糖心logo入口

Skip to main content

Professor Fintan Walsh

  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Fintan Walsh is Head of the School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication and听Professor of Performing Arts and Humanities.听

    He is founding Director of 糖心logo入口 Creative Practice Lab听which supports practice based research, knowledge exchange and teaching across the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.听

    He led in the creation of the College's first Arts and Culture Strategy, 2024-30,听which captures our commitments and ambitions in supporting, growing and promoting arts and culture in the university, and their social, civic, and economic benefits.

    He has听been a听Director of 糖心logo入口 Centre for Contemporary Theatre听from 2014-2025, leading research, knowledge exchange and public engagement projects in theatre, performance and socially engaged arts, while overseeing an Artist Fellowship scheme. He听has been听Director of 糖心logo入口 Institute of Gender and Sexuality (BiGS, 2018-23),听Chair of听the School of Arts Research Ethics Committee (2019-23), and steering committee member of of听糖心logo入口 Institute for Social Research (BISR 2018-23), serving as its Acting Director in 2021. He was Programme Director of MA Text and Performance (2016-23)听 for which he established an industry partnership with Camden People's Theatre.听 He also has been听Programme Director听BA Theatre and Drama Studies听and affiliate programmes (2014-16).听

    Prior to joining 糖心logo入口,听Fintan听worked at Queen Mary University of London (2011-2012) and Trinity College Dublin, where he was Irish Research Council Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (2009-2011).

    He听has听been a visiting听lecturer/researcher at Freie Universit盲t Berlin (2014/16), Humanities Institute, University College Dublin (2014), and Helsinki University (2015).听

    His research focuses on contemporary theatre and performance (dramatic writing, installation, live art,听experimental performance, visual and digital practices), extending into medical and health humanities, digital and queer culture. It investigates the histories, politics, forms, feelings and ideas that shape contemporary arts and cultural practices, including via national and international collaborations with artists and cross-disciplinary academics.听His work has been funded by OSUN (Open Society Research Network), Wellcome Trust ISSF, CHASE (AHRC) and Irish Research Council.听

    In 2023, he was awarded 糖心logo入口's Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.听

    Highlights

    • New publications

      1. 听Journal of Contemporary Drama in English, 14(1) 2026: 70-88.

      2. 'Alternative Miss Ireland,' in ,听eds. Justin Bengry, Matt Cook, Rebecca Jennings and E. J. Scott, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2026), pp. 124-6.听

    • Recent books

      1.听 ed.听(Methuen Drama, 2025) profiles and examines the work of some of the UK's most exciting contemporary queer performances, through a听combination听of retrospective scripts, development material and visual documentation to ensure their enduring accessibility.

      2.听(Cambridge University Press, 2024) examines the role of theatre, performance, art and cultural practices in supporting grief in the wake of COVID-19. Some of his work on digital performance, theatre and grief has already been published as Theatre Journal, 73: 3 (2021), pp. 391-407.

      3.听 (Methuen Drama, September 2023; pb March 2025).听This book explores how the queer past is summoned and interrogated听 in contemporary theatre, performance, installation and digital practices via the aesthetics and dramaturgies of possession, which expose how the past continues to haunt and place demands on the present.

    • Recent听keynotes

      1.听 New Stages for Sex, Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Theatre, University of Konstanz, 21 June 2025.

      2.听, 19 February 2025.

    • Recent听publication

      Commentary听and notes to Phillip McMahon's [2021] (London: Methuen Drama [Student Editions], 2025), pp. 1-25.

    • (Post) Pandemic Digital Theatres

      Professor Walsh听was PI for听the OSUN-funded Experimental Humanities project '听(2023),听which explores how theatre and performance artists are using digital technologies in the years following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The project involves academics and artists听working听in the UK, Austria, Columbia, Germany, South Africa and the USA.听


    • Book series

      Walsh听is founder and Senior Editor of the new Cambridge University Press book series which听responds to the evolution of the form, role and meaning of text in theatre and performance in the late 20th听and 21st听centuries.

      He is also co-editor of Theatre: Theory 鈥� Practice 鈥� Performance published by Manchester University Press.


    Office hours

    By arrangement.

    Administrative responsibilities

    • Head, School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication
    • Member, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Executive
    • Member, University Delivery Board
    • Director, 糖心logo入口 Creative Practice Lab

    Professional memberships

    • Walsh听is or has been a member of Irish Society for Theatre Research (ISTR), Performance Studies International (PSI), The Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA) and the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR), and听has served on its Executive Committee (2018-2021).听He听is an invited Member of Project Arts Centre, Dublin.

    • Walsh is founding Senior Editor of book series published by Cambridge University Press.

