Dr Darren Berkland

Overview

Dr Darren Berkland (they/them) is a lecturer in digital media production and researcher at Ulster University.

Their research focus primarily explores interfaces, screens, and gestures within a broader social context, using critical research methods to examine the relationship between the individual and increasingly pervasive digital assemblages.
Their PhD dissertation focused on the selfie as a post-digital gesture, and their examination of the selfie revealed how individuals develop complex relationships with digital interfaces.

Since 2023, they have explored more practice-led research exercises in the area of immersive production, video game production, and creative coding. Berkland’s creative coding uses frameworks such as Processing, p5.js and openFrameworks to build novel digital experiences drawing on the theoretical work of Vilém Flusser. They have also served as a creative technology consultant on various funded projects.

In addition to these research pursuits, Berkland continues to teach digital and interactive media, web design, digital storytelling, and other critical but practice–led digital media subjects. They are also PG Tutor for Centre for Communication, Media and Cultural Studies