Ms Kayla Parker

Research

Research Specialisms

Artists' moving image; animation practice and gender; feminist and collaborative practice; materiality and subjectivity.

Previous Projects

2009 'Teign Spirit' commissioned by Animate Projects for the SeaChange initiative of CABE, the government's advisor on architecture, urban design and public space: http://www.animateprojects.org/films/by_date/2009/teign_spirit 2007 'Art of Conversation' practice-led pedagogic animation research with students and staff at Plymouth College of Art and Design. Available: http://www.kaylaparker.co.uk/aoc/ 2007 'Small World' practice-based research into HD video aesthetics with Stuart Moore; commissioned by Stephen Littman University for the Creative Arts + Peter Richardson University of Dundee, for the 'Definitive Stories' screening programme of National Review of Live Art at the Tramway Gallery in Glasgow. 2003-2006 'Unity' leader of four media-based action research projects for BME students at Plymouth College of Art and Design funded by Ethnic Minority Student Achievement Grant (EMSAG) awards from The Learning and Skills Council 2002 'Life in the Bus Lane' DV practice-based research project with Stuart Moore, customers and staff at Plymouth CityBus funded by 'Living City' Project Award, Plymouth Arts Centre, South West Arts and National Lottery 2001 'Inner City' DV and Super 8mm practice-based research project exploring Plymouth City Centre through performance to camera; Year of the Artist residency with Attik Dance funded by Arts Council/South West Media Development Agency 2001 'Physic' DV practice-based research into digital image manipulation, 'Dartmoor Lives and Landscapes' project, Aune Head Arts 2000 'Walking Out' 16mm practice-based research project into the internal landscape of sexual abuse, Arts Council/South West Arts 1997 'Project' Super 8mm and pinhole photography practice-based research; collaboration with Stuart Moore; National Lottery/London Filmmakers' Co-op 1996 'Sunset Strip' 35mm practice-based research project into subjectivity and visual music, Channel 4/Arts Council Animate Award 1994 'Elemental' Super 8mm practice-based research project with Stuart Moore, Plymouth City Museum and Art Galley commission for 'Strandline' exhibition 1994 'As Yet Unseen' 16mm practice-based research into the mother/daughter relationship, BFI Production 1993 'Night Sounding' 16mm practice-based audiovisual research into sense of place, One Minute Television, BBC2's The Late Show/Arts Council 1992 'Cage of Flame' 16mm practice-based research into menstruation; Channel 4/Arts Council Animate Award

Current research

Doctoral research: Every frame counts: gender and creative practice in animation. Registered (part-time) October 2007; MPhil/PhD transfer July 2009. Director of Studies: Liz Wells, Professor in Photographic Culture; Second Supervisor: Dr Roberta Mock, Reader in Performance. My key research question is: In relation to my own practice as an artist, and situated within heterosexist patriarchal discourse, what are the processes involved in constructing a subjective position, and by what characteristics is the gendered subject recognised; can we identify qualities of methodology, including materiality, that frame the practice as feminine and/or feminist, and, if so, how may these be defined and better understood? I intend to explore this terrain with reference to French Poststructuralist feminist writer Luce Irigaray. In addition, through critically reflecting upon my experience of making, from sharing outcomes with others through exhibition and presentation, and entering debates about contemporary film and animation practice via the work of other artists such as Maya Deren and Caroline Leaf, I will articulate, analyze and critically evaluate the key aims and findings of my project. This is a practice-led project, which aims to establish a personal perspective as an artist film-maker at the beginning of the twenty first century on how feminist creative practice has shifted in relation to animation and the manipulated moving image from the 1970s onwards, but the theoretical terrain from which it emerges has tended to be dominated by patriarchal hetereosexist discourse. In order to situate my research study I will draw on the work of Malcolm Le Grice, for his practitioner/theorist perspectives on avant-garde film and artists' moving image, and Paul Wells, for his critical thinking and theorizing about animation, in addition to Jayne Pilling's perspectives on feminine and feminist animation practice.

Publications

2008 'White Body' film and research statement in Screenwork2 DVD: a showcase of practice-based doctorial research pieces, Journal of Media Practice (Vol 9 Issue 3 November 2008). Bristol: Intellect 2006 'The bigger picture: Getting animated' in Time Out 1000 films to change your life (2006) Simon Cropper (ed.). London: Ebury ISBN 978-1-904978-73-2 p. 101 2005 'Cage of Flame' film still, the cover image in an.schlage: das feministische magazin (03/2005). Vienna: Redaktion 2005 Learning companion - a study guide for level 3 learners. Plymouth: Plymouth Learning and Work Partnership, and the 14-19 Pathfinder Project (author and co-designer) [3rd reprint] 2004 'Project' film still; 'Memory, Narrative, Imaging the Un-see-able'; 'Cinema, spectacle, immersion'; 'As Yet Unseen', 'Walking Out' and 'Elemental' film stills in Experiments in moving image (2004) exhibition catalogue, Jackie Hatfield; Stephen Littman (eds. + curators). Margate: Thanet ISBN 1-902458-06-0 pp. 49; 90; 91; 92; 100; 105 2003 'Camera-less animation': 'Sunset Strip' film and production notes in 'Camera-less' in Into animation: a video compilation and teaching guide (2003) VHS + CD-ROM, Louise Spraggon. London: BFI Education ISBN 1-903786-10-X 2001 'Remembering Alison de Vere (1927 - 2001)' feature in ASIFA news (Vol 14 No.1 2001). Ottawa: International Association of Animated Film p. 16 (French translation p. 17; Russian translation p. 18) 1996 'Metamorphosis' 16mm filmstrip and frame enlargement; 'Sunset Strip' and 'Walking Out' film stills; and 'Running Horse' frame enlargement in 'Drawing on Film', 'Cage of Flame' film still in 'Themes: Didactic' in The encyclopaedia of animation techniques (1996) Richard Taylor. London: Quarto ISBN 0-240-51488-2 pp. 64 - 65; 131 1996 'Cage of Flame' film still, the cover image; 'Kayla Parker'; and filmography in A directory of British film and video artists, (1996) David Curtis (ed.). Luton: John Libbey and Arts Council of England ISBN 1-86020-003-6 pp. 138 - 139; 223 1992 'Unknown Woman' film still; 'A-Z: Parker, Kayla GB' in Women and animation: a compendium (1992) Jayne Pilling (ed.). London: British Film Institute ISBN 0-85170-377-1 p 80/81; pp. 133 - 134

Other

Member of the Land/Water and the Visual Arts research group at University of Plymouth. Recent collaborative interdisciplinary practice-based research projects with young people include: 2009 Hidden Harm: Lonely; with young people and children affected by alcohol and substance misuse in their family; young carer workers at The Zone, Plymouth; Stuart Moore and Sundog Media; commissioned by Plymouth City Council. 2009 The Other CO2 Problem; with Ridgeway School, Dr Carol Turley of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Stuart Moore and Sundog Media; commissioned by European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA) with support from University College Plymouth St Mark and St John, and National Marine Aquarium; winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry Bill Bryson Prize for Science Communication 2009. 2008 There 2 Care: The Voice of Young Carers; with young carers and young carer workers at the Zone, Stuart Moore and Sundog Media; commissioned by Plymouth City Council; winner of the Media Innovation Award 2009.

Email and website

Email: kayla.parker@plymouth.ac.uk

Website

View the website

Primary institution

Position

Lecturer in Media Arts

Department

School of Art and Media

Faculty

Arts

Institution

University of Plymouth

Address

• M08 Scott Building
• Drake Circus
• Plymouth
• PL4 8AA
• Tel: +44(0)1752 585230