CV: SOFIA RAFAELLA GREAVES

I am an interdisciplinary scholar working across art, history, urban and environmental studies. My research has explored the intersection of cultures of art, science and technology across time from different perspectives. Phd with the University of Cambridge (H2020-ADG) studying how advances in Modernist architecture/engineering (1850-1945) depended upon the excavation and representation of ancient cities. Postdoctoral research with the Postgrowth Innovation Lab (H2020-STG) studying how collaborations between artists and scientists generate innovation, engage publics in “wicked problems”, and stimulate behavioural change. MA studying the reception of classical architecture and theories of psychoanalysis in Modernist paintings, and BA studying Italian Fascist aesthetics and urban planning. Download CV   
 

BIOGRAPHY
 

Independent Postdoctoral Researcher. 02/10/2024 - present
 

* Awarded EASST Funding. European Society for Study of Science and Technology. Co-applicant. To establish Eco-Feminist Art-Science community of practice. 2-week residency in Amsterdam; £1500

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* Awarded Bow Arts Research Residency (Lead researcher): “Critical Cartographies of Hackney Wick: Developing an interdisciplinary approach for researching and representing artists’ experiences of (un)affordable housing.” 10/02/2025 – 01/09/2025
 

* Awarded British Academy “Knowledge Frontiers” Grant (Co-applicant): International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2024. Historian researching political polarisation caused by transport policies in London, and how to overcome it. “Towards Post-growth Cities. Cultural Politics of Transport Transitions in Barcelona and London.” Award Reference: KF8\230018. £298,546.00
 

* Marie-Sklodowska Fellowship Grant Application. Seal of Excellence (94%). Lead researcher 
“Vortex: Art-science methodologies for researching fluid dynamics and understanding pollutant dispersal in urban environments.” Unfunded, reserve list, in collaboration with OsloMet, 2025. 
 

* The Ambulance for Monuments. Restoring a Gothic church in Romania into an exhibition space, and space for a summer school. Participant, Grant application, awaiting result 09/2025
 

* Witches. An arts-based ethnography of medicinal practices in Galicia. Transdisciplinary collaboration with Jazz pianist, anthropologist and film-maker. Will result in performances across Galicia. Ongoing
 

Postdoctoral Researcher. Postgrowth Innovation Lab. 25/11/2021 – 02/10/2024
H2020-ERC-2020-STG; Grant agreement: 947713.
 

* Sci-Art: Innovation in Science and Policymaking. Visiting Scientist. Joint Research Centre 
Research collaboration with the SciArt Project studying how transdisciplinary collaborations foster innovation. Ethnographic research, 32 interviews with scientists, policymakers and artists working with the JRC & Commission https://science-art-society.ec.europa.eu/news/postgrowth-greaves-jrc; 01/03/2023 - 01/07/2023
 

* Arts based workshops promoting interdisciplinary thinking & collaboration
- 20 international scholars, 3 days:“Visualising Scientific Landscapes. Knowledge is Water” 11/04/2023 
- 45 international Phd candidates, Exploring the practice and possibilities of arts-based research. 17/06/2024
- 15 international scholars, 1 day: Transforming Transport. Comic book workshop.” Imagining collective sustainable mobility futures. 28/07/2022

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* Art/Science and Urbanism Lecturer 
For students, practitioners and organisations including: Architectural Association, FEEL Project, Interreg Europe and Energy Cities; European Commission, Societat Catalana d'Ordenació del Territori (SCOT); Placemaking Europe; Doughnut Economics Action Lab; further details under public speaking

