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Michelle Lanham staff profile image

Michelle Lanham

Senior Lecturer

Creative Event Design specialist and practitioner. PhD Research interests include emotion studies particularly studies of pride through participation in large scale events. Member of Leeds bid for European Capital of Culture 2023.

Michelle Lanham staff profile image

About

Creative Event Design specialist and practitioner. PhD Research interests include emotion studies particularly studies of pride through participation in large scale events. Member of Leeds bid for European Capital of Culture 2023.

Creative Event Design specialist and practitioner. PhD Research interests include emotion studies particularly studies of pride through participation in large scale events. Member of Leeds bid for European Capital of Culture 2023.

Senior Lecturer in Events Management teaching at both undergraduate and post graduate level. Specialist interests include creativity and innovation in event and business design. Passionate about exploring the practical and theoretical aspects of creativity and fueling the desire of students to reach their own creative potential.

Sociological research background with a key interest in contemporary cultural studies particularly in relation to feelings of collective pride in modern society. Other research areas include experiential marketing, entrepreneurship and the future development of events.

Research interests

Michelle is currently undergoing her PhD in psychology at Leeds Beckett University where she is focused on exploring examples of collective emotion particularly pride. Her primary research is working in partnership with Leeds City Council and it's wider team who are developing a bid for Leeds to win European Capital of Culture 2023.

The aim of this research is to further develop understandings of collective emotion within a contemporary setting. Emotions studies, with the advancement of neuroscience as one of the drivers, has enjoyed a revival of interest over the past 20 years. It is hoped that this piece of work will begin to develop that even further. Through a collaboration with Leeds City Council and it's bidding team, it is hoped that opportunities on a research and practical level can be made available for students and colleagues here at Leeds Beckett.

Publications (1)

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Thesis or dissertation

"Moments in Movements" - Exploring the role of Group-Based Emotion in community & cultural development

Featured 06 June 2024
AuthorsAuthors: Lanham M, Editors: Wood E, Cooper C

The PhD thesis examines group-based emotions in the context of organisational teams working within the culture and creative industries. The thesis aims to explore the deeper psychological and cognitive processes that underpin group emotional experiences to determine their effect on group function and performance. To achieve this, an examination of theories related to collective and group-based emotion studies has been conducted, with a specific focus on theories related to ingroup identification. This analysis has been informed and underpinned by social appraisal theory, social identity theory and intergroup emotion theory and correlations in these individual streams of research have been identified and applied to this specific and unique context. The anticipated action tendencies of a range of group-based emotions have also been explored within an organisational, working group context, the findings of which allow deeper understanding of how emotions shape groups and groups shape emotion over an extended period of time. This thesis drew on an interpretivist approach, using principles and practices of narrative inquiry as a key part of the research design. This was further supported by a longitudinal examination of the overtime variability of emotions within group life, where the researcher was deeply embedded in the context of the working group. Key contributions from this research include the design of an innovative research methodology for testing group-based emotions through qualitative techniques, an approach notably absent from the field of emotion studies. Theoretically, the role of positive and negative affect on group functioning is advanced with important contributions for how the emotional life of teams may be best managed and supported to optimise performance and commitment from ingroup members.

Activities (4)

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External examiner / External advisor

Events Management

01 September 2019
External examiner / External advisor

Events Management

01 September 2025
External examiner / External advisor

Events Management

01 September 2019
External examiner / External advisor

Events Management

01 September 2025

Current teaching

  • Creative Event Design
  • Experiential Marketing
  • Enterprise and Events
  • Events in Society
  • Future Development of Events
  • Personal Tutoring
  • Placement Supervision

Teaching Activities (1)

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Course developed

BA(HONS) Creative Event Design

20 September 2020

Leeds Beckett University