John Anderson is Senior Research Fellow (Communication Design) at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD), University of Dundee. Since 2010 John has been based within the 3DVisLab, a strategic research centre at DJCAD whose remit is to investigate environments, structures, objects and events of the past and, using a range of 3D visualisation methods, tell their stories and reconnect them to present day culture. He holds an MSc (Distinction) in Animation and Visualisation from the University of Dundee and is a graduate of London Contemporary Dance School. John has a long association with the City of Dundee having been a former dancer with Dundee Rep Dance Company (now Scottish Dance Theatre).

John’s research is informed both by his background in performing and community arts, specifically dance, and by 25 years of experience working as an interactive multimedia practitioner in industry, research and teaching contexts. Since 2016 he has been a regular contributor to ongoing collaborative research around Digital Engagement for Cultural Heritage which has encompassed maritime heritage visualisation (in collaboration with Professor Chris Rowland, University of Dundee) and digital archaeology (in collaboration with Dr. Alice Watterson, University of Iceland), with the latter leading to award-winning work with Native Alaskan communities.

His current research investigates the unique story and place of contemporary dance within Dundee. The city’s contribution to dance culture in Scotland stretches back at least four decades, through the work of Scottish Dance Theatre and its predecessor, Dundee Rep Dance Company. A significant body of work exists which is in danger of being lost as this intangible cultural heritage will eventually pass from living memory. Using 3D visualisation methods, this research aims to digitally preserve, reconstruct and present these historical dance works again in accessible digital formats for future audiences.