Maria Leonard Email & Phone Number

United Kingdom

New York

Programme focused on the function of culture in the future city, unruly art, working class cultural production, and financialization, titled 'kicking the back door in'.Including discussion with Jack Halberstam on wildness/collapse/anarchy; Sarah Schulman on gentrification; Wayne Kostenbaum on obscenity; Wendy Xu on immigrant poetics; performance; informal public learning; and exhibition; showing of Alvin Baltrop archive resources; photos by Mary Manning; readings from Punks by John… Show more Programme focused on the function of culture in the future city, unruly art, working class cultural production, and financialization, titled 'kicking the back door in'.Including discussion with Jack Halberstam on wildness/collapse/anarchy; Sarah Schulman on gentrification; Wayne Kostenbaum on obscenity; Wendy Xu on immigrant poetics; performance; informal public learning; and exhibition; showing of Alvin Baltrop archive resources; photos by Mary Manning; readings from Punks by John KeeneFunded by Goethe Institut - Curatorial Research Fellowship. Show less

Managing the Rebel Failures learning programme alongside the artist-curated takeover, Ridykeulous with Nicole Eisenman and A.L. Steiner.

London

Working with the National Poetry Library, a public programme made up of public learning, performances and readings focused on the diverse ways that temporal dislocation occurs in grief experiences, such as the ways time can shape the meaning and significance of these experiences. With Denise Riley, Rachel Long and Cecilia Knapp. The question of how to best express, understand and interpret grief time together in public is at the heart of the programme. Grief Time draws on what the poet… Show more Working with the National Poetry Library, a public programme made up of public learning, performances and readings focused on the diverse ways that temporal dislocation occurs in grief experiences, such as the ways time can shape the meaning and significance of these experiences. With Denise Riley, Rachel Long and Cecilia Knapp. The question of how to best express, understand and interpret grief time together in public is at the heart of the programme. Grief Time draws on what the poet and philosopher Denise Riley wrote in her celebrated non-fiction work Time Lived, Without its Flow regarding the death of her son and “the curious sense of being pulled right outside of time.” Show less

Berlin

Does writing go against the political structures of madness? How do narratives of disorder shape their course in our lives? How has the phenomenon of disorder been assembled?The representation of disorder in narrative and performance provides a way of exploring the connections and disjunctions between diagnosis and identity, narratives of disorder and normality. This is a hybrid English/German performance and reading series. Disordered Minds, Disobedient Literature is a public… Show more Does writing go against the political structures of madness? How do narratives of disorder shape their course in our lives? How has the phenomenon of disorder been assembled?The representation of disorder in narrative and performance provides a way of exploring the connections and disjunctions between diagnosis and identity, narratives of disorder and normality. This is a hybrid English/German performance and reading series. Disordered Minds, Disobedient Literature is a public project funded by various sources such as University of Cambridge and MIND Foundation Berlin. It explores in public large questions surrounding culture and madness. Show less

London

Seminar leader for Art, Politics, Sex: Resistance in the Rebel Dykes Archive, based on the collections including the Rebel Dykes Archive. Bishopsgate Institute’s Special Collections and Archives holds one of the most extensive collections on LGBTQ+ history, politics and culture in the UK. It covers the late nineteenth century onward.

Lecture series and seminar group over 2 semesters for first year undergraduates focused on "freedom", writing and political structures.

• Producing project management material i.e. timeline, risk log, and liaised with Exhibitions Curator, Head of Design and Head of Art Handling with regard to resource availability.• Liased with artists, performers and stakeholders to build ongoing relationships for current and future exhibitions.• Managed project timelines according to the public learning programme to deliver accessible programmes for a range of audiences.

