Dr Rachel Sweeney

Rachel led the MA Movement, Mind, and Ecology programme at Schumacher College. A practicing movement artist, her research focuses on transdisciplinary approaches to decolonizing body-place relationships, creatively engaging with cultural heritage, and exploring sustainability discourses. Rachel holds a BA in Theatre from Dartington College of Arts and an AHRC-funded PhD from Middlesex University, where she explored site-based approaches to movement training.

From 2010 to 2021, Rachel was Head of Dance Studies at Liverpool Hope University. She has also served as a Visiting Fellow at the Humanities Research Centre at the Australian National University and as a Centre Fellow for the Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Plymouth. Rachel is currently a member of the European experimental heritage project Karum Creevagh. Her research has received support from international bodies such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council UK, Creative Ireland, and CSIRO Australia, as well as local organizations including Dartmoor National Park Authorities, Teignmouth County Council, and Dance in Devon.