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* Establishing Art/Science at the European Society for Ecological Economics & Degrowth Conference 2024
Scientific Committee. Setting up, reviewing, programming and running Arts submissions. 
* Chair, Discussion on “Limits” in nature and creativity with environmentalist Giorgios Kallis and pianist Ábe Rábade. 
* Organised four special sessions: “Maniquesto: Creating an Agenda for Art-Science research and policymaking.”; “Spaces for Degrowth: Transforming existing spaces and infrastructures for degrowth as a challenge of the re-politicisation of spatial planning”; Theorising Degrowth Transformations from the Peripheries; “Degrowth Journal. Slow Science & Open Access Publishing”. 
* Curated exhibition highlighting marginalised perspectives on “innovation” and its impacts. “Water Reorganises the Land.” Lithium extraction in the Atacama Desert from the perspectives of bacteria and flamingos; Maori testaments on sea level rise in New Zealand. 
* Organised collective arts mural for participants with local art activists Reclamo Estudio and City Council

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* Illustrator, communicating complex scientific theories through illustration. Critiques of Growth Publication, University of Vigo Press.

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* Arts editor, Degrowth Journal. Creating first Arts Special Issue, forthcoming. Peer-reviewed, open-access, international, transdisciplinary journal focused on advancing environmental research for planetary wellbeing.

 

* Peer reviewer, Journal of Responsible Innovation

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* Arts-based MA supervision, MA Political Ecology, University of Barcelona (UAB) “Clay as Commons. How can participatory arts-based methods using clay facilitate the expression of marginalised communities and contribute to community healing and integration?”

* MA thesis mentoring, MA Sustainable Business Development (GLOCAL) “A Framework for Reviewing Degrowth Alignment in European Bio-Design Organisations.”

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02/06/2020 - 25/11/2021: Research Associate. Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge
* Lecturing on Fascist urban planning, Department of Classics & Ancient History. 25 students. 
* Undergraduate supervision, “Rome. Reception and Memory.” 01/10/2020 - 13/03/2022. 25 students
* Undergraduate supervision, “Cultural politics.” 01/10/2019 - 13/03/2022. 25 students.
* Undergraduate thesis supervision, “Mussolini and Fascist Mosaics in the Foro Italico.” 
 

2017-2022: Phd Researcher. Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge
How public health, science and technology advances in Italy influenced and depended upon the excavation of archaeological remains. Archival analysis of medical textbooks, excavation material and planning documents inter alia
H2020-ERC-2020-ADG; Grant agreement: 693418. 
Thesis: “Ideal Cities. The Ancient City and the Modern City in Italy (1860-1914).”
Matriculation 01/10/2017; Defence 02/06/2021; Awarding Ceremony 21/05/2022 (Covid)
 

* Visiting Researcher. British School at Rome. Rome, Italy
Archival research, presentations, research collaborations with resident fellows
01/04/2018 - 01/07/2018; 01/04/2019-01/07/2019
 

* Scientific Committee. Rome and the Colonial City Conference, Rome, Italy, 2020.
Graphic design and production of all conference materials, 
Copy-editor & Editor: Conference Proceedings; “Rome and the Colonial City” Book, Oxbow Press
 

* Curator. Illustrating Ancient History Exhibition, Cambridge Archaeological Museum, 2020.
Exploring the responsibilities and potentials of artists/scientist collaboration when representing the past 

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16/09/2016 - 14/09/2017: MA: Modern, Fine Art & Decorative Design. Sotheby’s (Distinction) London 
History of Art, business training, understanding market actors, value creation mechanisms, display and curation. Thesis exploring how theories of psychoanalysis impacted representations of classical cities; “Being Modern and British: Cities and Classicism in Giorgio de Chirico, Edward Wadsworth and John Armstrong.” 
   * Awarded full funding: Gordon Laing Scholarship, Sotheby’s Institute. 25/04/2016. £26,000
   * Awarded Director Commendation for highest MA result

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03/2016 – 07/2016: White Cube London. Digital Archivist, Bermondsey, London.
* Communicated with alpha galleries, sourced and prepared material for publications 
* Record management, archival displays for Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Georg Baselitz and Dora Maurer

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2013– 07/2016: Cooper Studios. Co-founder and Assistant Manager
* Set up the first art studio and gallery for students in Durham City, gutted unused building and rebuilt studio space, hosted member exhibitions. 

