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Staff Profile

Dr Miranda Iossifidis

Lecturer in Sociology

  • Telephone: +44(0)191 208 3674
  • Personal Website: http://www.cargocollective.com/mirandaio
  • Address: Newcastle University
    School of Geography,
    Politics and Sociology,
    4.129, Level 4 Henry Daysh Buillding
Background

I am a Lecturer in Sociology, with research interest in feminist approaches to speculative environmental presents and futures, creative methods, and a background in urban studies. My current research focuses on the nexus of reproductive and environmental futures, and using creative participatory methods to explore speculative climate justice futures.


I have worked on diverse research projects: OpenHeritage (Horizon 2020), Children's Magical Realism for New Spatial Interactions in the Culture Lab at Newcastle University, and Unsettling Scientific Stories (AHRC). I have also worked in urban and cultural policy (European Cultural Foundation, British Council).


Since finishing my PhD in Sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London (2016) I have taught in Sociology, Geography, Media and Design departments at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Goldsmiths, LSE, UCL, Oxford, University of the Arts London and Newcastle University. I am a Fellow of the HEA.


I am part of the Sonic Cyberfeminisms collective and have worked with the Feminist Autonomous Centre in Athens, contributing to their Summer Schools. I have a monthly radio show on Slack's, Tyne and Wear's weird radio station.

 



Research

My research explores questions of how different environmental and reproductive futures are mobilised in the present, drawing on feminist approaches and creative methods. I have a background in urban studies and audio/visual practice.


My current research projects focuses on the nexus of reproductive and environmental futures, and using creative participatory methods to explore speculative climate justice futures. I have an ongoing research interest in the creative and collective negotiation of environmental presents and futures through speculative fiction, engaging with online methods to work with reading groups. This will be published in a co-authored book with Lisa Garforth, Amy Chambers and Joanna Verran for Palgrave Pivot in 2025.


I would love to work with doctoral students interested in any of these research areas.


Ongoing projects (2023-24)

  • Using creative participatory zine workshops as a methodological approach for explore speculative climate justice futures, with Mack Sproates and Bethan, funded by the Catherine Cookson Foundation.
  • Speculative reproductive and environmental futures.

Recent Projects

  • Zine workshops exploring ecofascism with local activists, with the canny little library at the Star and Shadow, Newcastle upon Tyne (2022, funded by Newcastle University GPS Small Bids)
  • Online/offline activism during the Spring 2020 UK lockdown: London-based air pollution campaigns (2021, funded by Newcastle University HaSS Pioneer Award).
  • OpenHeritage: an Horizon2020 project examining the processes and practices of adaptive heritage reuse through a living lab in Sunderland, and producing EU policy recommendations with other partners (2020-21). 
  • Urban and cultural policy analysis for the European Cultural Foundation as part of Cultural and Creative Spaces and Cities (2020). 
  • Research consultancy: creating a new programme with Dr Mbaye and the British Council Creative Economy team exploring Dakar's creative ecosystem with young creative communities, 'The Space Between' (2020). 
  • Curating Dakar as an 'Art World City', with Dr Jenny Mbaye. Our chapter on independent art institution-building in Dakar was recently published in Forces of Art: Perspectives from a Changing World. (2019-2020). 
  • Children's Magical Realism for New Spatial Interactions with Dr Tom Schofield in Culture Lab, collaborating with Seven Stories to develop and facilitate workshops exploring children's relationship to space and place in Newcastle upon Tyne, through augmented reality and magical realism (2019). 
  • Prospecting Futures, part of Unsettling Scientific Stories, using digital methods to explore how online science fiction reading communities collectively and creatively negotiate Anthropocene futures (AHRC) with Dr Lisa Garforth in Sociology (2018-19).
Teaching

I currently teach on the Sociological Imagination (Stage 1) I am the Module Leader and Lecturer on Researching Social Life II (Stage 2), and supervise undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations.


I am the Sociology PGR co-Director and Academic Lead for Employability.


I welcome the opportunity to work with students interested in the themes outlined on my research page.

Publications