Tabitha Fuster-Burnett

Profile

I began my academic career at the University of Warwick in 2015, studying BA Film and Literature, where I specialised in queer cinema and completed a dissertation exploring representations of drag and gender-crossing in Hollywood. Following graduation, I moved to the University of Leeds to undertake an MA in Society, Culture and Media, where I developed a passion for sociological research and qualitative inquiry.

I am currently completing a PhD in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds. My doctoral research examines how disabled people experience agency within non-disability led performing arts organisations. Through an ethnographic study of two UK theatre companies, I explore how participants navigate recognition, organisational expectations, surveillance, belonging, and autonomy within spaces that seek to promote inclusion. Drawing on disability studies and social theory, my work considers the complex ways that agency is enabled, constrained and negotiated within everyday organisational life.

My research is informed by my own experiences within inclusive arts settings and seeks to centre the perspectives of learning disabled and neurodivergent participants. I am particularly interested in questions of disability, inclusion, participation, creativity, community, and the relationship between individual agency and structural constraint. More broadly, my research interests include disability studies, qualitative and creative research methods, the sociology of culture, and inclusive practice.

My doctoral research was conducted over a full year of ethnography, utilising participant observation, semi-structured interviews, informal conversations and creative methods. I worked alongside participants in a variety of roles to develop a detailed understanding of organisational culture and everyday experiences. This included supporting creative activities, administrative work, backstage roles, and participation in company life.

Alongside my research, I teach undergraduate students and support dissertation projects at the University of Leeds. My teaching interests include qualitative and creative methods, social inequalities, disability studies, the sociology of media and culture, and supporting students to develop confidence as independent researchers.

I am also committed to public engagement and collaborative knowledge exchange. My current dissemination activities involve working with inclusive arts organisations and disabled artists to explore creative approaches to sharing research findings beyond the academy.

Qualifications

• BA Film and Literature (University of Warwick)
• MA Society, Culture and Media (University of Leeds)
• MA Social Research (University of Leeds)