Role
Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for BA (Hons) Design for Theatre and Live Performance, Andrea Moneta teaches across several modules within the course. His academic and creative interests lie in the intersection of scenography, heritage, and architecture—both in physical and virtual environments. He is actively engaged in research and teaching that explores these themes, contributing to the evolving discourse in performance design and spatial storytelling.
Career overview
Andrea Moneta has held several senior academic positions within higher education institutions, including: Adjunct Professor of Scenography and Course Leader of the postgraduate programme 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 as both an architect and scenographer, Andrea is a transdisciplinary practitioner whose creative work, teaching, and research are deeply informed by his expertise in theatre, heritage, architecture, and urbanism. Public space and the built environment—both real and virtual—serve as ongoing sources of inspiration and reference in the design and management of performances, events, spatial practices, and exhibitions.
He is co-founder of Archabout, research collective focused on architecture, urbanism, and Scenarchitecture, and co-founder of Smart Jokes, an ethical and unconventional communication agency based in Rome. Andrea is a Registered Architect with the ARB, and a member of several professional and scholarly organisations including: SBTD (Society of British Theatre Designers), IFTR (International Federation of Theatre Research), ASC (Italian Association of Set and Costume Designers), and Councillor of The Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire.
Research areas
Andrea Moneta is a transdisciplinary researcher whose work bridges architecture, scenography, heritage, and digital technologies. His research explores the concept of Scenarchitecture—a methodology that investigates the spatial and performative dimensions of architecture and heritage in both real and virtual environments. Central to his practice is the idea of Performing Architecture, which reinterprets hidden cultural narratives through immersive design and socially engaged spatial practices.
Andrea has led and contributed to numerous international collaborations and funded research projects across Europe, working with institutions in Greece, Spain, and Italy. He is an active member of the ESPACIAR-DIGITALSTAGE research group, which focuses on spatial analysis in digital scenographic installations. His recent work includes site-specific heritage design projects at Nottingham Castle, the National Justice Museum, and Nottingham’s Old Market Wall, integrating augmented reality and heritage to enhance public engagement with cultural memory.
At Nottingham Trent University, Andrea is actively involved in research contributing to the Research Centre for the Creative Industries, the Artistic Research Group and the Centre for Research in History, Heritage and Memory Studies. His work bridges research across the Department of Design and Digital Arts and the Department of Music & Events, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration that combines design-led thinking with sound, performance, and event-based practices.
His academic leadership includes supervising PhD research on design for performance in the Metaverse and digital interactions for social wellbeing. These projects reflect his commitment to exploring how emerging technologies can shape new forms of storytelling and audience engagement.
Andrea contributes to scholarly discourse through keynote presentations and publications in journals such as Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review and the International Journal of Heritage Studies. His work has been recognised with awards, including the Jeffrey Cook Award for best paper at the IASTE 2021 conference.
As co-founder of Archabout, Andrea continues to advance innovative research at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and performance design to uncover and interpret the Genius Loci—the unique spirit of place—within heritage contexts. By merging digital tools with spatial storytelling, Andrea not only reimagines historical environments but also fosters inclusive community engagement, creating immersive experiences that connect people with cultural memory in meaningful and transformative ways.
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 ARC - Associazione Italiana Scenografi e Costumisti
- Registered Architect with ARB
- PhD Supervisor of NTU Doctoral School and Co(l)laboratory PhD
- Co-founder of Archabout
Publications
Moneta, A. 2025. Architecture as Performance: Digital Scenography and Memory in the Metaverse. In DIGITALSTAGE: Spatial Analysis of Digital Stage Installations of the 21st Century, 66–75. Grupo Espaciar – Universidad de Valladolid.
Moneta, A., Hodgson, N., and Fearon, E. 2025. “Re-interpreting Intangible Cultural Heritage through Immersive Live Performances to Enhance Memory-Based Institutions and Foster Community Engagement.” International Journal of Heritage Studies.
Moneta, A., and Crocco, M. 2025. “Timeless Transformations: Restoring History and Memory Through Cosmopolitan Design in Beirut, Thessaloniki, and Alexandria.” Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review 342: 1–23.
Moneta, A. 2025. “Unveiling Nottingham's Hidden History through Augmented Reality.” In Proceedings of Performing Space 2023 Conference, Nafplio, Greece.
Moneta, A., and Crocco, M. 2024. “Investigating the ‘Altera Forma Urbis’: The Secret Structural Urban Form of Ancient Rome by Applying a Sustainable Innovative Architectural Design Methodology for the Challenges of the Contemporary Built Environment.” IASTE Working Paper Series: Cities in Transformation 331: 34–55.
Moneta, A. 2023. “Scenarchitecture: A Methodology for Investigating the Role of Genius Loci in the Reading, Understanding and Interpretation of Architecture and Heritage.” In Performing Space, edited by E. Pirovolakis, M. Mikedaki, and P. B. Cruz, 141–170. Athens: Nissos.
Moneta, A. 2022. “Revealing Nottingham's Secret History through Augmented Reality.” The Conversation, July 21. https://theconversation.com/revealing-nottinghams-secret-history-through-augmented-reality-187314
Moneta, A. 2020. “Architecture, Heritage, and the Metaverse: New Approaches and Methods for the Digital Built Environment.” Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review 32 (1): 37–49.
Moneta, A. 2017. “How Virtual Reality Is Changing the Way We Experience Stage Shows.” The Conversation, August 18. https://theconversation.com/how-virtual-reality-is-changing-the-way-we-experience-stage-shows-81542
Moneta, A. 2015. “SBTD Exhibition 2015: Passion, Commitment, Care. A Necessary Exhibition.” Blue Pages: Journal of the Society of British Theatre Designers 2: 12–13.
Moneta, A. 2012. Scenarchitettura. Rome: Edizioni Nuova Cultura.
Moneta, A. 2012. Ponte di Nona. Rome: Edizioni Nuova Cultura.
Moneta, A. 2011. “Scenarchitecture: A Contribution for the Re-definition of Space Related Disciplines.” Contemporary Scenography 2: 1–4.
Moneta, A. 2010. “Il Teatro Urbano: Un Luogo d’Incontro con l’Università.” In L’avventura del Teatro Urbano: Ricerca e Sperimentazione di Abraxa Teatro, edited by C. Faletti, 152–155. Viterbo: Edizioni Sette Città.
Press expertise
- Design for performance
- Architecture
- Scenography
- Cultural Heritage
- Site-specific performance
- Spatial Practices
- 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.
