The Making an Appearance research project is a collaboration between the Centre for Contemporary British Theatre at Royal Holloway and the Equity Women’s Committee. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through the technē Doctoral Training Partnership, the project explores performers’ experiences of aesthetic labour.
In January Dr Sara Reimers joined the Centre for Contemporary British Theatre as a Creative Economy Engagement Fellow. Sara is working on the Making an Appearance research project in partnership with the Women’s Committee of Equity. The eight-month project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through the technē Doctoral Training Partnership and will explore the pressures actors face to make changes to their appearance as part of their performance work.
Later this month will see the launch of a survey which asks performers about the time, money, and emotional energy they invest in making their appearance. In the run up to the survey launch, Sara has written an article for The Conversation about the idea of aesthetic labour and its impact on performers’ lives.