I have a background working in the cultural heritage sector, as an archaeology curator and as a specialist in digital technology implementation for museums.

I am an archaeologist with several years’ experience in field archaeology and has a research interest in Early Modern archaeology, particularly the relationship between archaeological research and public consumption of the past. I work with locally focused arts and culture organisations, and am interested in supporting the implementation of co-designed interventions for engaging with archaeology and heritage. I have been involved in exhibition design, staging, and evaluation for cultural heritage since 2004.

My most recent work has focused on the development of participatory methodologies for community archaeology, and I am currently developing tools for use by community groups to record, analyse, and interpret archaeological material culture. I am also working with the National Trust and Durham University to roll-out guidelines for embedding archaeological practice into interpretation and programming at outdoor heritage sites across England and Wales.

The Digital Narratives in Archaeology Research (DiNAR) project aims to develop approaches to university-museum partnership working, and has recently launched an interactive VR experience at Yorkshire Museum as part of the British Museum and York Museums Trust exhibition, Viking: Rediscover the Legend. I am working with partners from several cultural heritage organisations and higher education institutions to design and implement impact activities from this research.

Nicole Smith's publications

Current projects

2017-pres.: Co-I – Inhabit: Data, Immersion and Archaeological Practice

Design project, Digital Creativity Labs, University of York, POSTGLACIAL project (Star Carr), Goldsmiths University (Co-I awarded Creativity Research Priming, University of York, February 2018 £5,140). Aim: Investigating the potential of emerging forms of immersive technology and media to facilitate new interactions between archaeologists and spatial data. Outputs: Workshop in June 2018, three proof-of-concept VR experiences. Planned paper CHI 2019.

2017-pres.: Named postdoc - Within the Walls of York Gaol (DiNar sub-project)

Partnership project, Department of Archaeology and Digital Creativity Labs, University of York with York Castle Museum, York Museums Trust (Named postdoc awarded AHRC Immersive Experiences £59,000). Aim: Development of methodology for cultural heritage sector to commission digital interpretation. Outputs: Case study - Virtual reality use in re-development work for York Castle Museum.

2016-pres.: Named postdoc - Digital Narratives for Heritage (DiNar)

Networking project, developing projects with multiple partners (Co-I Culture and Communication Pump Priming Fund £2,477; Named postdoc Centre for Digital Heritage York Priming Fund £5,000). Aim: Examining potential of virtual and augmented narratives for cultural heritage. Outputs: Proof of concept projects with multiple partners, including York Museums Trust (Named postdoc AHRC Immersive Experiences £59,000); BBC, English Heritage, Cadw, Historic Environment Scotland (PI on AHRC Research Networking application in preparation), Uppsala University, digital SME Disir (ongoing collaboration), impact project with WEAVER Project (AHRC AH/N00356X/1), publications in preparation.

2016-pres.: Co-I – VikingVR (DiNar sub-project)

Partnership project, DCLabs University of York with Yorkshire Museum, York Museums Trust (Co-I EPRSC Impact Accelerator York £23,030). Aim: Proof-of-concept project for virtual reality to present archaeological data to public audience. Outputs: Case study - Development of virtual reality room and engagement programme within British Museum and York Museums Trust ‘Viking: Rediscover the Legend’ travelling exhibition (May 2017-November 2019), several publications in preparation.

2017-pres.: Co-I - Discovering England’s Burial Spaces (DEBS)

Partnering with Archaeology Data Service, Historic England, Caring for God’s Acre, ChurchCare Church of England, Churches Conservation Trust, Council for British Archaeology, ALGAO UK (HER Committee), DCLabs University of York (Co-I Historic England £74,300; Co-I Heritage Protection Commissions Programme Historic England £1,500). Aims: Development of pilot national database and associated training materials for burial space recording. Co-design project with six case study community group graveyard and cemetery survey projects. Outputs: National database and training programme, publication strategy begins 2018.

2016-pres.: Co-I - Identifying and Communicating the ‘wows’ of archaeology outdoors

Aims: Identifying and communicating the ‘wows’ of archaeology outdoors for implementation of new methodology for interpretation at outdoor sites. Outputs: Durham University REF impact case study project, exhibition, evaluation programme, guidelines, white paper. Partners: National Trust, Council for British Archaeology (PI Durham University Research Impact Fund £7,500).

