Dr Schrag (BFA, MFA, PhD, FHEA) is a Reader of Arts Management and Cultural Policy. He is also the Co-programme leader of the MA Applied Arts and Social Practice. He is a practising artist and researcher who has worked nationally and internationally, including residencies in Iceland, USA, Canada, Pakistan, Finland, The Netherlands and South Africa, among others. He works in a participatory manner, and central to his practice is a discussion about the place of art in a social context.
- Overview
- Research Overview
- Research Publications
- Funded Projects
- Teaching & Learning
- Activities & Awards
My practice-based PhD - completed in 2016 - explored the relationship between artists, institutions and the public, looking specifically at a productive nature of conflict within institutionally supported participatory/public art projects.
I have been the recipient of numerous awards including, Royal Society of Edinburgh, The Hope Scot Trust, Creative Scotland, British Council, the Dewar Arts Award, the 2011 Standpoint Futures: Public residency award, as well as a Henry Moore Artist Fellowship. In 2015, I walked 2638 km from the north of Scotland to the Venice Biennale to explore the place of participatory artworks within the public realm.
The artist Nathalie De Brie once referred to his practice as 'Fearless'. The writer Marjorie Celona once said: ‘Anthony, you have a lot of ideas. Not all of them are good.’
My general research overview explores art within a social realm, and examines how ‘art’ and ‘culture’ is supported in wider institutional frameworks. I am specifically interested in exploring the relationship between artists, institutions and the public, looking at the productive nature of ‘conflict’. I use 'play' as an integral part of my methodology, along with phenomenological/physical methods.
Other research interests include the history of participatory practices (Socially Engaged Art/Community Art/Dialogic practices, etc) as well as how this type of practice is ‘professionalised’. This includes other interdisciplinary/trans-disciplinary experiences of art in ‘non-art’ contexts, in the lineage and legacy of the Artist’s Placement Group.Most recently I have been exploring how 'participation' occurs in Rural Art Contexts and how to support this more effectively
Another main interest includes the roles of - and relationship between - arts and health, and exploring how art can remain critical art within that context, (rather than in service to ‘health’ criteria).
Active research interests:
Participatory Practices and Socially Engaged Arts; Creative Placemaking; Play Methodologies; Rurality; Cultural Policy; Arts Management.
Research methods: Practice research
Dr Anthony Schrag research publications and outputs (QMU eResearch profile)
Selected Publications:
- Schrag, A (2023) ‘Creative Strategies for Unknowing: Taking Risks to Encourage Equitable Relationships in the Classroom’ Anti-racism in Education: Stories of Growing Activism. Marcus, G., Van de Peer, S. (2023) (eds) Critical Publishers: St Albans
- Schrag, A (2022) ‘The Boundary Crossing Nature of Creative Placemaking: the Stove as adaptor/convertor’ FIELD: A Journal of Socially-Engaged Art Criticism. Issue 22: Winter. (ISSN 2694-0094) http://field-journal.com/
- Schrag, A (ed) (2022)’Public art and Play - Special Issue. Public Art Dialogue, Taylor and Francis
- Schrag, A. (2022) Fruitful Artefacts: the role of artistic and creative practices within cultural organisations. International Journal of Cultural Management. 1(1), pp. 26-39
- Schrag, A. (2022) ‘The Demos is in the Detail’ in Cartiere, C & Schrag, A (eds) The Failure of Public Art and Participation. Routledge: London
- Schrag, A., McKinnon, C., & Blanche, R. (2022) Mapping contemporary visual art and design education in Scotland: Summary of Key Findings, March 2022, Online: Engage Scotland
- Schrag, A., Shaw, B., and Williams, F. (2022) ‘Enstranglements: Performing Within, and Exiting From, the Arts-in-Health “Setting”’ Frontiers in Psychology
- Schrag, A., (with Rankin, R., Noble, L., McCallion, M., and Rankin., W.) (2022) ’The voice of people living with dementia’ Occupational Therapy for Dementia. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London
- Schrag, A and Cartiere, C (eds) (2022) The Failure of Public Art and Participation. Routledge: London
- Manley, N.A.L., Tankiamco, X., Galindo, A.C.L., Schrag, A., Nyuen, T.A., Dao, T.H., Duong, T.T., Guzman, M.A.L.G., And Garcia, A.P., 2022. Creative interpretation of global flooding - experiences from the Philippines, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. UK: UKRI.
