Since its inception in 2015, lots of different people have been involved in Around the Toilet. Most current work with Around the Toilet is happening in relation to Beers, Burgers and Bleach: Hygiene, Toilets and Hospitality during COVID-19. Here you can see who has been involved, and who is currently involved.
Current Involvement
Charlotte Jones
Charlotte is a Research Fellow at the Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health, University of Exeter, and is based in Bristol. Her research interests lie at the intersections of gender, sexuality, disability and medicine. Charlotte was Research Fellow on the Around the Toilet project, and also contributes relevant expertise from previous work on public health activism and biocitizenship, and HE staff support. She leads Reprofutures, a collaborative project about variations in sex characteristics, intersex and reproduction.
Charlotte has been involved in Around the Toilet from its outset, and is currently leading Beers, Burgers and Bleach.
Jill Pluquailec
Lecturer in the Department of Education, Childhood and Inclusion, Sheffield Hallam University
Jill’s research involves work with disabled children and their families. She works in family homes, schools, playgrounds and allotments to name a few, gathering and reflecting on stories of what everyday life looks like, and feels like, for children with a label of autism in the UK today. She works with methods of embodiment, sensory ethnography and narratives to develop stories with families about their everyday experiences. Although situated within education, much of her work is transdisciplinary drawing heavily on sociology and critical disability studies.
Jill joined the Around the Toilet team as a Co-Investigator on the children and young people strand of the ‘New Spaces’ project and is now collaborating on Beers, Burgers and Bleach.
Jen Slater
Jen works as a Reader in Queer Disability Studies and Education at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Prior to Around the Toilet, their PhD research was about youth and disability and they are currently working on research around the ‘rainbowification’ of UK HE. Their fascination with toilets comes from a wider interest in issues of gender, disability and the body. Jen also likes reality television and is navigating trans parenthood. You can look at Jen’s blog here or follow them on Twitter at @jenslater
Jen led the Around the Toilet project between 2015-2018, and is collaborating on Beers, Burgers and Bleach.
Lauren White
Lauren works as a Research Fellow in Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield. Her interests span the sociology of health and illness, everyday life and qualitative research methods, such as diary methods and mobile methodologies. Lauren recently began an ESRC postdoctoral fellowship titled ‘Everyday life with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Accessibility, mobility and belonging’.
Lauren was an advisory board member on the Around the Toilet project, and now collaborates on Beers, Burgers and Bleach.
Past Involvement
Jess Bradley
Jess Bradley is the National Union of Student’s Trans Students Officer, a director of Action for Trans Health, and a founding member of the Trans Equality Legal Initiative. In her spare time, she is finishing off a PhD in Planning and Environment Management and runs a queer theatre company.
Jess is in the Advisory Group for the New Spaces project.
Gill Kemp
Gill Kemp began her career in education and law and has also worked in the media. In her spare time she has also been involved with various charities. Gill recently founded the Toilet Consortium UK and is partnering Crohn’s and Colitis UK with the aim of encouraging a wide range of charities and like minded organisations to unite in achieving better toilet access for all. She has been a member of the British Toilet Association [BTA] for a number of years and has given evidence on the effects of public toilet closures to the Health & Social Care Committee at the Welsh Assembly. On behalf of the BTA Gillian has chaired a joint venture with Hertfordshire Constabulary to revise a booklet on reducing vandalism in publicly accessible toilets. She has also edited a booklet on public toilet facilities and partnered Unite the Union in producing a booklet for lorry drivers on accessing facilities.
She has contributed articles to a variety of publications. She is the founder of two campaigns: Truckers’ Toilets UK and Public Toilets UK, both of which aim to improve toilet provision in the UK. Gill is a Founder Director of an international medical equipment manufacturing company.
Gill is pleased to be contributing to the New Spaces project as project partner on Strand 2, ‘Engagement with Design Professionals’.
Kirsty Liddiard
Kirsty is currently a Research Fellow at the School of Education at the University of Sheffield. She is also co-leader of the Institute for the Study of the Human (iHuman), also at the University of Sheffield. Kirsty’s research explores the impacts of disablism and ableism in the intimate lives of disabled people. You can read more about Kirsty’s work here and here, or follow her on Twitter @kirstyliddiard1
Kirsty is Co-Investigator on Strand 1 of the New Spaces project, ‘Queer and Disability Arts’, working alongside Gemma Nash to create a toilet film which will be screened at disability and LGBTQ themed arts festivals.
Gemma Nash
Gemma is a digital storyteller and sound artist whose work focuses on re-imagining the ‘othered’ body and the complex relationship between medicine, disability and ethics. She is particularly interested in using rehashed found sounds and other recycled materials to create impressionistic and disjointed pieces. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, and she is currently one of five artists taking part in Sound and Music’s Pathways residency.
She is also a cultural leader with extensive project management experience, particularly within disability arts and music technology. She currently works for Drake Music as a freelance artist, advocate and spokesperson.
Gemma is Co-Investigator on Strand 1 of the New Spaces project, ‘Queer and Disability Arts’.
Lisa Procter
Sadly, Lisa passed away in 2017. Lisa was a founding member of the Around the Toilet project, and her work continues to shape the project. You can read our tribute to Lisa.
My work bridges childhood studies, with a particular focus on childhood emotion, and architectural design. I aim to explore ways of supporting childhood emotional diversity through spatial agency by working with spatial practitioners and architects. I draw on sociological and geographical theories of emotion to examine entanglements between children, place, objects and things. My work explores emotion and entanglements across a range of spaces including green roofs, public toilets, classrooms, ‘scrap’ land, planting beds, streets, playgrounds.
My approach to research reflects my commitment to working in collaborative ways with children to explore aspects of experience that are beyond representation. Integral to this I develop sensory methodologies to explore with the implicit, intangible and inchoate dimensions of experience. I am particularly interested in the use of art and design practices in the co-production of research outputs with children. I work alongside community organisations in the production of meaningful research outputs, which benefit the lives of children and families.
Lisa is Co-investigator on Strand 3 of the New Spaces project, ‘Children and Young People’ with Jill Smith and Purple Patch Arts.
Eve Stirling
Eve Stirling is a Senior Lecturer in Design at Sheffield Institute of Art at Sheffield Hallam University. She teaches MA and BA Interior Design. Her research interests include the use of social media within society and she is interested in the proliferation of digital spaces within our everyday lives. She uses practice based and visual research methods to explore the everyday lives of her participants. She has a toilet obsession and a belief that the toilets are the most important element of a design scheme.
Eve is in the Advisory Group for the New Spaces project.
Dahlia Tayel-Brown
I am Dahlia. I am Egyptian living in Sheffield. One day my brother ask me if I would be interested to get involved in a project by Sheffield Hallam University talking about toilets, I agree – well I am muslim and I love going out to the countryside discovering England but toilets are my main concern, we have a special way of cleaning and this involves water. I went along, talking toilet from my faith perspective and I enjoy being in the project, I can’t wait to see the film.
Dahlia is in the Advisory Group for the New Spaces project.
Around the Toilet 