Role
Andrea Moneta MArch PhD FHEA PGCAP is Research lead and Senior Lecturer for BA (Hons) Design for Stage and Screen, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Design for Theatre and Live Performance, module leader for Contextual Studies 2 and 3, and teaches on a number of modules across the course.
Having a particular interest in exploring the intersection between scenography, heritage and architecture in real and virtual worlds, he is actively involved in researching and teaching in these areas.
Career overview
Andrea has held a number of senior positions within HE organisations, including: Adjunct Professor of Scenography and course leader of the postgraduate study course in Urban Theatre and Digital Scenography at the University of Rome La Sapienza; Adjunct Professor of Urbanism at Università della Calabria (Italy); and Visiting Scholar at Universidad Europea de Madrid (Spain)
Working both as an architect and a scenographer, Andrea is a trans-disciplinary practitioner. His creative work, teaching and research are all strongly informed by his expertise in theatre, heritage, architecture, and urbanism. Public space and the built environment -in real and virtual worlds- are inspirations, and serve as references when designing and managing performances, events, spatial practices, and exhibits.
He is co-founder of Archabout, a research collective for architecture, urbanism and Scenarchitecture; co-founder of Smart Jokes, an ethical and unconventional communication agency based in Rome (Italy). Registred Architect with ARB, member of SBTD (Society of British Theatre Designers), ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians), IFTR (International Federation of Theatre Research), The Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire and ASC (Italian Association of Set and Costume Designers).
Research areas
Andrea discovered his passion for theatre and performance through architecture, as the result of a long exploration of the relationship between space, people and man-made space - a research that grew out of the need to rediscover the character of place (Genius Loci). The aim is to use theatre practice to create environments that are responsive and appropriate to their users' cultural, emotional, spiritual and practical needs. For this reason, while working in site-specific performance, he developed a unique methodology that was called "Scenarchitecture", i.e. a theatre design practice to link and engage people and places, heritage and performance, theatre and participatory design. He is a pioneer of design for virtual worlds through the hybridization of architecture, heritage, scenography and live performance, with the aim of creating new relationship with the spatial context, real and virtual, to define new boundaries for the body and the action.
At NTU he is actively involved in research as a member of Global Heritage Research Theme and of the Artistic Research Centre.
His research interests in Scenography and Performance include:
- Design for performance in unconventional theatre spaces and heritage sites.
- Spatial Practice, Placemaking
- Design for XR and Metaverse, Digital Scenography.
External activity
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Member of IFTR - International Federation of Theatre Research
Member of SBTD - Society of British Theatre Designers
Member of ABTT - Association of British Theatre Technicians
Member of ARC - Associazione Italiana Scenografi e Costumisti
PhD Supervisor of NTU Doctoral School and M4C
Publications
- Moneta, A (2022) Revealing Nottingham's secret history through augmented reality. (online) The Conversation, July 21, 2022
- Moneta, A (2020) Architecture, Heritage, and the Metaverse: New Approaches and Methods for the Digital Built Environment, in: TDSR - Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, Berkeley, vol. XXXII n.1 pp. 37-49
- Moneta, A (2017) How Virtual Reality is changing the way we experience stage shows. (online) The Conversation, August 18, 2017
- Moneta, A (2015) SBTD Exhibition 2015: Passion, Commitment, Care. A Necessary Exhibition, in: Blue Pages – The Journal of Society of British Theatre Designers, Cardiff, pp. 12-13
- Moneta, A (2012) Scenarchitettura, Edizioni Nuova Cultura, Rome
- Moneta, A (2012) Ponte di Nona, Edizioni Nuova Cultura, Rome
- Moneta, A (2011) Scenachitecture, a contribution for the re-definition of space related disciplines, in: Contemporary Scenography magazine, Rome, p. 1, 4
- Moneta, A (2010) Il Teatro Urbano: un luogo d'incontro con l'Universita', in: C. Faletti, L'avventura del Teatro Urbano. Ricerca e sperimentazione di Abraxa Teatro, Edizioni Sette Città, Viterbo, pp. 152-155
- Moneta, A (2010) I Grandi Cantieri in: G. Longobardi G. Piccinato V. Quilici, ‘Campagne Romane’, Alinea Editrice, Firenze, pp. 70-75
- Moneta, A (2002) Attivita' di ricerca: 1990-2002, in G. Moneta, Logica e complessità dell’architettura, Edizioni Kappa, Rome, cd-rom
Press expertise
- Architecture
- Scenography
- Design for performance
- Design for Heritage
- Site-specific theatre
- Spatial Practice
- Design for Real and Virtual world (XR, Metaverse)
UN Sustainable Goals in Teaching & Research
Sustainability is not just about technology: There is no sustainability without place identity and true participation. History, heritage and community should be considered as an integral part of any design and development process in our world to realise truly sustainable living places.
Andrea's multidisciplinary approach to research and practice has been developed through innovative methods that promote sustainability from the scale of territory down to the scale of place identity and participation blending architecture, heritage and performance. The final goal is to research, reveal and perform heritage to produce psychophysical wellbeing, environmental sustainability, and social relations, thus reinforcing and confirming the distinctive features of a place within a community.
Sustainability, in fact, starts from the place we live in, this is why there is a need to research, understand, and reveal the complex relationship between ourselves and our physical environment. Placemaking is the final goal: creating environments that are responsive and appropriate to their inhabitants' cultural, emotional, spiritual, and practical needs to promote psychophysical wellbeing and social relations.
Current projects involving sustainability:
July 2022: introducing the Theatre Green Book | in BA (Hons) DFSS-Design for Theatre and Live Performance course teaching activities and design projects, after participating in June 2022 to the Conference at National Theatre: Making the Theatre Green – A year of working with the Theatre Green Book. Making Theatre Green | National Theatre A copy of the Theatre Green Book is now available in the Waverley theatre WAV125.
January-April 2023: The Heritage Design project of BA (Hons) DFSS-Design for Theatre and Live Performance (lead tutor: Dr Andrea Moneta), in collaboration with the National Justice Museum of Nottingham, will incorporate the Theatre Green Book in all project activities, including the use of recycled/recyclable materials for the realisations of props and installations.
