Director of the Institute for Creative Technologies at Norwich University of the Arts
Professor of Immersive Arts and Technologies

BIOGRAPHY

Kirk Woolford (PhD Surrey, MS Design ID@IIT) is Professor of Immersive Arts and Technologies, and founding director of the Institute for Creative Technologies at Norwich University of the Arts, where he leads research on visualisation and simulation of natural environments and Embodied AI, in partnership with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, University of Bristol, the Broads National Park, Sony Europe, et al. His transdisciplinary has been funding through awards from the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (ESRC), Arts Council England (ACE), Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and others.

Kirk is a pioneer in the field of Immersive Media, creating immersive experiences and performances as a method of exploring ideas, technologies, and cultures. His creative work has  been shown at venues including the Venice Biennale, Art Cologne, New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), ISEA and SIGGRAPH. He has a hybrid background with 30+ years of industry and academic experience, having worked as a commercial photographer before co-founding and directing video games and interactive media with clients including the Royal Institution, BBC2, Channel Four, and Sky Television.

When climate science frightens, how can we engage?

In recent decades, STEM subjects have exceled at gathering and modelling data on climate change. But presenting cold, hard, scientific data often leads to climate anxiety, fear, frustration, and resignation. How can Artists and Designers engage with affected communities to better understand and prepare for environmental change? How can we build empathy, to show that taking action is not futile? How can we re-connect with landscapes?