Rate My Professor Sophy Smith

Professor Sophy Smith serves as Executive Dean of the Farnham School of Creative & Cultural Industries at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), Director of the School of Games & Creative Technology, and Professor of Creative Technologies Practice. She is a member of the University Executive Board, a PhD supervisor, and a Staff Member on the Board of Governors nominated by the Academic Board. Prior to UCA, she held teaching, research, and management positions for over 15 years at the Institute of Creative Technologies at De Montfort University, rising to Reader in Creative Technologies. Smith earned her BA (Hons) in Music and Inter Arts, PGCE in Secondary Music and Special Educational Needs, and MA in Contemporary Performing Arts from the University of Leeds, along with a PhD in Music Technology from De Montfort University. Beyond academia, she has worked as a composer in residence, creative agent, artistic director, creative consultant, and continues freelance composition.

Smith's research centers on inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration in professional arts practice, encompassing creative collaboration, turntablism, hip-hop composition, social media in arts practice, performance arts, composition, and creative curricula. Key publications include her book Hip-Hop Turntablism, Creativity and Collaboration (Ashgate, 2013), 'Pervasive theatre' (2018), 'The process of "collective creation" in the composition of UK hip-hop turntable team performance' (2007), and serving as guest editor for the special edition Live Performance in Digital Environments (2024). She received the DMU Teacher Fellow and HEA Senior Fellow awards in 2015. Under her leadership at UCA, the School of Games & Creative Technology secured £3 million in facility investments, earned a top 25 global ranking by Rookies, celebrated student victories at UK games awards, and spearheaded projects such as the world's first interactive AI avatar of Elizabeth Bennet, alongside funded innovation initiatives.