Mr Christopher Perkins
Honorary Reader

Research interests
My interests have focused upon the changing nature of the map as a representation, with research charting the social contexts of map production. I co-convened with Martin Dodge the Mapping Manchester Project, including the eponymous exhibition. More recently my interest has come to focus upon critical and ethnographic approaches to contemporary mapping, with an emphasis upon the role of actor-network-based approaches to real world mapping practices, see Maps in Society for further details. In the last 5 years I have collaborated with other members of the Playful Mapping Collective in ongoing research into the productive relations between media studies, STS and critical cartography, including researh roles with the ERC funded Charting the Digital Project and the Erasmus+ funded GoGoGozo project. Emerging research also focuses on Island Studies and the cultural relations between islands and mapping practice.
Other research
Recent research projects
October 2016-September 2017 RGS-IBG Environment And Sustainabilty Research Grant
Restoring the Function and Resilience of Ecosystems on St Helena (REFRESH) £9 560
Human geographic co-i in interdisciplinary project
August 2015-July 2016 ERC Utrecht Warwick Charting the Digital Project £ 29 395
Charting the Digital: Digital Mapping Practices as New Media Cultures |
£29,395.00 |
Research affiliate to ongonig Charting the Digital Project
January 2015-August 2015 CHERIL University of Manchester £ 9292
Evaluating Field-based Learning: Multidisciplinary Mobile Mapping Methods
Student-led evaluation of field practice
October 2014- September 2017 Erasmus + Mobile Mapping Methodologies €210 000
Interdisciplinary and international field programme in Gozo exploring the potential of playful field encounters
September 2012- 2017 ERC Utrecht Warwick Charting the Digital Project £35,000
Funded Manchester based PhD attached to the project
2012 SED Research Stimulation Fund £2,930
Smells of the city: detection representation and recall of place odours.
Ran workshops and instigated collaboration leading to the publcation of
2010 Manchester Geographical Society £1,100
Towards the cost of mounting Mapping Manchester exhibition.
2009-10 SED Research Stimulation Fund £2,950
Mapping Manchester’s Urban Histories Web Portal
Scanned and made accessible key commercially published maps of the city.
2007-2008 Leverhulme Artist in Residence Fund £12,000
Michael Mayhew: Principles of Mapping.
Explored the links between mapping and artistic practice
2006 Manchester Geographical Society £450
MapChester OpenSource Mapping Workshop.
Onje of the First OpenStreetMap mapping parties.
2004-6 Joint Health Unit of the City of Manchester £100,000
Community Mapping.
Developed a suite of on-line and hard copy walking and cycling map products reflecting community views.
2003-4 British Academy £1,750
Ethnographies of Contemporary Mapping.
Case study based explorations of mapping pracxtices across the digital divide
1991-2 British Library and Rylands Research Institute £40,000
Evaluation of online map library systems.
Projects
Research and projects
No current projects are available for public display