Emeritus Professor of Media Practice
Faculty Exec Team - Culture and Creative Industries
Film practice, Photography practice, Film and media applied theory, Story and narrative theory and practice, Screenwriting practice and theory, Creative practice led research
Erik Knudsen is a filmmaker and Emeritus Professor of Media Practice at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in the UK. He was the Faculty of Culture and Creative Industries Director of Research until his retirement in 2023. Prior to joining UCLAN, Erik was a Professor of Visual and Digital Culture at Bournemouth University’s Media School. He has also been Professor of Film Practice at the University of Salford, Manchester, UK, where he was for a period of time Head of the School of Media, Music and Performance. During his many years at the University of Salford, Erik has also acted as the University of Salford’s Director of Graduate Studies. Earlier roles at the University of Salford included programme leading the MA in Fiction Film Production, the MA in Television Documentary Pr
more...Erik Knudsen is a filmmaker and Emeritus Professor of Media Practice at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in the UK. He was the Faculty of Culture and Creative Industries Director of Research until his retirement in 2023. Prior to joining UCLAN, Erik was a Professor of Visual and Digital Culture at Bournemouth University’s Media School. He has also been Professor of Film Practice at the University of Salford, Manchester, UK, where he was for a period of time Head of the School of Media, Music and Performance. During his many years at the University of Salford, Erik has also acted as the University of Salford’s Director of Graduate Studies. Earlier roles at the University of Salford included programme leading the MA in Fiction Film Production, the MA in Television Documentary Production and the MA in Wildlife Documentary Production. Prior to his University of Salford tenure, he was Head of Production at the Northern Film School at Leeds Beckett University.
Alongside his current role, Erik is also Visiting Professor, and the former Head of the Editing Department, at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Television in Cuba. He is the chair of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Media Practice and a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Peer Review College. He publishes widely on film practice, such as the book, ‘Creative Documentary: Theory and Practice’ published in 2011. He is currently leading the StoryLab International Research Network, funded by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council.
As a filmmaker his films include The Raven On The Jetty (88 min., fiction, 2015), The Silent Accomplice (84 min., fiction, 2011), Vainilla Chip (17 min., Documentary, 2009), Veil (for Horse & Bamboo Theatre Company’s touring show, 2008), Heart of Gold (40 min., documentary, 2006), Sea of Madness (86 min., fiction, 2006), Brannigan’s March (99 min., fiction, 2004), Bed of Flowers (50 min., documentary, 2001), Signs of Life (70 min., fiction, 1999), Reunion (50 min., documentary, 1995), One Day Tafo (70 min., documentary, 1991).
More recently, Erik has been engaged with photography. He has exhibited and published, for example his photographic essay Cuba in Waiting was exhibited at the Cervantes Institute in Manchester (2013) and Dean Clough Galleries, Halifax (2014) and is available as a book. Erik runs his own film production company, One Day Films Ltd (onedayfilms.com).
Erik holds a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in film production from York University, Toronto(1983), and a PhD from the University of Salford, Manchester (2002).
