Dr Marina Rova
Staff details
Position
Lecturer, MA Dance Movement Psychotherapy
Department
Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies
m.rova (@gold.ac.uk)
An interdisciplinary practitioner with over 20 years experience in educational, clinical and community contexts.
Dr Marina Rova is Programme Convenor, lecturer, registered Dance Movement Psychotherapist, PhD Supervisor and interdisciplinary researcher. Her practice-based PhD (2017) explored kinaesthetic empathy through the intersections of dance movement psychotherapy, phenomenology and cognitive neuroscience.
Marina leads the MA Dance Movement Psychotherapy programme and is a research active academic lecturing on a range of subjects (DMP theory, academic skills, research methods, experiential groupwork and supervision), offering PhD supervision under the Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies (STaCS) department and contributing to research and writing in the arts therapies and related areas. She is peer reviewer and member of the International Advisory Panel for the International Journal of Body Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy and External Examiner for Derby University.
Academic qualifications
- Doctorate of Philosophy 2017
- MA Dance Movement Psychotherapy 2009
- Post Graduate Diploma Dance Movement Psychotherapy 2007
- BA Hons Dance 2005
Teaching and supervision
As a PhD supervisor Marina offers guidance in practice research projects focusing on embodied relational process, community practice and the use of arts and creativity as a therapeutic or social intervention. Marina has particular interest in existential, phenomenological and posthumanist ways of knowing and languaging lived experience. Marina is available to supervise related PhD projects.
Research interests
I am interested in developing collaborative research projects exploring creative research methodologies that widen our understanding of what constitutes evidence and knowledge in theory and practice. My recent co-edited anthology Creative Bodies in Therapy Performance and Community (Frizell & Rova 2023) illustrates the different ways in which practice can become research and research can become practice.
My ongoing autoethnographic research 'On Being a Cultural Nomad' brings together creative process and autoethnography towards a practice inquiry into nomadic experience as a personal, cultural and political phenomenon. The research reveals that place, time, conflict and hope are inextricably entangled in the experience of migration. The practice methodology is built around a 5-part ceremonial that includes arriving, creating, gathering, witnessing and departing.
Featured publications
Grants and awards
2012:
PhD scholarship
Psychology Department - University of Roehampton
Publications and research outputs
Book
Thompson, Naomi; Nasimi, Rabia; Rova, Marina and Turner, Andy. 2022. Community Work with Migrant and Refugee Women: 'Insiders' and 'outsiders' in research and practice. Bingley: Emerald. ISBN 9781801174794
Edited Book
Frizell, Caroline and Rova, Marina, eds. 2022. Creative Bodies in Therapy, Performance and Community: Research and Practice that Brings us Home. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 9781032119809
Book Section
Frizell, Caroline and Rova, Marina. 2023. Arriving, becoming and arriving again. In: Caroline Frizell and Marina Rova, eds. Creative Bodies in Therapy, Performance and Community: Research and Practice that Brings us Home. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 1-11. ISBN 9781032119809
Rova, Marina. 2022. Kinaesthetic entanglements and creative immersion in embodied performance. In: Caroline Frizell and Marina Rova, eds. Creative Bodies in Therapy, Performance and Community: Research and Practice that Brings us Home. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 36-49. ISBN 9781032119809
Rova, Marina and Behm, Marrianne. 2022. Borderlands: Exploring creativity as a practice of liminality in the arts therapies. In: Caroline Frizell and Marina Rova, eds. Creative Bodies in Therapy, Performance and Community: Research and Practice that Brings us Home. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 152-161. ISBN 9781032119809
Article
Rova, Marina; Burrell, Claire and Cohen, Marika. 2020. Existing in-between two worlds: supporting asylum seeking women living in temporary accommodation through a creative movement and art intervention. Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy: An International Journal for Theory, Research and Practice, 15(3), pp. 204-218. ISSN 1743-2979
Rova, Marina. 2017. Embodying kinaesthetic empathy through interdisciplinary practice-based research. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 55, pp. 164-173. ISSN 0197-4556
Conference or Workshop Item
Frizell, Caroline and Rova, Marina. 2023. 'Creative moving bodies as a resource for embodied knowledge'. In: European Association for Dance Movement Therapy: 4th Dance Movement Therapy Online Science Café. Online, United Kingdom 9 November 2023.