- Schrag, A & Luostarinen, N (2021) ‘Rehearsing For The Future: Play, Place and Art’ International Journal of Play Volume 10. p 179-194
- Schrag, A. (2020). Participation Problematises: Together in Violence. in Cartiere, C. and Tang, L., (eds) (2020) Routledge Companion to Art in the Public Realm. Routledge: London.
- Schrag, A., Coulter-Smith, M., Kelly, F., (2019) Like A Dance: Working creatively with health care practitioners to explore mobility & osteoporosis. Journal of Applied Arts & Health. 10:3. .
- Schrag, A. (2019) ‘Cheeky little monkeys: Emancipation and art in regards to education versus participation’ engage Journal pp 38 – 47
- Schrag, A., (2018). TrainWreck, or The Failures of Infrastructure: reflections on a Creative People and Place project. Artnodes. (21)
- Schrag, A. (2018) Non-Visual Aesthetics: Seeing the World with Our Bodies, Visual Culture in Britain, 19:2, pp 216-236
- Schrag, A. (2018) The artist as social worker vs. the artist as social wanker, Museums & Social Issues, 13:1, pp 8-23
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022 - Kill Your Darlings, Perth Museum and Art Gallery (Perthshire)
2021 - PANDEMIC: Artists Responses to Covid-19, Royal Scottish Academy (Edinburgh)
2019 - We Are Your Archive, Incidental Unit/Summerhall (London/Edinburgh) (Feb.)
- See It The Way We Do, Southside Housing Authority/Dress For The Weather (Glasgow) (Mar.)
- Return of the SpaceRock, Timespan Museum and Gallery (Helmsdale)
2018 - ArtWar, HUMACK/Metsätalousministeriö (Helsinki)
- RiverCity: the path is the reason, Gi festival/Huntarian Art Gallery (Glasgow)
- Cadmus’s Teeth, Fruitmarket Gallery (Self-initiated) (Edinburgh)
2017 - Movement, amongst other things, Artlink Edinburgh (Edinburgh)
- Resonate: Disseminate, The Grampian Hospital Art Trust (Aberdeen, UK)
- Creative Movement (w/ Alice Finbow), Lydia Osteoporosis Project/QMU (Edinburgh)
- Shadow Curator - Pathport, Deveron Projects (Huntly)
2016 - The Island of Mill Hill, SuperSlowWay/Creative People & Places (Lancashire, UK)
- Huntly to Venice (w/ Stuart Armitt) - Screening, Stills Gallery (Edinburgh)
- Ugly Walk, Edinburgh Art Festival/Deveron Arts (Edinburgh)
Rural Art Network Scotland (PI 2020 - 2022)
Royal Society of Edinburgh Network Award
Rural Art Network Scotland - Legacy Project (PI, 2021 - 2022)
Creative Scotland
Place-Specific Approaches to Sustainable Prosperity in the Arts & Cultural Sector (Co-I, 2021)
Royal Society of Edinburgh Saltire Research Award
Consultancy-Funded Projects
Cultural Collective Evaluation (Co-I, 2022)
Creative Scotland
Kill Your Darlings (PI, 2022)
Culture Perth and Kinross
Creative Placemaking (PI, 2022)
The Stove
Mapping Art and Design Education in Scotland (PI, 2021)
Engage/Scottish Gov’t
2021
- Royal Society of Edinburgh to support a Rural Art Network Scotland
- Widening Participation and Access Funds to support engagement projects with local communities Craigmillar and Niddrie
2019
- School Award for Research Support to develop the Rural Art Network (Scotland)
- PANDEMIC: Artists Responses to Covid-19, Royal Scottish Academy (£2500)
2019
- University Innovation Fund to support a Pilot project for a Rural Art Network (Scotland)
- The Role of Culture: UKRI (British Geological Survey) in partnership with the University of Hull, University of Engineering and Technology Vietnam, and the Ateneo De Manila University in the Philippines
- Staff Development Fund from Queen Margaret University to attend exhibitions and conferences
- Centre for Person Centred Practice - attending Conference.