01/10/2012 - 19/06/2015: BA: Classics. University of Durham (First). Durham
   * Awarded Maltby Exhibition Prize, best finalist dissertation. 23/06/2015. £250
   * Awarded Maltby Exhibition Prize, second highest examination results in cohort, 15/07/2014. £200
Thesis: Fascist planning: “Romanità: New Identity through Urban Space in Mussolini’s Roma Resurgens.”

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LECTURING, CONFERENCE SPEAKING

Paper Presentation. STUDIOTOPIA. JRC Ispra/EU ScienceHub, Joint Research Centre. 
“SciArt collaborations at the Joint Research Centre. Innovation beyond Economic Value.” 19/02/2025. 
 

Paper Presentation & Roundtable. S+T+ARTS Symposium. “SciArt collaboration and Postgrowth: Innovation and Impact beyond Economic Value.” HacTe (Barcelona hub of Art, Science and Technology), Barcelona. 29/10/2024. 150 attendees
 

Panelist: AESOP Planning Conference. “Postgrowth Planning: Transformation or Revolution?”
SciencesPo, Paris, France. 09/07/2024. 50 attendees.
 

Panelist: Planning Dialogues. “Combining Art and Science in Planning.” In collaboration with the Centre for Research on Transport, Territory and Environment, University of Porto, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at the University of São Paulo, Department of the Built Environment at Aalto University, Finland and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. 17/04/2024 85 view on YouTube

Presentation and Workshop: Energy Cities, FEEL Project, Interreg Europe, Valencia 
“Postgrowth Planning” Transition to the Frugal City: business model; public acceptance and adoption. 
Frugal cities through Energy Efficiency and Low-tech communities. 06/11/2023 - 09/11/2023. 
35 participants, 12 partners: cities and regions representing 8 countries.
 

Presentation and Roundtable: Catalan Society for Urban Planning; Societat Catalana d'Ordenació del Territori (SCOT), Barcelona 
“A Post-growth Perspective on Territorial Planning.” (Una Perspectiva Postcrecimiento sobre la Ordenación del Territorio). In Spanish and Catalán, roundtable with practitioners. 10/03/2023. 200 attendees

Panelist: Public Participation and Deliberative Democracy Festival, European Commission "Art and Postgrowth Planning." with F. Fagani, G. Tartari, G. Zenga and G. Pulcher, 20/10/2022.

Presentation: Placemaking Europe, Pontevedra “Postgrowth Innovation.” Session, “Digital Dynamics, Urban Experimentations, Tangible Experiences, Enabling Environments.” 22/09/2022. 50 attendees

Paper and Workshop: Doughnut Economics Action Lab. “Doughnut Cities within an History of Urban Design.”  Gave interactive online workshop with 100+ participants. 360 views on YouTube

Lecture: Architectural Association School of Architecture, London
“Ideal Cities in architectural theory and practice. Vitruvius, Colonialism and Degrowth (27BCE – 2050)” 
18/10/2024. 20 students
 

Lecture: Architectural Association School of Architecture, London
“Utopian traditions. Plato through Ursula Le Guin and the Free Market (403BCE - 2050)” 
22/11/2024. 20 students
 

Chair: European Society for Ecological Economics Discussion on “Limits” in nature and creativity with environmentalist Giorgios Kallis and pianist Ábe Rábade. 06/2024. 1300 physical attendees, 530 views on youtube
 

Seminar: Cambridge Archaeology Seminars. “Ideal Cities, Ancient Cities, Postgrowth Futures." 15/11/2022. 
30 students
 

Conference Presentation: Shrinking Cities. Wuhan University: "An introduction to Post-growth Planning." Postgrowth Era. Shrinking Cities & Regeneration. Online Symposium.  11/05/2023. 15 students
 

Lecture: Resilienze SciArt Festival, Le Serre di Bologna. “Carbon Neutral Cities and their Inhabitants”; “La Città Neutrale e i Suoi Abitanti.” 07/06/2023. 50 students
 

Lecture: European Commission and Joint Research Centre "Post-growth. Researching the Potential for Arts and Science Collaborations to Lead us to Futures beyond Capitalism." 21/04/2023. 

