Lorna Richardson

Lorna is Lecturer in Digital Humanities and Heritage in the School of Media, Language and Communications, where she teaches modules on digital media, multimedia storytelling, media practice and archaeology.

Lorna's research explores the use of academic knowledge by non-experts, particularly how digital technologies and digital society can lead to the repurposing of expert knowledge, and how digital media platforms might empower alternative ideas, encourage creativity, and challenge traditional knowledge paradigms. She has recently edited the Routledge Handbook of Archaeology and the Media in the 21st Century, published in 2024.

She is currently investigating how archaeology and heritage intersect with contemporary social and environmental challenges. Her research examines how archaeological knowledge is used and misused in online and analogue spaces, particularly by political movements. Lorna is also engaged in innovative research into using speculative design protocols to develop future-oriented transformation in the archaeology and heritage sectors. She is interested in the environmental impact of heritage practices more broadly.

In the field of public archaeology, Lorna's research has explored innovative methods for meaningful public engagement with archaeological knowledge through digital platforms and multimedia storytelling. This has developed and evaluated numerous community-driven digital projects that challenge traditional hierarchies of archaeological expertise, while promoting inclusive and ethical heritage practices. Her work on social media's influence in public engagement and community participation in archaeology has contributed significantly to the field. 

Lorna's PhD was awarded by UCL Centre for Digital Humanities/Institute of Archaeology in 2014, funded by the AHRC, titled 'Public Archaeology in a Digital Age' and supervised by Melissa Terras and Tim Schadla-Hall. Lorna has an MA in Public Archaeology and a BA in Medieval Archaeology from the UCL Institute of Archaeology.

Lorna joined the UEA in 2018. Prior to that, she was an AHRC Creative Economy Research Fellow at the Digital Creativity Lab at the University of York, working on the "Data, Diversity and Inequality in the Creative Industries" project. She was a postdoktor in the Digital Social Studies Unit at the University of Umea, Sweden from 2015-2017. In 2013 she worked as a Research Fellow as part of the Connecting with Collections project at the University of Cambridge Museum of Zoology, and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, funded by the AHRC and Arts Council England.

Lorna teaches a range of modules that explore the intersection of digital media and the creative industries, including cultural heritage. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes hands-on learning, creativity, and critical thinking, equipping students with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate and contribute to the rapidly evolving digital landscape and develop creative solutions to complex issues facing the digital media and heritage fields.

My area of expertise lies at the intersection of digital media and cultural heritage, especially public engagement and storytelling. My work is focused on the creative industries, archaeology, archives, museums, and digital cultural heritage, as well as broader issues in digital and social media research. 

With over a decade of experience in the archaeological sector, I worked as a field archaeologist and community archaeologist for various organizations, including the Thames Discovery Programme, L-P Archaeology, and the Council for British Archaeology. In 2013, I established the Waveney Valley Community Archaeology Group in south Norfolk.

I am actively involved in the UEA Civic University project, through my role as Curator of Bungay Museum in the Waveney Valley, Suffolk. This work underlines my commitment to promoting greater community involvement in cultural heritage and the production of academic knowledge.