2012-pres.: Co-Director - Basing House Project

Partnering with Hampshire Cultural Trust and University of Southampton. Aim: Research project at Basing House and in village of Old Basing and environs, focus on Civil War legacy. Community archaeology and student training survey and excavation (Co-Director for four field seasons, Fieldwork Fund University of Southampton £13,500). Outputs: Several publications, several exhibitions, artists-in-residence schemes. Currently planning season five in 2018. 2007-pres.: Co-Director - Re-reading the British Memorial Project Several community group partners across UK (PI Southampton Digital Humanities award £500, funding from individual community projects, predominately HLF). Aim: Community archaeology project. Co-design research to develop a methodology for low-cost digital technology use for graveyard and cemetery recording. Outputs: Several publications, conference papers, invited seminars.

Previous projects

2013-pres.: Co-I – Computational Photography for Rock and Cave Art

Aim: Research to develop methods and methodology for cave and rock art recording, dissemination, and interpretation. Outputs: Several sub-projects, including Geodesic RTI Dome with BioArch University of York, Electronics and Computer Science University of Southampton (Co-I Creativity Pump Priming, University of York); Runic Network with Historic Environment Scotland, Uppsala University, University of Aarhus (Co-I Centre for Digital Heritage Priming Fund); Rock Art and Cave Art Research Network with Durham University, Altamira Museum, El Castillo Cave, Foz Côa, Creswell Crags Museum (Named researcher British Academy Small Research Fund); Computational Photography for First Nations Petroglyph Recording with Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia (Co-I World Universities Network). Publication in preparation.

List by: Type | Date

• 2018 [Co-I] Inhabit: Data, Immersion and Archaeological Practice, Creativity Research Priming, University of York, February 2018 – Partners: Digital Creativity Labs, POSTGLACIAL project (Star Carr), Goldsmiths University
• 2017 [Named researcher] Within the Walls of York Gaol, AHRC Immersive Experiences – Partners: University of Glasgow, York Museums Trust
• 2017 [Co-I] Discovering England’s Burial Spaces (DEBS), Historic England – Partners: Historic England, ChurchCare, Caring for God’s Acre
• 2016 [PI] Identifying and Communicating the ‘wows’ of archaeology outdoors, Durham University Research Impact Fund – Partners: National Trust, Council for British Archaeology
• 2016 [Co-I] Realising the Impact of VR for Heritage and Culture, EPRSC Impact Accelerator York – Partners: Yorkshire Museum, York Museums Trust
• 2016 [Co-I] Digital Narratives for Archaeological Data (DiNar), Culture and Communication Pump Priming Fund – Partners: York Museums Trust
• 2016 [Co-I] Mixed reality and game dynamics for the interpretation of cultural heritage, Centre for Digital Heritage Priming Fund – Partners: Uppsala University
• 2016 [Co-I] Geodesic RTI Dome, Creativity Pump Priming, University of York – Partners: BioArch University of York, Electronics and Computer Science University of Southampton
• 2015 [Co-I] Runic Network, Centre for Digital Heritage Priming Fund – Partners: Historic Environment Scotland (Maeshowe), Uppsala University, Moesgaard Museum, University of Aarhus
• 2014 [Named researcher] Rock Art and Cave Art Research Network, British Academy Small Research Fund [PI Alistair Pike, University of Southampton] – Partners: Durham University, Altamira Museum, El Castillo Cave, Foz Côa, Creswell Crags Museum
• 2012 [Co-I] Basing House Research Project, University of Southampton
• 2014 [PI] Stories from Bones: Facilitating Public Interactions with Digitised Osteo-archaeology Datasets, Public Engagement Development Fund Award, Research and Development & Graduate Centre – Partners: Hampshire Cultural Trust, Bioengineering Research Group
• 2013 [PI] Basing House Research Project, University of Southampton
• 2013 [Co-I] 'Rock Art Land- and Sea-scapes': Computational Photography for First Nations Petroglyph Recording, World Universities Network – Partners: Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia
• 2012 [PI] Basing House Research Project, University of Southampton
• 2012 [PI] Re-reading the British Memorial Project, Southampton Digital Humanities award, University of Southampton 

ARCH4062 Public Archaeology

ARTMED4042 Records, Accountability, and Society (course leader)

ARTMED4027P Dissertation in Digital Media and Information Studies

ARTMED5044P Museum Studies Dissertation

ARTMED5017P Information Management and Preservation Dissertation

Information Management & Preservation PGT programme

Museum Studies PGT programme