Berlin

Researcher and producer of the in tandem, live literature reading series and outreach project focusing on poetry, politics and translation with the Lettrétage Literaturhaus Berlin in collaboration with the Peter Szondi Institute for Comparative Literature at Freie Universität. 8 weeks project including workshops, outreach events and impact evaluation.in tandem: live literature celebrates the polyvocal across sound, meaning and language. It is a series of public experiments that pairs… Show more Researcher and producer of the in tandem, live literature reading series and outreach project focusing on poetry, politics and translation with the Lettrétage Literaturhaus Berlin in collaboration with the Peter Szondi Institute for Comparative Literature at Freie Universität. 8 weeks project including workshops, outreach events and impact evaluation.in tandem: live literature celebrates the polyvocal across sound, meaning and language. It is a series of public experiments that pairs together writers to create in tandem performances that expand what translation can be in live practice.Featuring Berlin-based writers and translators, drawing on the notion of multiplicity and attempting to establish an idea of what migratory poetics sounds like in Berlin now, this evening will engage with live aspects of translation.This series of experiments and public readings is a way of recording poetic language, practice, and performance that accounts for its contemporary multiplicity. Show less

Bristol And London

I steer, produce and facilitate Invented Futures. Invented Futures is a multidisciplinary project that takes apart the histories, stories and narratives that go hand-in-hand with emerging technology, and how these reflect the way we understand our future selves. It was selected for SETsquared's 2020 Enterprising Women pre-accelerator programme, funded by Natwest.Invented Futures is based between Spike Island and SETsquared Bristol, and is part of the digitalsocial.eu DSI platform and… Show more I steer, produce and facilitate Invented Futures. Invented Futures is a multidisciplinary project that takes apart the histories, stories and narratives that go hand-in-hand with emerging technology, and how these reflect the way we understand our future selves. It was selected for SETsquared's 2020 Enterprising Women pre-accelerator programme, funded by Natwest.Invented Futures is based between Spike Island and SETsquared Bristol, and is part of the digitalsocial.eu DSI platform and SpeculativeEDU. I devise workshops for Spike Island Studio artists. Current discussions groups include Technofeminism - Wajcman to Cuboniks; design fiction concepts; No Future - reading Elizabeth Grosz, José Esteban Muñoz and Sara Ahmed.When we talk about technology, we’re really talking about ourselves. Emerging tech has become a container for our anxieties about future ways of living. What stories do we tell ourselves about tech, and how do these narratives shape our futures? Show less

London

Theatre Deli fills empty spaces with art and artists, creativity and community. Currently operating in Sheffield and London, Theatre Deli works to develop diverse audiences, artistic communities by providing safe suitably resourced environments for everyone to experiment with, develop, showcase and enjoy art. Theatre Deli supports and invests in artists through residencies, drop-ins, jams, festivals, co-productions, in-kind support and more.

London

Qisetna (Talking Syria) is an initiative started to preserve the cultural heritage of Syrians living in the diaspora through reportage, storytelling and art.

Doing Consciousness is a series of cultural experiments that explore the relation between experience, cognitive functioning and the various interplay between cognition, the body, others and the world. ​As a public platform, Doing Consciousness curates and encourages new perspectives on the debate around the nature of consciousness by doing, asking and platforming. The project centres in particular so-called disordered experience, from brain trauma, psychotic states and hallucination to… Show more Doing Consciousness is a series of cultural experiments that explore the relation between experience, cognitive functioning and the various interplay between cognition, the body, others and the world. ​As a public platform, Doing Consciousness curates and encourages new perspectives on the debate around the nature of consciousness by doing, asking and platforming. The project centres in particular so-called disordered experience, from brain trauma, psychotic states and hallucination to the urgent discussions around brain diversity and 'neurodivergence'. ​Our first programme series is in collaboration with the London Plasticity Lab as part of British Science Week. There is currently an upcoming open call for events, interactive workshops and more for spring and summer 2022. Show less

