
Details: Research project making links with artists in Nottingham’s twinned city Karlsruhe
Funded: Arts Council England and Nottingham City Council

2006

Project: White as Snow, Red as Blood - Performance
Details: Collaboration with multi-media artist Barret Hodgson exploring the relationship between Grimms Tales and the modern day woman
Funded: Arts Council England 
Commissioned: Loughborough Town Hall, NTU

2004/05

Project: Dress Code: Indigo (unplugged) - Performance
Details: Collaboration with musicians of the Knife and Forkestra. 
Funded: Arts Council England

UK touring project

2003

Project: Lounge Living - Performance
Details: Collaboration with FLYdance dance company and Barret Hodsgon digital artist
Funded: Arts Council England 
Commissioned: Derby Dance
Supported by: Power House, Nottingham and The Place, London

UK touring project

Project: Private I – Performance
Details: Investigative collaboration with dance artist Kerryn Wise and multi-media artist Barret Hodgson
Funded: Arts Council England 
Commissioned: Bonington Gallery, Nottingham 

Rosie's practice as research has been discussed in:

Dixon, S. (2025) ‘Digital Souvenirs: Artist-mother and Autistic-child Pluri-disciplinary Collaborations’, International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media, 21:1, pp. 75-96.

Putnam, E. (2024) ‘Leaking Milk and Beating Hearts: Technological Immanence and the Maternal Body’, Edwards, M. & Palermos, Feminist Philosophy and Emerging Technologies. London: Routledge, pp. 19-36.

Šimić, L. (2018) ‘Encountering performing (M)Others: Feminist Maternal Practice in Contemporary Performance’, Contemporary Theatre Review, 28:3, pp. 401-412. 

Dinkgrafe, D. (2017) ‘Towards a Theatre of the Heart’, Philosophy Series, LXVI:1, pp.119-221. 

Sharrocks, A.; Qualmann, C. (2017) Walking Women: A Study Room Guide on Women Using Walking in their Practice. London: Live Art Development Agency. 

Komporaly, .J (2016) ‘Making a Spectacle: Motherhood in Contemporary British Theatre and Performance’, Theatre History Studies, 35. USA: University of Albama Press.

Senior, A. (2016) ‘Natality: Performance’s Ontological Other and the Arendtian Appearance of Children in Contemporary Performance’,Theatre Research International, 41: 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 70-84.

Meyer-Dinkgrafe, D. (2013) Observing Theatre. Rodopi