Dr Owen Brierley
Faculties, departments and locations
- Kingston School of Art
- Department of Creative Industries
- School of Creative and Cultural Industries
- Design, Arts and Creative Practice
Course Leader & Senior Lecturer
- Email:
- [email protected]
About
Owen Brierley is a Course Leader and Senior Lecturer at Kingston School of Art, working where digital technology, game engines, and the performing arts meet. He holds a PhD in Computational Media Design from the University of Calgary, where his thesis used graph databases to improve how non-player characters behave and "act" in games, a toolkit with applications reaching across animation, game development, bioinformatics, and game studies. Since joining Kingston in 2023 he has led the Creative Industries undergraduate course, co-designed the School's newly launched Game Creation course, and become first supervisor to three doctoral students.
His research treats game engines as serious instruments for scholarly inquiry rather than just entertainment. He is developing Q-Player, a strand growing out of his doctoral work, supported through two successful Seedcorn funding cycles. His published work includes a CHI 2021 study of how players return to long-term single-player games, a MobileHCI 2022 protocol for improving performance in XR and games, a co-design study of audio interactions between autonomous vehicles and hearing-enhanced pedestrians, and the LeukemiaSIM project, which brought game-design thinking to a VR biology simulation. He is guest editor of a special issue of the International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media on "Digital Empathy," and writes for wider audiences in The Conversation, on subjects from the rise of organised scientific fraud to why players choose to spend their free time simulating work.
Before Kingston, Brierley spent eleven years (2008–2019) as executive director of the Edmonton Digital Arts College, which he grew from a single course with fewer than 20 students into four undergraduate diploma programmes serving more than 120 students a year, built around small classes and a research-led curriculum shaped to each learner. He has also held leadership roles with Digital Alberta and the Canadian Communications Foundation.
Brierley is a practising artist and designer as well as a researcher, collaborating across theatre, dance, music, and visual arts, with work shown at venues including the Banff Centre for the Arts and the Citadel Theatre. Most recently he served as Virtual Scenographer on The Nether, a mixed-reality theatre production developed with the University of Waterloo. His teaching centres on risk-taking, dignity, and inclusion, creating spaces where students can experiment, grow, and find their own creative voice.
Qualifications
- PhD - Computational Media Design
- Multimedia Production Diploma
- Theatre Arts Diploma
Domains
Qualifications
- Game Design
- Computational Media Design
Course director
- Creative and Cultural Industries: Design Marketing BA (Hons)
- Creative and Cultural Industries: Art Direction BA (Hons)
- Creative and Cultural Industries: Events and Experiences Design BA (Hons)
- Game Creation BA (Hons)
Courses taught
As a dedicated transdisciplinarian, my research spans multiple disciplines, underscored by a collaborative spirit and individual scholarly initiative. This approach is mirrored in my entrepreneurial attitude toward research, where I engage in multiple, diverse projects to leverage opportunities as they arise. My research is guided by adaptability, allowing for shifts in response to funding, resources, and community engagement.
At the LINDSAY Virtual Human Lab, my focus is on bioinformatics projects with Dr. Christian Jacob, including a current collaboration with Georgia State University to evaluate the effectiveness of VR in teaching complex biological processes.
With Dr. Patrick Finn's GameLab, our research in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) addresses the intersection of human experience with gaming, mobile/XR technologies, and autonomous vehicles, contributing to our understanding of user engagement in digital environments.
I am currently supervising PhD candidates in fields including events & experience design, game production, virtual production, and computational media design. I welcome proposals for new research endeavours or works suitable for a PhD by Publication.
Current Funding
- "Q-Player" - Seedcorn Innovation Funding Scheme: supported by the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF)
- "Sonic Synesthetic Sculptures" - UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Current PhD Supervision
- Daniele Giampà
- Kitty Clak
- Yanbing Zhang
Qualifications
- Computational Media Design
- User Interface & User Experience Design
- Computer Game Production
- Computer Game Design
- Events & Experience Design
- Virtual Production
- Project Management
- Live Event Direction
- AI for Games
Specialisms
- Game Production & AI for Games
- Events & Experiences Design
- Digital Scenography & Virtual Production
- Human Performance
- Bioinformatics Simulations Using Game Engines
Scholarly affiliations
- Adjunct Research Associate - LINDSAY Virtual Human Lab - University of Calgary
- Adjunct Researcher - GameLab - University of Calgary
- External Examiner - Academy of Live Technologies
In a career spanning more than two decades at the intersection of digital arts and technology, I've demonstrated a passion for pioneering innovation, strategic leadership, and a commitment to educational excellence. As the Executive Director of the Edmonton Digital Arts College, I led a significant transformation, expanding programmes and achieving substantial growth, showcasing my ability to align educational initiatives with industry demands while fostering creativity and learning.
My volunteer roles, including President of Digital Alberta, interim President of Interactive Arts Alberta, President of the Canadian Communications Foundation, and board positions with arts organisations, reflect my dedication to digital innovation and support for the arts community. My academic work, underpinned by a PhD in Computational Media Design, spans game design, bioinformatics, and human-computer interaction, informing my strategic vision for integrating technologies with creative practices.
I prioritise collaborative leadership, building inclusive teams, and engaging partners to advance mutual goals. My track record in securing research funding and leading impactful projects illustrates my competence in steering complex initiatives towards innovation and growth. Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, I strive to embed these values in all endeavours, creating accessible, empowering learning environments.
My career embodies visionary leadership, strategic innovation, and a steadfast commitment to enriching the digital arts and technology sectors. I am poised to continue making significant contributions, driving change, and fostering innovation at the forefront of these fields.
Qualifications and Professional expertise
- Executive Director
- Curriculum Design
- Project Management
- Projection Design
- Interaction Design
- UI/UX Design
- Virtual Production
- Web Design & Development
Areas of interest
- Physical/digital production
- Emotional intelligence in leadership
- Educational leadership