SMARTlab PhD candidates at Stage 3

A BIG Shout-out to PhD candidates John Burke and Helen Gavin- both for making it through to Stage 3 of the Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers Programme for their work on:

John's early years educator support tool, Soogra and Helen's work on Empowering Social Media with AI, Social Jam

Dr Joseph Young: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 360 Sound Art and Cultural Heritage, SMARTlab@UCD

Joseph Young (born UK, 1960) lives and works between Britain and Ireland. A former actor and award-winning composer (1982-2005), appearing in many West End musicals and on TV, he retrained as a visual artist at University of Brighton, graduating in 2005. He holds a PhD in Inclusive Design and Creative Technology Innovation from SMARTlab University College Dublin (2023). His artistic research practice is rooted in sound and its connection to place. Joseph says, ”it all starts for me with listening – listening to the city, to the natural world, to people and places, and from that process, figuring out ways to represent what I have heard as an artwork.”Supported by the Irish Research Council, in 2024 he created a unique ‘hauntological’ soundtrail The Ancestors exploring the historic archives of Killruddery House & Gardens in Ireland, curated by Anne Mullee of Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray. A companion limited edition vinyl album Sonic Hauntings in a Big House was released by Irish sound art label, Farpoint Recordings.Exhibitions include: Sounding Peace, Aldershot Military Museum (2025); Edges, Wexford Arts Centre, Ireland & Watts Gallery, UK (2024); The Destruction of Language (after Le Madame), French Pavilion, Venice Architecture Biennale (2023); Make Futurism Great Again, Estorick Collection, UK (2018); Handmade/Automation, British Ceramics Biennial (2017); The Missing Paintings, Towner Art Gallery, UK (2017); Revolution #10, Houses of Parliament, UK (2015); Growing Manual, Seoul Museum of Art (2014); The Ballad of Skinny Lattes and Vintage Clothing, Trellick Tower, Lewis Elton Gallery, Estorick Collection (2013); Orchestra of Ringtones, Jerwood Gallery, Hastings (2013); Listening Ears, Tate Britain, UK (2012). His work is held in several important permanent collections, including Towner Art Gallery and the Estorick Collection. Joseph is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at SMARTlab UCD, working on an artistic research project The Big House Made of Sound, supported by Research Ireland and the Office of Public Works. “Joseph Young is one of the most talented and innovative sound artists of our generation.” – Prof Lizbeth Goodman, Director and Co-founder, SMARTlab. Website: artofnoises.com

Dr Victoria Geaney: Senior Artist-Research Fellow in Sustainable Praxis

Dr Victoria Geaney is a fashion-led researcher, practitioner and tutor working across sustainable fashion, material innovation and interdisciplinary design (https://www.victoriageaney.co.uk/). She is Industry Project Researcher at the Royal College of Art on the EU VOICE Project and Associate Lecturer on MA Sustainable Fashion, Falmouth University. Through her practice-led research, Victoria interrogates and explores collaborative fashion and biology approaches through the lens of feminist new materialisms. Her doctoral research explored intersections between fashion, biology and material practice through collaborations with Imperial College London, Cambridge and Surrey. Since November 2024, Victoria has been working as a Visiting Researcher in the Tom Ellis Laboratory, Imperial College, investigating the potential of biological glowing proteins (GFP), cellulosic, and algae-based textiles to create biological forms of wearable technology on the LUMINA project.  Victoria is co-leading the Immersive Arts-funded SUBMERSE project with Dr Nigel Guérin-Garnett (https://immersivearts.uk/projects/submerse/), developing interdisciplinary approaches across fashion, embodiment and immersive experience. Her practice combines research, teaching and experimentation to explore future-facing approaches to fashion, materials and ecological design. She is regularly invited to speak about her research and her practice has featured in a number of national and international exhibitions and publications including - Design Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Wired magazine, Nylon magazine, Higgs magazine and Design Exchange.