30 scientists, policymakers and artists working on Agricultural Policy, Cropmodelling, Energy Efficiency and Renewables, Knowledge Management for Policy, Scientific Development Unit, Indigenous Data Governance, Complex Energy Systems, Education for Climate Coalition.
 

Lecture: Science and Art in Education Community of Practice, “Art-Science and Innovation” 15/06/2023. 
 

Seminar: Web2Learn Open Social Learning “Environmental Citizen Sensing: Social participation, Arts and Technology.” 06/12/2022 72 students

Conference Paper: “Mythmaking and the Circular Economy.” Special Session: Postgrowth Innovation

European Society for Ecological Economics, Pisa, 14/06/2022. 30 attendees 

Conference Paper: "Re-imagining the Grid in the Nineteenth Century. To be, or not to be Rome.” Rome & the Colonial City Conference, The British School at Rome, Rome, 31/01/2020. 60 attendees

Conference Paper: The Sanitation Campaign against Cholera in Naples (1860-1910).” Epidemic Urbanism: Reflections on History (What Insights…might Inform our Understanding of COVID-19?)  Columbia University/Morgan State University, Online Symposium, 29/05/2020. 1300 views on YouTube 

Conference Paper: "Città Ideali: le Convergenze tra Obiettivi dell’Urbanistica e Motivazioni Archeologici a Roma, 1870-1914.” Reconstruire Rome Conference, École Française, Rome, 30/10/2019. 50 attendees

Paper: "Subversive Classicism. Giorgio de Chirico and the British Modernists.” Classical Reception Seminar Series, Cambridge, March 2019. 50 attendees 

Paper: "Ideals of the Ancient City. Urban planning in Paris, Barcelona, and Naples." 
Faculty of Classics, Classical Reception Seminar Series, Cambridge, March 2019. 30 attendees

Paper: "Futurism and the Ancient City." Graduate Interdisciplinary Seminar, Cambridge, March 2019. 
30 attendees

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT 

1.    Greaves, S. 2023. July 29. “Letter to the Editor. The future of the Anthropocene.” The Economist

2.    Greaves, S. 2023. April 13. “The Myth of Sisyphus & The State of Carbon Removal Report.” Degrowth.info 

3.    Greaves, S. 2022, June 6. “Vertical taxis. Is it Worth Privatising the Sky?” The Conversation 3000 reads

4.    Greaves, S. 2023, February 24. “Sustainability is Not a “Problem” for Technology to Fix.” TELOS Magazine

5.    Greaves, S. 2023, February 2. “The Myth of Sisyphus & The State of Carbon Removal Report.” Resilience.org/Post Carbon Institute

6.    Urbanistica Podcast, “Postgrowth Planning & Placemaking.” with Mustafa Sherif 

7.    Postgrowth Planning Podcast, “Becoming a Postgrowth Planner: the Arts.” with Christian Lamker
 

PUBLICATION RECORD
 

Reports

1.    Greaves, S., Benincasa, A., Bernardi, V. and Eeckels, A. 2025. SciArt at the Joint Research Centre: Understanding Transdisciplinary Innovation beyond Economic Value. Research Report (150pg).  Publisher: European Commission & Joint Research Centre. Forthcoming. 
 

2.    European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Newman, A., Mckeon, A., Paolini, C., Sarmento, C., Bergaust, K., Hoch, M., Purg, P., Dominici, P., Van Den Akker, R., Garcia Robles, R., Greaves, S., Chemi, T. and Denigot, T., Science and Art for Transdisciplinary Education, Kourti, N. editor(s), European Commission, Ispra, 2024, JRC136896. 
 

Peer Reviewed Journal Papers 

1.    Greaves, S., and Doezema, T. “Imagining Nature–Culture Hybridity: The Historical Coproduction of Knowledge and Politics in the Circular Economy.” Nature and Culture, Vol 19, 3 (2024)

2.    Greaves, S., Benincasa, C., Bernardi, V., and A. Eeckels, “Understanding Innovation generated by Transdisciplinary Projects beyond Economic Value: SciArt Collaborations at the Joint Research Centre,” Technovation Journal, second revision complete.
 

Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters
1.    Greaves, S. 2025. “Semiotic Critique of the Circular Economy as a Myth.” In Hanaček, K., Tsagkari, M, and B. Roy (eds.) Degrowth. Dialogues for Degrowth: Interdisciplinary Perspectives for Sustainable and Inclusive Futures. Edward Elgar Publishing. Forthcoming 2025.

2.    Greaves, S. 2024. “Spatial Critiques of Growth.” In Pansera, Lloveras, Robra, Suarez-Eiroa, Schramm, Greaves, Fortuny, Becker, Keurhorst, & Bergamo. (2023). Critiques of Growth: An Introduction. University of Vigo. doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10356894

3.    Greaves, S. 2022. “Ildefonso Cerdà and the Eixample grid plan, Barcelona (1859). To be or not to be Rome?” In Greaves, S., and A. Wallace-Hadrill (eds.), Rome and the Colonial City. Oxbow Press. 327–352. doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2gvdnpg.22

4.    Greaves, S. and Wallace-Hadrill, A. 2022. “Introduction. De-colonising the Roman Grid.”  In Greaves, S., and A. Wallace-Hadrill (eds.), Rome and the Colonial City, 1-24. doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2gvdnpg.7 

5.    Greaves, S. 2022. “Roman Planning as a Model for Urban Modernity in Liberal Naples.” In Ottewill-Soulsby, S. and J. Martínez-Jiménez (eds.), Remembering and Forgetting the Ancient City. Oxbow Press. 137–164. doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2gvdnnz.13

6.    Greaves, S. 2021. “Cholera and the Ancient City in Naples (1860-1914).” In Morgan, C., and M. Gharipour (eds.), Epidemic Urbanism. How Contagious Diseases have Shaped Global Cities, 53-61. ISBN 9781789384703
 

Monographs

1.    Greaves, S. Public Health, the Ancient City and Modernity: Italy 1860 - 1914. (400pg)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Classical Series.  Forthcoming. Open access, July 2025.
 

Book Reviews

1.    Greaves, S. 2023. “The Lives of a Roman Neighbourhood. Tracing the Imprint of the Past, 500 BCE to the Present.” The Classical Review, 1-3. doi.org/10.1017/S0009840X23001944
 

Papers Submitted

1.    Greaves, S., Pansera, M., and Lloveras, J. “Post-normal Science, art-science collaborations and Institutional Change. Insights from the SciArt project at the Joint Research Centre.”  Submitted July 2024, Journal of Research Policy
Preprint available: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4911341 
 

2.    Greaves, S., Wilberg, S., Mäntysalo, R., Carlotta von Schönfeld, K., and S. Eräranta, “Combining “Science” and “Art” in Planning: aiming for convergence or collaboration?”, in K. Carlotta von Schönfeld and S. Eräranta (eds.) Planning Dialogues. Exploring Change in Planning Practice and Academia with Voices Across Generations and Expertises. Manuscript submitted to publisher.
 

Papers in Preparation
 

1.    Greaves, S. Robra, R. and Fortuny-Sicart, A. “An Arts-based Participatory Workshop Method for Commoning in Research Practices and Emerging Critical Scholarships. “Visualising Scientific Landscapes: Knowledge is Water,” Organizational Research Methods. 
 

2.    Greaves, S. “A Framework for Historic Enquiry in Degrowth and Postgrowth Urban Planning.” CITY
 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

-    Associate of LSE Cities: 2024 - present
-    Member of the Postgrowth Cities Coalition: 2023 - present
-    Member of the European Community of Art and Science Practice: 2023 - present
-    Member of the European Society for Ecological Economics: 2022 - present
-    Member of the Municipal Degrowth Network: 2021 – present
-    Editor, Degrowth Journal: 2021 - present    

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LANGUAGES
English: Mother tongue
Italian: Fluent
Spanish: C1
French: Basic conversational & academic reading