Dr Lawrence Jackson

Lawrence studied Modern Languages at Oxford University, before attending Bournemouth Film School. After working in various crew capacities in the UK film industry for 3 years, he worked in-house for BBC Northern Ireland Drama for 2 years as a Bi-Media Producer, developing projects across radio, TV and film.

As writer and director he has five short films, and as producer-director around fifty hours of radio drama and readings to his name. The shorts, shot in locations including Margate, Northern Ireland, Prague and Newcastle, have been screened at the Munich Film Festival, London’s ICA Cinema, Manchester International Festival and on BBC TV.

Lawrence's radio work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, 4 and 4 Extra, in slots such as Drama on 3, Afternoon Play, Classic Seria and Woman’s Hour. 

In his film and radio work he has cast and directed a wide range of actors including Anne-Marie Duff, Richard E. Grant, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Helen McCrory, Andrew Scott, Rufus Sewell, Michael Smiley, David Threlfall and David Warner.

Lawrence has also collaborated to develop screen and radio ideas with a variety of writers including John Connolly, Sarah Hall, Andrew Martin and David Rudkin.

Lawrence has held the roles of Senior Tutor and Head of Film Practice. 

Lawrence’s work combines research and creative practice, and focuses primarily on the role of landscape in British cinema. He has recently published a monograph titled Uncanny Landscapes in 21st Century British Cinema: The Pestilence in the Ditch (EUP, 2025). The book explores the use and subversion of eerie, pastoral, heritage and epic in contemporary British films, In particular, he discusses the work of Andrea Arnold, Clio Barnard, Paddy Considine, Shane Meadows and Ben Wheatley.

He has also published articles and chapters on Andrea Arnold, Clio Barnard, Jane Campion, Dickensian London, the intersection of landscape and folklore in British cinema, and the horror films of the actor Donald Pleasence.

Lawrence convenes a variety of modules in screenwriting and filmmaking.

Lawrence is currently 2nd Supervisor on three practice-as-research PhDs. He is happy to talk to students about: landscape and screen space; screenplay development; directing actors; realising genre fiction for screen.