Mr Christopher Perkins

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.