    • Walsh served as Senior Editor (2018-2021), Associate Editor (2015-2018) and editorial board member (2012-2015; 2021-2025) of , the society journal of the International Federation for Theatre Research published by Cambridge University Press.听

    • Walsh听serves on the Advisory Board of the journal and on the editorial board of .



    • He听is a founding听convenor (2009-2014) of IFTR's Queer Futures working group, and co-edited the group's first听volume of research听in Theatre Research International (2015).听

    • He听is a member of AHRC's Peer Review College since 2017 and has听assessed funding applications nationally and internationally, including for the Einstein Foundation Berlin, the听National Science Centre Poland and numerous universities.听



  • Research

    Research

    Research interests

    • Contemporary theatre, performance, drama and cross-disciplinary arts
    • The art and culture of grief
    • Medical and health humanities and psychosocial issues
    • Performance and digital culture
    • Queer arts and cultural politics

    Research overview

    Professor Walsh's research focuses听on contemporary theatre and performance, and their relationship to cross-disciplinary arts practice and the humanities. Addressing forms such as听drama, new writing, theatrical and experimental performance, digital practices, socially听engaged听arts, installation, dance and live art, his recent research听has been primarily听concerned with: 1) the art and culture of grief; 2) historical trauma, cultural reparation and commemoration; 3) queer theatre, performance and arts practice; 4) performance and听digital culture.听This research takes the form of local, national and international collaborations with academics, artists and industry, resulting in scholarly publication, creative outputs and partnerships.

    Supported by Wellcome ISSF funding, his most recent monograph听 听(2024)听explores how digital practices, theatre and performance supported audiences and communities in grief during听the Covid-19 pandemic.听听(2023) examines how troubled queer histories (re)appear in contemporary theatre, performance, installation and digital practices via dramaturgies of possession. This work builds on previous monographs that听explore听theatre, performance and socio-political change (, 2016,听shortlisted for the David Bradby听Research Award); the relationship between masculinity and victimization (, 2010); and theatre's imbrication in psychoanalysis and therapy cultures (2013; revised and expanded in 2024).

    These concerns are also represented across numerous journal articles, book chapters and edited volumes. (2025)听explores and documents听the writing practices underpinning contemporary queer performance. Recent publications on contagion and theatre, supported by Wellcome ISSF funding, include 'Pathogenic Performativity: Theatrical Contagion and Fascist Affect' (in听听2021)听and his edited听book听(2020).听


    Research Centres and Institutes

  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    Professor Walsh supervises PhD projects, including practice research. His PhD students have been funded by CHASE/AHRC, ESRC and 糖心logo入口. Subjects听supervised include听chemsex and autofiction; Sarah Kane and mental health; mental illness and contemporary theatre; neurodiversity, autism and performance; masculinity and Theatre of the Oppressed.听Professor Walsh听welcomes inquiries from prospective PhD students interested in researching within his field or related areas, in particular topics relating to:

    • Contemporary and modern drama, theatre and performance
    • The art and culture of emotion and psychosocial issues
    • Medical and health humanities
    • Queer theatre, performance, art and cultural practices
    • Performance and digital culture

    He听established in 2014, to foster and support graduate research in drama, theatre and performance studies and has led a number of CHASE-funded training events to support听graduate听research students (Digital Conferencing in (Post) Pandemic Times, 2021; Researching (with) Difficult Feelings, 2017).听

    Doctoral alumni since 2013-14

    • BRUNO ROUBICEK
    • JACK MCINTOSH
    • CLAU DI GIANFRANCESCO
    • ALEX LEGGETT
    • LEAH SIDI
    • MARIA PATSOU

    Teaching

    Professor Walsh has taught across , /, and . 

    In 2023, he was awarded 糖心logo入口's Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. 

  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Walsh, Fintan (2026) . JCDE: Journal of Contemporary Drama in English 14 (1), pp. 70-88. ISSN 2195-0156.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2021) . Contemporary Theatre Review 31 (3), pp. 286-306. ISSN 1048-6801.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2021) . Theatre Journal 73 (3), pp. 391-407. ISSN 1086-332X.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2020) . GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 26 (4), pp. 701-722. ISSN 1064-2684.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2015) . Theatre Research International 40 (1), pp. 104-107. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2015) . Contemporary Theatre Review ISSN 1048-6801.
    • Campbell, A. and Walsh, Fintan (2015) . Theatre Research International 40 (1), pp. 67-108. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2014) . TDR: the Drama Review 58 (4), pp. 56-67. ISSN 1054-2043.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2013) . Contemporary Theatre Review 23 (3), pp. 291-301. ISSN 1048-6801.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2011) . Parallax 17 (2), pp. 110-123. ISSN 1353-4645.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2010) . Theatre Research International 35 (1), pp. 17-31. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2010) . Contemporary Theatre Review 20 (2), pp. 241-244. ISSN 1048-6801.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2010) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2010) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2010) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) . Contemporary Theatre Review 19 (3), pp. 382-385. ISSN 1048-6801.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) . Foilsi煤: Interdisciplinary Journal of Irish Studies 8, pp. 79-92.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) . Film Ireland (120), pp. 16-18. ISSN 0791-7546.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2008) . Irish Theatre International 1 (1), pp. 53-72. ISSN 2009-0870.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2007) . Gender Forum 18, pp. 41-62. ISSN 1613-1878.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2007) . Irish Theatre Magazine 7 (31),
    • Walsh, Fintan (2006) . Irish Theatre Magazine 6 (27),
    • Walsh, Fintan (2005) . Contemporary Theatre Review 15 (1), pp. 171-174. ISSN 1048-6801.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2005) . Irish Theatre Magazine 5 (22),
    • Walsh, Fintan (2004) . Irish Theatre Magazine 4 (21),

