DR. SARAH LOWNDES
My professional background is in rooted in the humanities, specifically Art, Design and Cultural Studies
and I have held lecturing positions at Glasgow School of Art (2002-2015) and University of East Anglia
(2017-2020) and since 2017, as Research Fellow, Norwich University of the Arts. My teaching at HE
level includes Art History (with a focus on post 1945 art and design), Art & Design in Organisational
Contexts (including Gallery and Museum Studies) and Critical and Creative Writing, including Empirical
Research Methods. My single author books include Social Sculpture: The Rise of the Glasgow Art
Scene (2004; revised 2010), The DIY Movement in Art, Music and Publishing (2016), Contemporary
Artists Working Outside the City (2018) and Crowds, Community and Contagion in Contemporary
Britain (2022). I have curated and produced numerous exhibitions and arts outreach projects, working
extensively in non-academic contexts such as libraries, museums, galleries and the public sphere as
part of my commitment to responsible and inclusive practices. Since moving to Norfolk in 2015 I have
worked with partners across East Anglia including Norfolk Museums, Norfolk County Council Libraries,
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Kettle’s Yard, Original Projects, Art at Work and The Assembly House.
Education
2011- 2013 MLitt Creative Writing, Glasgow University
2002-2007 Glasgow School of Art AHRC funded PhD on Concrete Performance Art of 1960-70s.
2000-2001 Glasgow School of Art M.Phil. Art and Design in Organisational Contexts.
1993-1997 University of Glasgow M.A. (Hons), English Literature / Film and Television Studies.
Selected Published Writing
“You’ll Never Walk Alone: a song of community and struggle 1945-2021”, Pattern and Chaos Reader,
Sarah Horton and Victoria Mitchell ed.s, (London: Intellect, 2023).
Crowds, Community and Contagion in Contemporary Britain (London and New York: Routledge,
2022).
The Sea Cure (Norwich: Norfolk and Norwich Festival, 2021).
“One Immediate Huge Voice: Raymond Williams and Community”, Podcast and PDF Explainer
commissioned by Raymond Williams Foundation for Raymond Williams Centenary 2021.
Migration, Heritage and Belonging, Sarah Lowndes ed., (Great Yarmouth: Time and Tide Museum,
2021).
“Learning to Get Along with People We Don’t Like: Artist-led Projects in Glasgow”, Jeff Khonsary and
Antonia Pinter ed.s, Institutions by Artists: Volume Two (Vancouver: Filip Editions, 2021).
Field Work: New Nature Writing from East Anglia, Sarah Lowndes ed., (Norwich: UEA Publishing
Project, 2020).
Site Writing: An Alternative Catalogue to the Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, Sarah Lowndes
and Nell Croose Myhill, ed.s, (Norwich: Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, 2020).
“Meanwhile at Lower Green, Norwich”, Enclave Review (Cork, Eire: 2019).
Like the Sea I Think: New Marine Writing from East Anglia, Sarah Lowndes ed., (Norwich: UEA
Publishing Project, 2019).
Contemporary Artists Working Outside the City: Creative Retreat (London and New York, Routledge,
2018, reprinted in paperback edition 2021).
Actions: The Image of the World Can Be Different, Andrew Nairne and Sarah Lowndes, ed.s,
(Cambridge: Kettle’s Yard, 2018).
The DIY Movement in Art, Music and Publishing: Subjugated Knowledges (London and New York,
Routledge, 2016, reprinted in paperback edition 2018).
“The Key Material is Time”, Generation Reader (Edinburgh: National Galleries of Scotland, 2014).
All Art is Political: Writings on Performative Art (Edinburgh: Luath Press, 2014).
“Window shopping: Glasgow art and the politics of display”, Function / Dysfunction – Contemporary
art from Glasgow, (Nürnberg: Neues Museum, Staatliches Museum für Kunst und Design, 2013).
“Hole Punch: The Late Autobiographical Works of Dieter Roth”, Dieter Roth: Diaries, (Edinburgh:
Fruitmarket Gallery / London: Yale University Press, 2012).
Studio 58: Women Artists in Glasgow Since World War II, Sarah Lowndes ed., (Glasgow: Glasgow
School of Art Exhibitions Department, 2012).
“Botanical Vaudeville”, Robert Rauschenberg, (New York: Gagosian Gallery, 2011).
Social Sculpture: The Rise of the Glasgow Art Scene (Edinburgh: Luath Press, 2010).
“Learned by Heart: The Paintings of Richard Wright’, Richard Wright (New York: Rizzoli, 2010).
“Aleana Egan: A Grey Luminous Light from the Sea”, Aleana Egan (Basel: Kunsthalle Basel, 2008).
“The Glasgow Scene”, The History of British Art, Volume III (London: Tate Publishing, 2008).
Selected Public, Curatorial and Educational Projects
Course leader, The Singh Twins: Slaves of Fashion, Shared Reading and Creative Writing course for
Norwich Castle, November-December 2022.
Curator, The Sun Also Rises, The Cut, Halesworth, October-November 2022, ACE funded group
exhibition of solar themed contemporary art by Roger Ackling, Nancy Holt, Mary Redmond and
Howard Sooley, October-November 2022.
Course leader, The World We Live In, Shared Reading and Creative Writing course for Norwich
Castle, July-September 2022.
Course leader, Shared Reading and Creative Writing course, Art at Work Norwich / Bridewell
Museum, May-June 2022.
Course leader, Shared Reading and Creative Writing course, NUA Fine Art, October-November 2021.
Curator, Kunsthalle Cromer at the Collectors Cabin, Heritage Open Days, Cromer, September 2021.
Curator, Weathering: New Art from East Anglia, The Yare Gallery, Great Yarmouth, June-July 2021.
Course leader, Field Work, ACE funded Shared Reading and Creative Writing project in partnership
with Norfolk Libraries at Cromer Library and Great Yarmouth Library, January-February 2020.
Course leader, Site Writing, Shared Reading and Creative Writing workshops, Sainsbury Centre for
Visual Arts, Norwich, February 2019 – January 2020.
Course leader, Like the Sea I Think, ACE funded Shared Reading and Creative Writing project
partnership with Norfolk Libraries at Cromer Library and Millennium Library, October-December 2018.
Workshop leader, Shared Reading WWI poetry workshops at Wells-Next-the-Sea and Brancaster
Beach, Pages of the Sea (14-18 NOW / National Trust, November 2018).
Curator, Esplanade: A Procession for Women, with participation of 100 local girls and women,
Kunsthalle Cromer, West Promenade, Cromer, 8 March 2018.
Curator, Panoramic Sea Happening, re-enactment of Tadeusz Kantor’s 1967 happening, with Henry
Layte as The Conductor, Kunsthalle Cromer, East Beach, Cromer, June 2017.
Curator, New Edition, group exhibition by Museums Press, Poster Club and Emer Tumilty (Edinburgh
Printmakers / Edinburgh Art Festival, July 2017).
Editor of bi-annual The Burning Sand prose, poetry and art magazine and curator of related live
events (2012-2016), funded by Creative Scotland, distributed by Motto and Good Press.
Curator, Valise and co-curator, GLASGOW WEEKEND: art, music and design from
Glasgow (Volksbuehne and BQ, Berlin, 18-22 September 2013).
Curator, Studio 58: Women Artists in Glasgow Since WWII (Mackintosh Museum, 2012), exhibition
included works by 53 artists including loans from the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow Museums and
Glasgow Women’s Library. Co-organiser (with GSA Exhibitions and AAC, GSA) of Studio 58
symposium, and organiser of related film screening event (2012).
Curator, Dialogue of Hands sculpture park with commissioned works by Chris Johanson, Camilla
Low, Mary Redmond and Corin Sworn (Glasgow International, 2012).