Bristol

I am part of the founding team behind Death.io, now Iternal.life, responsible for articulating the need surrounding the public understanding of death in the digital age.I have a key part in creating strategic partnerships. I produced decks for investors and potential equity lines, researched multiple competitor analyses to be used in pitches, as well as researching and communicating future iterations of product within internal strategy sessions and providing key research for stakeholder… Show more I am part of the founding team behind Death.io, now Iternal.life, responsible for articulating the need surrounding the public understanding of death in the digital age.I have a key part in creating strategic partnerships. I produced decks for investors and potential equity lines, researched multiple competitor analyses to be used in pitches, as well as researching and communicating future iterations of product within internal strategy sessions and providing key research for stakeholder pitches. I offered integral support on reports using data sourced from YouGov.Responsible for research, I steered the project towards the ‘digital’ side of death. I wrote over 140 articles and pieces of copy for site growth and potential investors on the role of VR in hospices and end of life care, the problem of legacy and cryptocurrency, the use of 5G to deliver healthcare solutions, the possibility of our AI immortality, data privacy after death and the life extension phenomenon, a few of which were picked up by national press. Interviews, public engagement, research. Show less

Tech For Good South West is a network bringing together the fields of social innovation and tech formed under the umbrella of the global network and non-profit TechSoup and Netsquared, which brings together civil society and the technology community. My role is funded by Dot Project. www.techforgoodsw.org.ukNow part of Tech For Good UK: https://www.techforgoodorganisers.uk/T4GSW brings together inspiring non profit sector, social enterprise and social impact initiatives with the… Show more Tech For Good South West is a network bringing together the fields of social innovation and tech formed under the umbrella of the global network and non-profit TechSoup and Netsquared, which brings together civil society and the technology community. My role is funded by Dot Project. www.techforgoodsw.org.ukNow part of Tech For Good UK: https://www.techforgoodorganisers.uk/T4GSW brings together inspiring non profit sector, social enterprise and social impact initiatives with the technology sector, changemakers, foundations and businesses across the Bristol, Bath and SW area through thematic-based (both tech and social themes) regular events and knowledge exchange. Show less

Tema, Greater Accra, Ghana

I lived onsite as a mentor at African Science Academy in Tema, Accra, supporting academic and pastoral concerns, facilitating workshops, and assisting tutor groups.

London, United Kingdom

Profile Books publishes non-fiction in a range of fields, such as history, business, economics, science and biography, including Shoshana Zuboff's The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Francis Fukuyama's Identity, Mary Beard's Women and Power, Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, and Saidiya Hartman's Wayward Lives. Its imprints include the Wellcome Collection, Serpent's Tail and Tuskar Rock. - Proofread and marked up author contracts, permissions and agreements; drafted and proofread… Show more Profile Books publishes non-fiction in a range of fields, such as history, business, economics, science and biography, including Shoshana Zuboff's The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Francis Fukuyama's Identity, Mary Beard's Women and Power, Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, and Saidiya Hartman's Wayward Lives. Its imprints include the Wellcome Collection, Serpent's Tail and Tuskar Rock. - Proofread and marked up author contracts, permissions and agreements; drafted and proofread jacket copy and read through unsolicited submissions- Wrote weekly reports on manuscripts for the Publisher and team, gained a thorough grounding in Biblio, such as adding groups and indexing schedules, used Coresource daily for publicity clippings- Wrote over 50 book descriptions for international sales exports- Mentored on aspects of line and structural editing support for manuscripts, including Do Dice Play God? by Ian Stewart- Placed reviews in The Biologist and EUSCI for Wellcome Collection title The Making of You Show less

Conducting interviews, copy-editing, proofreading and writing articles, including reviews on theatre, film and comedy.