Frizell, Caroline and Rova, Marina. 2023. 'Creative Bodies in Therapy, Performance and Community'. In: Book Launch: Creative Bodies in Therapy, Performance and Community. Goldsmiths, University of London, United Kingdom 7 March 2023.
Rova, Marina. 2020. 'Kinaesthetic intersubjectivity through the lens of Dance Movement Psychotherapy'. In: Whose Intersubjectivity Anyway? Five perspectives across psychotherapeutic modalities.. Stillpoint Spaces, London, United Kingdom 18 January 2020.
Performance
Rova, Marina. 2014. |mu| a live dance theatre research performance accompanied by a photography and art exhibition. In: "|mu| - a live dance theatre performance accompanied by a performance and art exhibition", Univesrity of Roehampton, United Kingdom, 2014.
Rova, Marina. 2011. De Mentis Silent Stories. In: "De Mentis: Silent Stories I,II & III", Chisenhale Dance Space, United Kingdom, 25-27 February 2011.
Professional Activity
Rova, Marina. 2022. PhD Supervisor, Goldsmiths, University of London.
Rova, Marina. 2020. PhD Upgrade Examiner, Goldsmiths, University of London.
Thesis
Rova, Marina. 2017. Embodying Kinaesthetic Empathy a: practice based and interdisciplinary research. Doctoral thesis, University of Roehampton
Professional projects
Marina is a member of aRTSjAM collective, a continuous professional development group led by a community of arts therapists. She was also co-founder of ArtsMinded Community Interest Company (2018) acting as a co-director until 2022. She is peer reviewer and member of the International Advisory Panel for the International Journal of Body Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy and External Examiner for Derby University. Marina has acted as an independent consultant in various performance, health and charitable organisations advising on embodied reflective practice approaches, service development and team building. Notable commissions include the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dementia Pathfinders CIC, St Georges NHS Foundation Trust, Matthew Bourne New Adventures, Place to Be, Dance East, Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE) and Edge Hill University (among others).
Research projects
On Being a Cultural Nomad
Autoethnographic practice inquiry into the lived experience of migration
2023-2023:
Exploring the impact of creative movement in adult mental health through a community engagement project
A collaborative research project in partnership with Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and Sydenham Garden
Conferences and talks
2018:
‘Moving Toward New Lands: Transforming Embodied Knowledge in the 21st Century'
Keynote Speaker as part of the 3rd European Association for Dance Movement Therapy Conference 'Crossing Borders and the In-Between' - Athens/Greece
2014:
‘Embodying Kinaesthetic Empathy as an Intersubjective Phenomenon and Clinical Intervention’
Presenter as part of the 1st European Association for Dance Movement Therapy Conference 'Resilience within a Changing World' - Riga/Latvia
Performances
Rova, M. (2014). ‘|mu|’ a live dance theatre performance accompanied by a photography and art exhibition. London: Centre for Arts Therapies Research: University of Roehampton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlR__g8UOf0
Rova, M. (2012).’Silent Story’ solo performance. Embodying Loss Symposium, Centre for Arts Therapies Research: University of Roehampton.
Rova, M. (2011). ‘De Mentis Silent Stories’ a live dance theatre performance accompanied by a photography and short film exhibition. Chisenhale Dance Space: London. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl7_t9Qph8k
Rova, M. (2010). ‘De Mentis’ a preview performance and Q&A session. 1st National Dance and Dementia Conference. Bluecoat: Liverpool. http://www.chezfred.org.uk/chat/20101210MemoryConference/