    Book

    • Walsh, Fintan, ed. (2025) . Methuen Drama Play Collections. London, UK: Methuen Drama. ISBN 9781350431492.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2024) . Elements in Contemporary Performance Texts. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781009464826.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2023) . London, UK: Methuen Drama. ISBN 9781350297968.
    • Walsh, Fintan, ed. (2019) . Methuen Drama Engage. London, UK: Methuen Drama. ISBN 9781350085985.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2016) . Contemporary Performance InterActions. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137534491.
    • Walsh, Fintan and Causey, M., eds. (2013) . Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780415509657.
    • Walsh, Fintan, ed. (2013) . London, UK: Oberon Books. ISBN 9781783190355.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2012) . Theatre And. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230293274.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2010) . Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230579699.
    • Walsh, Fintan, ed. (2010) . Cork, Ireland: Cork University Press. ISBN 9781859184691.
    • Brady, S. and Walsh, Fintan, eds. (2009) . Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230219984.

    Book review

    • Walsh, Fintan (2019) .
    • Walsh, Fintan (2015) .
    • Walsh, Fintan (2013) .
    • Walsh, Fintan (2011) .
    • Walsh, Fintan (2011) .
    • Walsh, Fintan (2011) .
    • Walsh, Fintan (2010) .
    • Walsh, Fintan (2010) .
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) .
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) .
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) .

    Book section

    • Walsh, Fintan (2026) . In: Bengry, Justin and Cook, Matt and Jennings, Rebecca and Scott, E.-J. (eds.) A Queer Scrapbook: Britain and Ireland since 1945. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. pp. 124-126. ISBN 9781526165312.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2025) . In: Walsh, Fintan (ed.) Once Before I Go. Student Editions. London, UK: Methuen Drama. pp. 1-25. ISBN 9781350523760.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2020) . In: Shepherd-Barr, K. (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Theatre and Science. Cambridge Companions to Theatre and Performance. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108676533.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2019) . In: Walsh, Fintan (ed.) Theatres of Contagion: Transmitting Early Modern to Contemporary Performance. Methuen Drama Engage. London, UK: Bloomsbury. pp. 23-40. ISBN 9781350085992.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2019) . In: Walsh, Fintan (ed.) Theatres of Contagion: Transmitting Early Modern to Contemporary Performance. Methuen Drama Engage. London, UK: Bloomsbury. pp. 3-20. ISBN 9781350085985.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2019) . In: The Last Known Pose: Essays and Reflections on the Works of Qasim Riza Shaheen. Manchester, UK: Cornerhouse Productions. pp. 31-34. ISBN 9780956957160.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2017) . In: Sack, D. (ed.) Imagined Theatres: Writing for a Theoretical Stage. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 9781138122048.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2017) . In: Sack, D. (ed.) Imagined Theatres: Writing for a Theoretical Stage. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 9781138122048.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2016) . In: Campbell, A. and Farrier, S. (eds.) Queer Dramaturgies: International Perspectives on Where Performance Leads Queer. Contemporary Performance InterActions. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 313-329. ISBN 9781137411839.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2016) . In: Heddon, D. and Johnson, D. (eds.) It's All Allowed: The Performances of Adrian Howells. Bristol and London, UK: Intellect Live. ISBN 9781783205899.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2013) . In: Giffney, N. and Shildrick, M. (eds.) Theory on the Edge: Irish Studies and the Politics of Sexual Difference. Breaking Feminist Waves. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 105-124. ISBN 9781137306975.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2013) . In: Walsh, Fintan and Causey, M. (eds.) Performance, Identity and the Neo-Political Subject. Routledge Advances in Theatre and Performance Studies. London, UK: Routledge. pp. 213-229. ISBN 9780415509657.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2013) . In: Bracken, C. and Radley, E. (eds.) Viewpoints: Theoretical Perspectives on Irish Visual Texts. Cork, Ireland: Cork University Press. ISBN 9781859184967.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2013) . In: Walsh, Fintan (ed.) 'That Was Us': Contemporary Irish Theatre and Performance. London, UK: Oberon Books. pp. 1-18. ISBN 9781783190355.
    • Walsh, Fintan and Causey, M. (2013) . In: Walsh, Fintan and Causey, M. (eds.) Performance, Identity and the Neo-Political Subject. Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies. London and New York: Routledge. pp. 1-8. ISBN 9780415509657.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2010) . In: Walsh, Fintan (ed.) Queer Notions: New Plays and Performances from Ireland. Cork, Ireland: Cork University Press. pp. 1-16. ISBN 9781859184691.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) . In: Cregan, D. (ed.) Deviant Acts: Essays on Queer Performance. Dublin, UK: Carysfort Press. pp. 55-72. ISBN 9781904505426.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) . In: Walsh, Fintan and Brady, S. (eds.) Crossroads: Performance Studies and Irish Culture. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 1-10. ISBN 9780230219984.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) . In: Brady, S. and Walsh, Fintan (eds.) Crossroads: Performance Studies and Irish Culture. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 196-210. ISBN 9780230219984.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2008) . In: Tighe-Mooney, S. and Quinn, D. (eds.) Essays on Irish Literary Criticism: Themes of Gender, Sexuality, and Corporeality. Hors S茅rie. Credigon, Wales: Edwin Mellen. pp. 195-210. ISBN 9780773448308.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2006) . In: Journal of Postgraduate Research. Dublin, Ireland: Trinity College Dublin. pp. 171-174. ISBN 9780955054723.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2006) . In: Hunt Mahony, C. (ed.) Out of History: Essays on the Writings of Sebastian Barry. Dublin, UK: Carysfort Press. pp. 229-244. ISBN 9780813214597.

