Andrew Woods
When did I graduate from the University of Chichester? 2014
What course did I do? Performing Arts (Theatre Performance)
What am I doing now? I live and work in Portland, Oregon after completing my MA in Critical Theory and Creative Research at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. I work as a curator at a gallery for artists with disabilities, and write as a freelance academic. I have presented my critical work at academic conferences worldwide, including London Conference in Critical Thought at University College London, Radical Futures and Accelerationism at Jagiellonian University in Poland, and Untold Futuresat the University of Chicago in the United States. I am currently applying for my PhD at the Center for the Study of Theory and Criticism at University of Western Ontario in Canada.
What do I love about my job/artistic practice/lifestyle? The independence...
How did doing Performing Arts/Theatre at Chichester help me to do what I do now?
I learnt to care about my work. When you are a student, it is tempting to think about your work as nothing more than a class assignment. If you take that stance, it is hard to sustain your practice outside of the assignment-for-assessment environment. Once you learn to care about your work, you realize that you are not just there to earn a degree, but, rather, to start and sustain a working artistic practice.
What was my favourite moment/class/project when at Chi?
I know that I might be alone on this one, but I really loved Robert Daniels’ lectures.
What do I most miss about Chi?
The Corridor. For those who know nothing about The Corridor, it can be described only as a home-away-from-home for anyone in the Theatre Department. You will make some of your greatest friendships (and, maybe, some of your best art) in that place.
My advice for anyone starting in the Theatre Department this coming year....You can succeed in the Critical and Cultural Studies classes. Do not fall into the trap of believing that you are not “academic” enough for it. That’s a nasty neoliberal lie. Everyone is an intellectual.