Bristol/London, United Kingdom

I assisted in the creation of a brand new digital archive for the leading arts company, a part of Rambert’s ambitious digital strategy for its 90th anniversary. The creation of Rambert's digital collection was intended to provide the public with wider access to historical records, and lend researchers a robust relational performance database.- Locating original materials produced in a variety of formats, including photographs, documents, recordings and film, while building on knowledge… Show more I assisted in the creation of a brand new digital archive for the leading arts company, a part of Rambert’s ambitious digital strategy for its 90th anniversary. The creation of Rambert's digital collection was intended to provide the public with wider access to historical records, and lend researchers a robust relational performance database.- Locating original materials produced in a variety of formats, including photographs, documents, recordings and film, while building on knowledge of modern choreographers through to early 20th century pioneers. - Assisted in bridging the gap between the new relational database and the older non-relational database which entailed the use of migration tools such as Xena, XML editors and archival data software such as Archivists' Toolkit, as well as building proficiency in SKOSjs. - Use of SQL to track and query the history of database objects to inform research, such as materials for anniversary workshops, seminars and events. Show less

Beirut, Lebanon

While in Beirut, I conducted interviews, sourced content and supported existing literary projects for the magazine's WWB Daily blog.

Cardiff, United Kingdom

UWP publishes books and journals focused on scholarly research in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, primarily in the fields of European studies, philosophy, literature, history, Welsh and Celtic studies. - As part-time publishing assistant within a small Editorial, Sales and Marketing team, I helped to write and proofread author’s questionnaires, as well as research points of sale and marketing funnels for a diverse range of non-fiction books- Proofread and line edited… Show more UWP publishes books and journals focused on scholarly research in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, primarily in the fields of European studies, philosophy, literature, history, Welsh and Celtic studies. - As part-time publishing assistant within a small Editorial, Sales and Marketing team, I helped to write and proofread author’s questionnaires, as well as research points of sale and marketing funnels for a diverse range of non-fiction books- Proofread and line edited draft manuscripts- Regularly drafted copy, cover briefs and vision documents; prepared prelims for new titles; created and raised POs- Used Biblio to maintain TIs by adding metadata – such as keywords, smartlinks, leafnodes and BIC/BISAC codes - Assisted with the creation of marketing materials based off of research, after which I drafted marketing plans for three key authors- Co-ordinated the Press’s visibility at the London Book Fair and author events. I also co-ordinated the Press’s involvement with conferences and new book launches, including delegating tasks and planning logistics for appearances at the Eisteddfodd and the Leeds Medieval Congress Show less

Bristol

Presented by Saatchi Art, The Other Art Fair is the UK's leading artist fair to discover and buy art directly from the best emerging artistic talent. Pulling together my ability to write strong, succinct copy with my interest in contemporary visual arts, I worked with the Strategy Director to draft website copy from briefs, wrote and edited blog posts, and created landing pages for the burgeoning Bristol strand of The Other Art Fair in preparation for the merger with Saatchi Art.

London, United Kingdom

The Writers’ Lab programme is designed to support new playwrights to create a full-length play or piece of theatre. Through an offshoot project for those under 21, I went through a three-draft process with one-to-one dramaturgy support, resulting in a performance at Soho Theatre.

Based at 25 Brook Street, Handel & Hendrix in London is a museum dedicated to the lives and works of the German-born baroque composer George Frideric Handel and rock singer-guitarist Jimi Hendrix.- Coordinated the development and collation of information for colleagues across the museum in relation to various outreach projects, including material for the fundraising and development teams.- Contributed to and collated management information, financial reports and project reports… Show more Based at 25 Brook Street, Handel & Hendrix in London is a museum dedicated to the lives and works of the German-born baroque composer George Frideric Handel and rock singer-guitarist Jimi Hendrix.- Coordinated the development and collation of information for colleagues across the museum in relation to various outreach projects, including material for the fundraising and development teams.- Contributed to and collated management information, financial reports and project reports as directed by the Project Lead. Show less

London, United Kingdom

Created and oversaw individual reading plans for a total of 25 children at Victoria Library (Westminster), managing and logging their progress through weekly groups and individual reviews. I teased out any trends and common reading traits, as well as barriers to reading, among the group, which I then wrote up and presented to The Reading Agency steering board.

Literature; Philosophy And Logic, First

Education record