    Editorial

    • Walsh, Fintan (2021) . Theatre Research International 46 (1), pp. 1-3. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2021) . Theatre Research International 46 (2), pp. 107. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2021) . Theatre Research International 46 (3), pp. 261-265. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2021) . Theatre Research International 46 (2), pp. 107-107. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2020) . Theatre Research International 45 (1), pp. 1-3. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2020) . Theatre Research International 45 (2), pp. 101-103. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2020) . Theatre Research International 45 (3), pp. 227-229. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2019) . Theatre Research International 44 (3), pp. 227-229. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2019) . Theatre Research International 44 (1), pp. 1-5. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2019) . Theatre Research International 44 (2), pp. 115-117. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 0307-8833.
    • Walsh, Fintan and Silverstone, C. (2014) . Performance Research 19 (2), pp. 1-3. Taylor and Francis. ISSN 1352-8165.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2012) . Performing Ethos: International Journal of Ethics in Theatre and Performance 2 (2), pp. 91-94. Intellect. ISSN 1757-1979.

    Other

    • Walsh, Fintan (2017) . London, UK: CHASE: Gender, Sexuality and Violence Network.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2012) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2012) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2012) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2012) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2011) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2011) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2011) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2010) . Create (website) Dublin, Ireland: National Development Agency for Collaborative Arts in Social and Community Contexts.
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan (2009) . Irish Theatre Magazine
    • Walsh, Fintan . Irish Theatre Magazine
  • Business and community

    Business and community

    Outreach

    In his capacity Director of 糖心logo入口 Creative Practice Lab, and former Director or听糖心logo入口 Centre for Contemporary Theatre and 糖心logo入口 Institute of Gender and Sexuality,听Professor Walsh听routinely works directly with artists, the creative industries, activists and academics to engage a range of publics with the activities of the School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication.

    Walsh听has organised or co-organised numerous symposia and international conferences at 糖心logo入口, recently including Performing Pandemic Grief: The Arts of Losing (2022);听Contagious Theatre: Infectious Performance (2017);听The Irish and the City (the Irish Society For Theatre Research annual conference, 2013). He has also听conceived and chaired听numerous public-facing panel discussions and workshops at 糖心logo入口, and programmed others via his directorship of 糖心logo入口 Centre for Contemporary Theatre.听

    He frequently speaks at international theatre and performance events and symposia, and has听contributed keynotes, lectures or workshops at:听 Humboldt University, Berlin; Royal Holloway, University of London; International Federation for Theatre Research; London Theatre Seminar; University of Warwick; the Freud Museum; University of Cambridge; The Courtauld Institute of Art; University of Surrey; University of Reading; Freie Universit盲t Berlin; University of Helsinki, Queen Mary University of London; Queen's University Belfast; University College Dublin; Brunel University London; Dublin Theatre Festival; Project Arts Centre; L脫KAL International Theatre Festival, Reykjavik; Arcola Theatre and Synge Summer School, Wicklow.