Olivia Turner is an interdisciplinary artist. Her diverse practice includes sculpture, moving image, writing and performance. Olivia is an Associate Lecturer and is currently working as a postdoctoral practice-led researcher for the Medical Humanities Network at Newcastle University. She recently successfully completed a practice-led PhD at Newcastle University, recipient of the Research Excellence Academy Studentship. Her PhD title is 'Between Doctor, Patient and Cadaver: The Slippages of the Visceral Body in Medicine'.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
Current
Voicing Objects, Solo Show at the Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne
Archival Imaginarium, Thinking Through Things [Online]
2022
The Way My Body Feels, Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne
You Echo Through Time, Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne
O, MFA and PhD exhibition at Newcastle University, XL Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
Confusion of Tongues, SpeakEasy, AirSpace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent
The Body, Zest Hall [Online], Round Lemon
2020
O, XL Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
2019
New Sculpture for 2019, Exhibition, Cheeseburn, Northumberland
2018
Women and Power: Switched on! Shining a light on female innovation, collaborator Dr Pavandeep Rai, Cragside National Trust, Northumberland
Palace of Science, Wylam Brewery, Newcastle upon Tyne
A Seat at the Table, curated by Gayle Meikle, Gallery North, Newcastle upon Tyne
2017
S T R E T C H, Galleri Bokboden, Bergen, Norway
Reality Check, The NewBridge Project, Gateshead
Valence, Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne
BISH, BASH, BOSH, WE ARE THE NORTH, Liverpool
Moving on up, Moving on out, The NewBridge Project, Newcastle upon Tyne
2016
Newcastle University Degree Show, Newcastle University & The Great North Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle University Degree Show, Copeland Gallery, Peckham, London
Circus Between Worlds, Glasgow International, UK
DECAPOD - AirSpace Gallery 10th Birthday, AirSpace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent
2015
Art Site, Whitley Bay Film Festival
Invisible Cities, Hatton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
If I could sink my teeth into the earth, Ex-Libris Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
2014
Consuming Spaces, Strømgaten 1 & C. Sundtsgate 15, Bergen, Norway
Urban Art in Context: not cold, Rom8, Bergen, Norway
located, identified and clearly marked. Live Performance, Skottesalen, Bergen, Norway
2013
The Line- Performed, Burned, Folded & Thrown, PH Space, NewBridge Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
RESIDENCIES
(2017- 2021) Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Newcastle upon Tyne
(2017) Bones, The Great North Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne
(2016) Pearey House Centre for Visually Impaired, Royal National Institute for Blind People, North Shields
(2015) Residency alongside artists Bridget Kennedy, Mair Hughes and Katie McGown, Ex-Libris Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
EDUCATION
(2016-2022) PhD in Fine Art, fully funded Research Excellence Academy Studentship, Newcastle University. Title: Between Doctor, Patient and Cadaver: The Slippages of the Visceral Body in Medicine. Supervised by Katie Cuddon, Dr Ed Juler and Prof. Andrew Burton.
(2016-2017) Postgraduate Certificate in Research Training, Newcastle University, Distinction with special commendation
(2016-2017) The Collective Studio, The NewBridge Project, Newcastle upon Tyne
(2012-2016) BA Hons Fine Art, Newcastle University, First Class Degree
(2014) Erasmus Exchange, Bergen Academy of Art and Design, Norway
(2010-2011) Foundation Course: Fine Art, Newcastle College
AWARDS and FUNDING
(2022) Wellcome Trust ISSF
(2022) Shining a Light on Women and Children in Antiquity, Arts and Humanities Research Council
(2021-22) Corporeal Pedagogies, Catherine Cookson Foundation, Newcastle University's Institutes for Creative Arts Practice and Humanities
(2021) Thinking Through Things ECR Project Support Grant, Thinking Through Things: Object Encounters in the Medical Humanities
(2019-2021) Wellcome Trust Discretionary Award, Thinking Through Things: Object Encounters in the Medical Humanities
(2019-2021) Wellcome Trust ISSF Small Grant, The Visceral Body in Medicine
(2019-2021) HaSS Research Institutes Awards
(2019) Research Excellence Academy Travel Scholarship, Italy
(2018) EngageFMS & Newcastle University Institute for Creative Arts Practice Award
(2017) Challenge Labs Project Award, The Newcastle University Humanities Research Institute
(2017) Postgraduate Research Teaching Scholarship, Newcastle University
(2017) The Newcastle University Institute for Creative Arts Practice Award
(2016 - 2019) Research Excellence Academy Studentship (REA), fully funded practice-led Fine Art PhD
(2015) The Bartlett Travel Scholarship
(2014) Studentship Prize, Newcastle University
WORKSHOPS
(2023) Thinking Through Medicine with Artmaking, led alongside Dr Kate Stobbart at Sunderland University.
