Ffion Jones was appointed in August 2016 as a Lecturer in Practical Theatre. She teaches across a range of modules in both Drama and Theatre and occasionally for the Theatre and Performance Design degree. She graduated from the department with her BA in performance studies and scenography (2007), an MA in Practicing Performance (2008), and a practice led PhD (2015). She is also a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Her research examines upland sheep farming, exploring the complex nature of farming identities through film and site-specific performance. Her more recent research explores ideas around rewilding within the culturally sensitive areas of Upland Wales by examining the conflict between farming practices and environmental stewardship. Ffion was brought up on an upland sheep farm in Wales and her research is informed by her knowledge of animal husbandry, farming culture and practice. 

She has recently been involved in Merched Y Tir, a culturally diverse group of creative women from Wales exploring the nature of their relationship to land. She is currently involved in explorations into the changes in rural communities and landscapes through the research network, Narrating Rural Change, led by Professor Kirsti Bohata of Swansea University.

Research Profile

My research explores the lives of upland sheep farmers in Mid Wales by generating film, performance and installation from an autobiographical perspective. My research draws attention to the relationships between upland sheep farmers, their sense of identity and relationship to their livestock within a fastchanging, global, rural landscape. This research can make a difference to public and governmental understanding of the lives and roles of sheep farmers within the contested debates around environmental custodianship and carbon mitigation.

Research themes: Practice-based research into rural studies. Interdisciplinary research focusing on the nature of farming lives with specific focus on the relationship between farmers’ and their livestock. Research practices include an interest in a multi-disciplinary methodological approach, incorporating ethnographic fieldwork, film-making and performance as a way of disseminating farming lives to a general public. Interest in site-specific theatre practices, especially those which focus on rural spaces as a location for performance events.