- Centre for Communication, Media, Performing Arts - Fund Development fund for the Critical Arts and Health Network
2018
- Landmark Trust Futures - Award for Rural Arts Development Trip (UK)
- Staff Development Fund from Queen Margaret University to attend exhibitions and conferences
- Santander University Grants and Erasmus+ Funding to develop International Exhibition in Finland
- KyCad/Louisville Orchestra to support the development of a new work (Honk Your Fumpet!)
2017
- Staff Development Fund from Queen Margaret University to attend exhibitions and conferences
- Landmark Trust Futures - Award for Rural Arts Development Trip (UK)
- Centre for Applied Social Sciences to develop Creative Movement Workshop (Scotland)
- Santander University Grants to participate in International Exhibition in Tel Aviv (Scotland)
I am the Programme Leader for both the postgraduate MA Arts, Festival and Cultural Management, as well as for the MA Applied Arts and Social Practice, as well as teaching on several Undergraduate modules, including a new course exploring the ethical issues surrounding cultural work with others.
Awards:
- 2023 Nomination of STaR (StudentTeaching &Representation) for Excellent Teaching
- 2021 Nomination of STaR (StudentTeaching &Representation) Award in categories of: Excellent Teaching, Best Distance Teaching Staff and The Douglas Award (Most Inspirational Staff Member).
- 2020 Nomination of STaR Award. Category: Most Inspirational Staff (Cancelled due to Covid)
- 2019 Winner of STaR Award. Category: Most Inspirational Staff
Rural Art Network Scotland (PI 2020 - 2022)
Royal Society of Edinburgh Network Award
Rural Art Network Scotland - Legacy Project (PI, 2021 - 2022)
Creative Scotland
Place-Specific Approaches to Sustainable Prosperity in the Arts & Cultural Sector (Co-I, 2021)
Royal Society of Edinburgh Saltire Research Award
Consultancy-Funded Projects
Cultural Collective Evaluation (Co-I, 2022)
Creative Scotland
Kill Your Darlings (PI, 2022)
Culture Perth and Kinross
Creative Placemaking (PI, 2022)
The Stove
Mapping Art and Design Education in Scotland (PI, 2021)
Engage/Scottish Gov’t
2021
- Royal Society of Edinburgh to support a Rural Art Network Scotland
- Widening Participation and Access Funds to support engagement projects with local communities Craigmillar and Niddrie
2019
- School Award for Research Support to develop the Rural Art Network (Scotland)
- PANDEMIC: Artists Responses to Covid-19, Royal Scottish Academy (£2500)
2019
- University Innovation Fund to support a Pilot project for a Rural Art Network (Scotland)
- The Role of Culture: UKRI (British Geological Survey) in partnership with the University of Hull, University of Engineering and Technology Vietnam, and the Ateneo De Manila University in the Philippines
- Staff Development Fund from Queen Margaret University to attend exhibitions and conferences
- Centre for Person Centred Practice - attending Conference.
- Centre for Communication, Media, Performing Arts - Fund Development fund for the Critical Arts and Health Network
2018
- Landmark Trust Futures - Award for Rural Arts Development Trip (UK)
- Staff Development Fund from Queen Margaret University to attend exhibitions and conferences
- Santander University Grants and Erasmus+ Funding to develop International Exhibition in Finland
- KyCad/Louisville Orchestra to support the development of a new work (Honk Your Fumpet!)
2017
- Staff Development Fund from Queen Margaret University to attend exhibitions and conferences
- Landmark Trust Futures - Award for Rural Arts Development Trip (UK)
- Centre for Applied Social Sciences to develop Creative Movement Workshop (Scotland)
- Santander University Grants to participate in International Exhibition in Tel Aviv (Scotland)
