Professor Toby Heys Professor of Digital Media

Dr Toby Heys is a Professor of Digital Media in the School of Digital Arts (SODA) at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is a cross-disciplinary and practice-based researcher with a highly collaborative approach to the delivery of a wide range of cultural productions such as installations, mobile apps, books, immersive experiences, vinyl recordings, performances, and multi-sensory environments.

Much of Heys’ recent funded work (Audiences of the Future – an interactive experience with musician Nile Rodgers and Arts Council of England and ECF projects) focuses on the sonic, haptic and interactive elements of the immersive experience, an area he has been exploring and advancing for over 30 years through industry-based projects, gallery exhibitions and festivals. He also works on the on/off boarding of immersive experiences and the multimodal approach to narrative construction in installations that utilise advanced digital technologies such as AR, AI and robotics.

Having helped design and set up SODA, Heys is currently engaged on a range of large-scale research projects such as: ‘DAFNE+’ (a €4m Horizon Europe funded project based on the development of an equitable NFT platform and production tools); ‘Algowritten’ (Mozilla funded project exploring trustworthy AI and the evolution of chatbots); The Centre for Digital Innovation – a cross university initiative to engage digital SMEs using immersive technologies (GMCA Innovation Acceleration/levelling up funding); ‘CoSTAR’ (The AHRC’s Convergent Screen Technologies and performance in Realtime (CoSTAR) programme.

Heys led SODA research groups such as ‘Research into Future Technologies’ (RiFT) and ‘Algorithms for Marginalised People’ (AMP), which initiated – research, knowledge exchange and innovative forms of pedagogy. Founding a range of collectives such as the KIT Collaboration, Battery Operated and AUDINT, his cross-disciplinary methodology has driven ambitious exhibitions and performances that have taken place at venues such as – TATE Britain (London), Art in General (New York), DHC/PHI (Montreal), Zorlu (Istanbul) and Centre d’Art Contemporani (Barcelona). Currently Heys is co-authoring a book entitled Listening In: How Audio Surveillance Became Artificial Intelligence for Bloomsbury publishing.

www.audint.net

https://dafneplus.eu/

https://www.mozillapulse.org/entry/2461

https://hereintheroom.com/

https://www.batteryoperated.net/

Contact

t.heys@mmu.ac.uk

Office

School of Digital Arts DA.3.08

View more images

Research

Exhibitions

Heys, T.E.B., Bardin, S., Ramakrishnan, S., 2025. 'The Phantom Economy of Torments' installation in the group exhibition 'Art Environment Action!', The Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, New York..

Dubois-Heys, T., 2023. Ghostcode, 2/1/2023 - 6/2/2024.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2017. Delphic Panaceas, 9/3/2017 - 20/4/2017.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2017. PzyK Skan - Nguyen Van Phong. Archive 1955 - 1979, Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia, Liverpool, UK, 22/9/2017 - 24/9/2017.

Heys, T.E.B., 2017. Undercurrency: Vault 53.3414° N, 1.7921° W, Abandon Normal Devices Festival - Speedwell Cavern, Peak District, 22/9/2017 - 23/9/2017.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2016. Colorcoder, Rome Media Festival, The National Museum of 21st Century Arts, Rome,, 12/4/2016.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2016. Delphic Panaceas, Harcourt House Gallery, Edmonton, Canada, 10/3/2016 - 15/4/2016.

Heys, T.E.B., 2016. Delusions of the Living Dead, SOIL Media, Regina, Canada, 17/9/2016 - 19/11/2016.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2016. Delusions of the Living Dead / DRNE Cartography, Funkhaus, Loop Festival, Berlin, Germany, 4/11/2016 - 6/11/2016.

Heys, T.E.B., 2016. Furniture Music, The Level Centre, 3/5/2016 - 23/6/2016.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2016. The Dead Record Archive, Harcourt House Gallery, Edmonton, Canada, 10/3/2016.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2015. Delphic Panaceas, Artcite, Windsor, Canada, 11/9/2015.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2015. Delusions of the Living Dead, Tate Britain, 1/5/2015.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2015. Delusions of the Living Dead / DRNE Cartography, DHC Art + Centre Phi + Mutek Festival, Montreal, Canada, 27/5/2015.

Heys, T.E.B., Ramakrishnan, S., Bardin, S., 2015. M(y)Crobes, The Bronx River Art Center, New York, USA, 9/1/2015.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2015. Martial Hauntology, The Dynamics of Darkness in the North conference, Nordic House, Reykjavik, Iceland, 26/2/2015.

Heys, T. and Blank, O., 2014. Drone Chamber 2, Broken City Lab, Windsor, Canada, 01.02.2014 - 28.02.2014.

Heys, T.E.B., 2014. GhettoDrone: Chamber 2, Broken City Lab Gallery, WIndsor, Canada, 3/9/2014.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2014. Martial Hauntology, MARTA Museum of Contemporary Art, Herford, Germany, 14/2/2014.

Heys, T.E.B., Ramakrishnan, S., Bardin, S., 2014. The Contained Facility of Ohrwurm, Asia Triennial Manchester, Imperial War Museum, Manchester, England, 27/9/2014.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2014. The Dead Record Office, MARTA Herford (Museum of Contemporary Art), Germany, 15/2/2014 - 1/6/2014.

Heys, T.E.B., 2014. The Phantom Economy of Torments, Exhibition: Pot Luck: An Augmented Reality Walk, The Flaherty, New York, USA, 31/3/2014.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2013. 'Dead Record Office' installation in 'Platform: In The Making' group exhibition, Site Gallery, Sheffield, UK, 29/3/2013.

Heys, T.E.B., 2013. 'Ghettodrone: Chamber 1' in the 'Seamless' group exhibition, The Museum of Architecture and Design, Ljubljana, Slovenia., 19/9/2013.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2013. Dead Record Office, Bunkier Sztuki / Unsound Festival, Krakow, Poland, 13/10/2013.

Heys, T., Blank, O., 2013. Ghettodrone: Chamber 1, (Group exhibition) 'Seamless', The Museum of Architecture and Design, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Heys, T.E.B., 2013. Vinyl Collider, 'Sensory & Emotional Education' exhibition, Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India, 15/2/2013.

Heys, T., Saucier, R., 2013. Virutorium, (Group exhibition) 'Seamless', The Museum of Architecture and Design, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2012. Dead Record Office, (Group exhibition) 'Spectral / Club Transmediale', Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien, Berlin, Germany.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2012. Dead Record Office, (Group exhibition) 'New Forms Installations', Centre for Digital Media, Vancouver, Canada.

Heys, T.E.B., 2012. The Dead Record Office, The Centre for Digital Media, Vancouver, Canada, 13/9/2012 - 16/9/2012.

Heys, T.E.B., 2012. The Dead Record Office, Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien, Berlin, Germany, 30/1/2012 - 5/2/2012.

Heys, T.E.B., Bardin, S., 2012. The Department of Phantom Limb Recyling (DoPLR), Muse Center of Photography & Moving Image, New York, 6/3/2012 - 31/3/2012.

Heys, T.E.B., Bardin, S., Ramakrishnan, S., 2012. The Phantom Economy of Torments, Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, New York, USA, 28/9/2012 - 15/12/2012.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2011. Dead Record Office, