PhD in Dance, Performance and Queer Studies (Practice Based) Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
MA Advanced Theatre Practice (Directing), Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
BFA Theatre with a Concentration in Playwriting
Role and responsibilities:
My dance practice is rooted in a love of thinking through the body. My study of choreographic and dramaturgy processes is animated by my interests in performance politics and queer subcultures. My teaching and research practice is playfully rigorous and rigorously playful.
Joseph is the Programme Lead for Dance & Creative Enterprise MA course at NSCD. He is also a Lecturer in Creative and Contextual Studies. Joseph has been teaching in HE since 2016 with experience across a range of vocational and HEI settings. Joseph has been actively involved in curriculum development, from level 3-7, leading changes in assessment guidance for students, alternative modes of performance and creation in performance modules, introducing embodied perspectives within research studies/cultural perspectives, as well as contributing to the review and redesign of level 6 curriculum, and the review and revalidation of the MA Dance & Creative Enterprise course. Joseph held the role of Curriculum Lead for Research (2021-2023), supporting the development of research focused modules across Undergraduate and Postrgraduate provision at NSCD. Joseph has published in the field of Queer Dance and presented performance work and papers at events nationally and internationally.
Joseph was a panel member for validation of the MA Choreography and MA Performance at Leeds Beckett University.
Joseph is External Examiner for Dance City/University of Sunderland.
Originally from Canada, Joseph is a choreographer and performance-maker working between and across disciplines, primarily in dance, live art and contemporary theatre. He works as both an independent artist and as co-director of performance company, PanicLab.
His work has been supported and commissioned by: Dance City, The Place, Homotopia, The Unity Theatre, The Albany, Cambridge Junction, Soho Theatre, MDI, Yorkshire Dance, GLYPT, Barbican Plymouth, Chisenhale Dance Space, Live Art Bistro Fierce Festival. In 2016, PanicLab’s show, ‘Theseus Beefcake’ was awarded best British production at BE Festival Birmingham. Joseph is currently working on a new collaboration with choreographer and dance dramaturg, Beth Cassani.
Joseph has a developed practice as a dramaturg, movement director and mentor and has worked with artists such as Rachel Young, Priya Mistry, Will Dickie and Milk Presents.
Joseph trained in classical ballet at the school of Alberta Ballet and Boston Ballet. He trained in theatre at Concordia University, Montreal and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. His practice based PhD at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama examined ballet cultures in relation to gender and sexual politics. Joseph has a developed scholarly research practice around queer studies, choreographic practices and performance politics.
Joseph was a Senior Lecturer in Dance at Leeds Beckett University. Prior to that, he taught at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama on the MA Movement Directing and Teaching and the MA in Advanced Theatre Practice.
Forthcoming: Mercier, J and Arcade, P, ‘Fag, Hag, Drag: Penny Arcade’s Archive of Otherness,’ in Edwards, M. and Farrier, S. eds, On Drag, Vo. 2, Bloomsbury: London.
Mercier, J., Klieman, G., and O’Brien, M., (2011) ‘Threesome’, in Dance Theatre Journal, 24, 4.
Conference and Research Presentations:
