Nik Taylor

I’m mostly an Academic, Paranormalist, Bizarrist, FortuneTeller, Hypnotist, Mindreader & Magician. Analogue and Digital Gamer.

I work as Director of Teaching and Learning for The School of Arts and Humanities at The University of Huddersfield where I research and lecture on Performance Magic, immersive, interactive and ludic theatre, and creative technical theatre.

Amongst other things, I am currently writing a monograph examining the cultural history of performance magic

Here’s an edited list of highlights so far;

      • (2023) ‘What Sounds Do Ghosts Make?’, Interactive Workshop, Huddersfield Art Gallery
      • (2023) Presenter How to See Impossible Things:
        Video Essay and Magic, Videographic Entanglements Symposium, The University of Huddersfield
      • (2023) Presenter – ‘Live on-stage interview with Reece Shearsmith’ Doomsday XI, Derby
      • (2022) (writer and performer) The Davenports Play Huddersfield, The University of Huddersfield
      • (2022) (director) The Return of the Davenports – a one-act play, The University of Huddersfield
      • (2022) (presenter) ‘Making Dark Magicks Doomsday XI, Derby
      • (2018) (judge) The Hex Factor, Doomsday XI, Derby
      • (2022) (Writer) ‘Mashing up Magick: Bizarre Magick and the Fuzzy Gothic’ in Gothic Mash-Ups Washington: Lexington Books
      • (2021) (Writer & Performer) in Crowley, D. (2021, July 12). Séance: A View Through the Veil. Steel Films
      • (2021) (Presenter) Hiding the Elephant in the Room, Lines of Flight Seminar Series, The University of Huddersfield
      • (2020) (writer) Performing Real Magic(K): The Conjurer and Audience in Bizarre Magick, The University of Huddersfield
      • (2019) (presenter) Four Stage to Hacking Reality, Psycon 2019: Exploring Occult Themes within Performance Arts. London.
      • (2019) (performer) Séance: A view from through the veil. Leeds Trinity University
      • (2019) (presenter) Spiritualists and Magicians: Outrage, Appropriation and the Birth of a Performance Genre. Leeds Trinity University
      • (2018) (writer) Time Well Spent with the Mediums. In: The Penny Mysteries Issue 2.  London, Velvet Bear Productions
      • (2018) (writer) The Davenports visit Huddersfield in 1865. In: The Penny Mysteries Issue 1.  London, Velvet Bear Productions
      • (2018) (judge) The Hex Factor, Doomsday IX, Whitby
      • 2018 (writer) ‘Foreword’ In: The Magicians’ Guide To The Baffling Blocks. Sheffield, Carter’s Magical Events
      • (2018) (performer) ‘Mr Punch’s Cabinet of Curiosities’ Central Library, Huddersfield.
      • (2017) (performer) Halloween Happening, Laurence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield.
      • (2017) (performer) A Weekend of Wonderful Things Yorkshire Sculpture Park
      • (2017) (presenter) Magic as Broken Knowledge The Magiculum Symposium, The University of Huddersfield
      • (2016) (performer) Halloween Happening, Laurence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield.
      • (2016) (performer) The Cabinet of Caligari, Heritage Quay, Huddersfield.
      • (2016) (writer) ‘Strange Ceremonies: Creating Imaginative Spaces in Bizarre Magick in The Luminary, Issue 7, pp. 54-63 ISSN 2056-9238
      • (2016) (performer) ‘Mr Punch’s Cabinet of Curiosities‘ In: Horror Con, Sheffield.
      • (2016) (performer) ‘Vortex’ Vibe, Vortex Gallery, Huddersfield.
      • (2016) (presenter) ‘A Cabinet of Curiosities’ Doomsday VII, Whitby.
      • (2015) (performer) ‘Christmas Ghost Stories: An Evening Of Stories And Séance Magic’ Tolson Museum, Huddersfield.
      • (2015) (interviewee) ‘Seance and Spookshow Podcast’ Episode 12.
      • (2015) (performer) ‘Mr Punch’s Cabinet of Curiosities‘ Laurence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield.
      • (2015) (advisor) Nosferatu, Proper Job Theatre Company.
      • (2015) (performer) ‘Mr Punch’s Cabinet of Curiosities‘ In: Horror Con, Sheffield.
      • (2015) (writer) ‘Strange Ceremonies:  The Laboratory, Library, and the Living Room; Creating Imaginative Spaces in Bizarre Magick.’ In: Locating Fantastika, Lancaster University.
      • (2015) (writer) Impersonating Spirits: The Paranormal Entertainer and the Dramaturgy of the Gothic Séance. In: New Directions in 21st-Century Gothic: The Gothic Compass. Routledge, pp. 163-174. ISBN 1138810614
      • (2015) (writer (with Stuart Nolan)) Performing Fabulous Monsters: Re-inventing the Gothic Personae in Bizarre Magic. In: Monstrous media/spectral subjects: Imaging Gothic from the nineteenth century to the present. Manchester University Press, pp. 128-142. ISBN 978-0-7190-8977-0
      • (2015) (writer) ‘The Fairy Goblet of Eden Hall to Hunting Mammoths in the Rain – experiencing the paraxial through performance magic and mystery entertainment.’. In: Tales Beyond Borders, The University of Leeds
      • 2014 (presenter) Performing Seance: Four Steps to Collective Delusion.  Milton Theatre.
      • 2014 (magician, oracle, performer) YMEDACA Yorkshire Sculpture Park
      • 2014 (writer) Can We Perform Real Magic? (a provocation). In Paul Voodini, Aye Demon! Reader of Minds Press.
      • 2014 (writer)  Out of Tricks. In: Todd Landman (ed.) The Magiculum. EyeCorner Press.
      • 2014 (director) Vampire Survivors. Milton Theatre
      • 2013 (writer) The Bizarnival of the StrangeMystic Menagerie, 1 (13), pp.10-12
      • 2013 (actor) Mr Shiraz: No Prophecy AshTV
      • 2013 (Panel Member) Bizarre Magick Roundtable Doomsday ’13
      • 2013 (advisor) Magic of Medicine The Thackray Medical Museum
      • 2013 (director) Dr, Svengali’s Travelling Winter Show. Milton Theatre
      • 2012 – present (co-editor) The Journal of Performance Magic
      • 2012 – present (co-ordinator) Magic Research Group
      • 2012 (contributor) Liber Mentis Psycrets
      • 2012 (director) Bizarnival of the Strange, Milton Theatre
      • 2011 (performer) How Psychic are you? – the sequel, Laurence Batley Theatre
      • 2011 (writer) Collective Delusion and the Madness of Crowds. In: Occult Magic 2: Into The Darkness. London, Valentine Entertainments.
      • 2011 (writer) Introduction. In: Scripting & Storytelling for Paranormal Entertainers. Lowestoft, Aken Productions.
      • 2011 (m.c.) Scrambling Your Minds Psycrets, Milton Theatre
      • 2011 (lecturer) Tabula Mentis IX
      • 2010 (writer) Throw Six to Start. Mystic Menagerie, 1 (3), pp.21-24
      • 2010 (director) South lake medical – a horror attraction, Milton Theatre
      • 2010 (performer) How Psychic Are You? Laurence Batley Theatre
      • 2009 (performer) Bizarre Magick [Performance] The Ninth Biannual Conference of the International Gothic Association, 21-24 July 2009, Lancaster University
      • 2009.(writer (with Stuart Nolan))  Nolan, S. Performing Fabulous Monsters. The Ninth Biannual Conference of the International Gothic Association, 21-24 July 2009, Lancaster University
      • 2009 (performer) Many Magics – an informance – Milton Theatre
      • 2007 (director) England’s Home of Mystery
      • 2005 (producer / actor) Spoken by Crowds, Roro Films
      • 2004 (actor) Vendetta, Roro films 2004
      • 2002 (director) Headsmen’s holiday & Hugo Carp, Festival of Contemporary European Plays
      • 2000 (actor) Howard Barker’s The Europeans, Festival of Contemporary European Plays
      • 1999 (director / actor) Pheadra’s Love, Corridor Theatre Company
      • 1998 (actor) The Treatment, Corridor Theatre Company
      • 1997 (artist/performer) Four Lands (The Journey Project)
      • 1996 – 1997 (editor) Mythos Magazine
      • 1996 (director)  Greek, Corridor Theatre Company
      • 1996 (performer/writer/director) Abductions Mythos Theatre Company @ Discurs’96, Giessen, Germany.
      • 1996 (actor) Howard Barker’s Ego In Arcadia, University of Huddersfield  production and UK premiere
      • 1995 (writer / director) Witch-house The Dreams of Walter Gilman – Laurence Batley Theatre
      • 1994 (actor) Mates, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
      • 1993 (actor) Plastic People, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
      • 1993 (actor) Angels Still Falling, Dulouz Theatre Company

Before all of that I studied at The University of Huddersfield

Before that I took a working class gap year, where I didn’t stray too far from the flatlands of East Anglia, but I did mange to operate spotlights for professional wrestling and circus, toured with a variety show, performed as a dancing penguin and lived the Norfolk-based rock and roll dream with two bands; The Psycho Druids and The Bedroom Disciples.

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