Dr Florian J Seubert

Florian Seubert has been teaching at Goldsmiths since the beginning of 2016. His interests are interdisciplinary and cross-departmental. His teaching reflects this diversity and he follows a practice-oriented, hands-on approach when discussing and analysing cultural theory, lyrics and performance texts through close reading in class. He wrote his BA thesis at Bamberg University about the aesthetics of popular German song lyrics. His Master’s studies and thesis at the University of Oxford focused on the comparison between contemporary German film and Hollywood cinema. Furthermore, Florian has studied American Cultural Studies and performance practice (voice, clowning) at the University of the South and continues performance work in a practice-based PhD at Goldsmiths. His comparative practice is further informed by his international studying and teaching experiences in the US, UK and in Germany.

Academic Qualifications

M.St. Modern Languages, University of Oxford (UK)

B.A. German Studies and English/American Studies (including Applied Literature), University of Bamberg (Germany) and University of the South (USA)

Teaching

With roughly ten years of teaching experience, Florian is a versatile tutor for all age groups. Previous teaching engagements at BA and MA university level include tutor of German historical linguistics, Medieval text translation and New German Literatures (University of Bamberg, Germany), seminar convenor of ‘Love without Boundaries – On films and texts about love that transcends space, time and social convention’ (International Summer University Bamberg, Germany), teaching German as a foreign language (University of the South, USA) and tutor for Modern American Fiction, Hollywood Cinema and lecturer in the Sociocultural analysis of the musical at Goldsmiths. Florian offered and co-tutored performance-related workshops for primary and secondary school children on medieval jesters, the art of living smart, witches, performativity and gender in Germany and the US.

Professional Experience

As a singer and director, Florian practices what he preaches. He performed song recitals (classical musical theatre style) in the US and in unconventional settings such as a wine depot in Germany and directed fringe music theatre productions in Germany and the UK. He has started to use dramatherapy elements in inclusive workshops for persons with disabilities. For his practice PhD in non-mainstream music theatre, he explores the format of modern melodramatic storytelling and pantomime. His work makes use of the grotesque, magic realism and improvisation and cares for inclusivity and non-normativity.

Selected Work

 “Nicht Artgerecht. Tiere in Musikvideos als Verkörperung menschlicher Ausbruchsphantasien und deren Entlarvungsstufen bei Coldplay, den Scissor Sistersund Roger Cicero.” In: Eckers Bestiarium. Ein Festblog für Hans-Peter Ecker. Hg. Von Denise Dumschat-Rehfeldt und Martin Rehfeldt Bamberg: 2013.

'We're Merely Mammals.' The Genre of the Bestiary Song: Cole Porter's. Let's Do it in Context of his 1920s Animal Texts.” (Music and Literature: Critical Polyphonies2nd July 2015, Durham Castle)

“Hotel Aesthetics. The Four White Horse Inn Sound Films and the 20th Century Hotel" Discourse.” (Interdisciplinary Symposium on White Horse Inn and New Cultural-Historical Perspectives 1930-2015, April 16 and 18, 2015 in St. Wolfgang and Salzburg) (published in Im weissen Roessel. Kulturgeschichtliche Perspektiven. Hg. Von Nils Grosch und Caroline Stahrenberg (Waxmann, 2016)

“Gar nicht blöde. Das kluge Lied vom dummen Reiter aus Franz Lehárs Die lustige Witwe (1905, Libretto Victor Léon und LeoStein).” In: Deutsche Lieder. Bamberger Anthologie. Hg. von Martin Rehfeldt: Bamberg: 2011 ff. “Das Image der Ruinen. Wirklichkeit durch Beschönigung sehen: Zum Subgenre des.Trümmerfilmschlagers und seinen offen euphemistischen Realitätsdarstellungen am. Beispiel von Hans Albers’ Und über uns der Himmel” (1947, Text: Michael Freytag). In: Deutsche Lieder. Bamberger Anthologie. Hg. von Martin Rehfeldt: Bamberg:  2011 ff.

“The L-Word. Zur Verzweigung von Künstlerästhetik und Frauenbild in Lena (1991) von PUR und Lisa (1984) von Heinz Rudolf Kunze.” In: Deutsche Lieder. Bamberger Anthologie. Hg. von Martin Rehfeldt: Bamberg: 2011 ff. 

“Es muss natürlich der Klavierspieler sein. Wer singt da eigentlich: Gemischte Wertvorstellungen in France Galls Dann schon eher der Pianoplayer (1970).” In: Deutsche Lieder. Bamberger Anthologie. Hg. von Martin Rehfeldt: Bamberg: 2011 ff. https://deutschelieder.wordpress.com

Publications and research outputs

Article

Seubert, Florian J. 2023. Dramatherapy-informed facilitation in opera outreach for adults with learning disabilities. Dramatherapy, 44(2-3), pp. 145-158. ISSN 0263-0672

Seubert, Florian J. 2022. ‘Sanitise your hands with rainbows!’ Encouraging self-representation in times of crisis: inclusive reflections on Covid-19, together with women with learning disabilities from East London. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 27(4), pp. 443-457. ISSN 1356-9783

Thesis

Seubert, Florian J. 2022. Music Theatre without Voice: Facilitating and directing diverse participation for opera, musical, and pantomime. Doctoral thesis, Goldsmiths, University of London