Curator and producer, Urlibido, commissioned works by Kim Coleman & Jenny Hogarth, Susie Green,
Shelly Nadashi, Kimberley O’Neill, Morag Ross and Cara Tolmie (Glasgow International, 2010).
Curator of Votive exhibition, with works by George Brecht, Nerea Bello, Chris Burden, Abraham
Cruzvillegas, Thea Djordjadze, Torsten Lauschmann, Richard Wright and objects loaned from The
World Cultures Collection of Glasgow Museums (CCA, Glasgow, 2009).
Chair and co-organiser (with Kathryn Elkin and Louise Shelley) of Subject in Process: Feminism and
Art symposium (CCA, Glasgow, 2009).
Curator, Three Blows – all-sound acoustic performance (St. Cecilia’s Hall, Edinburgh, 2008), with
Keith Rowe, Mayo Thompson, Sarah Kenchington, Richard Wright and Luke Fowler.
Recent Talks and Lectures
Chair of “Nothing Matter” discussion event, Shoe Factory, Norwich, August 2022.
“Culture is Ordinary”, Raymond Williams Foundation Centenary online event, August 2021.
“What Community Means Now”, Assembly Online, Assembly House Norwich, April 2021.
“Perforated, Coastal, Ruined, Neo-Pastoral: The Lure of Peripheral Places”, Assembly Online,
Assembly House Norwich, January 2021.
“For a Better Life: Thoughts on Moving”, Yarmonics Sonic Festival, Great Yarmouth, 2020.
“In a Free Spot: Chris Burden and Topanga Canyon”, Assembly Online, October 2020.
“We Are Born as Nouns Not Verbs: Agnes Martin and the New Mexico Desert”, August 2020.
“Vaster than Empires and More Slow: Derek Jarman and Prospect Cottage 1987-1994”, Assembly
Online, June 2020.
Orator, First There Is a Mountain, Katie Paterson / National Trust, Brancaster Beach, October 2019.
Writing on Location with Dr Sarah Lowndes, Southwold Sailors’ Reading Rooms for Sainsbury Centre
for Visual Art (SCVA) Public Programme, July 2019.
Chair of Artist Unknown panel discussion, Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, September 2019.
“Ear of the Edgeland: Breydon Water”, Broadland Sounds podcast, Great Yarmouth, May 2019.
“A Field Guide to Getting Lost”, Shared Reading and Creative Writing workshop for Art & Walking
project, Art at Work Norwich, delivered in Mildenhall, Suffolk, March 2019.
“Vacant Lots: Artist-Led Spaces, Meanwhile Use and Regeneration”, Lower. Green, Norwich,
February 2019.
“Why I Write: Creative Writing as Practice”, Artist’s Programme, SCVA, February 2019.
“The DIY Movement in Art, Music and Publishing: Subjugated Knowledges”, The London Art Book
Fair, Whitechapel Gallery, London, September 2018.
“Nice Style: Self-Fashioning in Post-Punk Glasgow Art Bands”, EuroNoize conference, University of
Reading, September 2018.
“We Are Born as Nouns Not Verbs: Agnes Martin and the New Mexico Desert”, World Art Research
Seminar, University of East Anglia, Norwich, May 2018.
Norfolk Community Arts Roundtable, New Perspectives in Participatory Arts, AHRC Connected
Communities Conference, University of East Anglia, May 2018.
Chair of discussion event “What Can Art Do?” with Natasha Walter and Caroline Walker, Kettle’s
Yard, Cambridge, April 2018.
Chair of Women of the World Festival discussion event with Valeria Napoleone and Caroline Douglas,
Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich, April 2018.
“Women, Act, Make, Archive, Reset”, Glasgow Zine Fest, CCA Glasgow, April 2018.
“Real Life Research”, Postgraduate Research Workshop, Norwich University of the Arts, March 2018.