(2021) The Way My Body Feels, 4 workshops in the series, Newcastle University and the Great North Museum
(2020) (un)Masking the Wellcome Collection, led by Ilaria Grando and Olivia Turner (online)
(2019) The Way My Body Feels, Newcastle University
(2019) Patient Day, Crowne Plaza, Newcastle upon Tyne
(2018) Public Engagement in Medical Science, collaboration between Wellcome Trust and National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, funded participation by Wellcome Trust
(2018) Sculpting our Insides, Lily Foundation Family Weekend, Warwick; sculpture workshop with patients and families affected by mitochondrial disease
(2015) Beyond Frontiers, West Jesmond Primary School; A community engaged project exploring past and present identities and human diversity with the aim of promoting mutual respect and understanding within local communities. Collaboration between Newcastle University’s Archaeology, Classics, History and Fine Art Departments. Using the Shefton Collection as part of a series of workshops at West Jesmond Primary School and the Great North Museum
(2015) ACT 1 ¦ ACT 2, Newcastle University; drawing and performance workshop with Fine Art undergraduate students
(2015) Drawing from Life, Ex-Libris Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne; drawing workshop with Fine Art staff and undergraduate students from Archaeology, History, Fine Art and Medical Science
TALKS and EVENTS
(2023) 3rd Humanities in Medicine Symposium, University of Sunderland School of Medicine.
(2022) BMJ Medical Humanities: Body Talk: “Corporeal Pedagogies” with Dr Sally Waite and Dr Olivia Turner [Podcast]. 22 August 2022.
(2022) Being Human Festival
(2022) Confabulations, Patient-Doctor Intimates - With Dr Alison Syme
(2022) Medical (Post)Humanities Conference, University of Sheffield.
(2022) Care + Crisis: Spaces of Performance, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London.
(2022) Senses and Modern Health/care Environments, University of Bristol.
(2022) Humanities in Medicine Symposium, Sunderland University
(2021) Thinking Through Things & Film Screening, Invisibility: Northern Network for Medical Humanities Research 4th Annual Congress, Durham University (Online)
(2020) Thinking Through Things with Wellcome ECR training day, Wellcome Collection, London
(2020) Archival Imaginarium, Northern Network for Medical Humanities Research 4th Annual Congress, University of Sheffield
(2019) Artist Talk, EXPLORE: Lifelong Learning, Newcastle upon Tyne
(2019) Interdisciplinary Conversations Around Making, Symposium, Newcastle University
(2015) If I could Sink My Teeth into the Whole Earth, Chaired debate between Dr Stephen Moonie, Olivia Turner, Bridget Kennedy and Dr Mark Jackson, Ex Libris Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
TEACHING
(October 2022 - Ongoing) Newcastle University, Associate Lecturer in Fine Art and Art History.
(September 2017 – August 2022) Newcastle University, Fine Art Studio Tutor, working across undergraduate and MFA.
(March 2019-2020) Newcastle University, Seminar leader, History, Classics and Archaeology Department. Teaching on the Bodies, Sex and Identities in Classical Greece third year module; looking at innovative and interdisciplinary methodologies in relation to the study of anatomical votives, the body and identity.
(September 2017 – August 2019) Newcastle University, Fine Art Studio Tutor to 60 first year undergraduate home and international students. Developed and individually led the performance teaching in the Performance and Film making Strand.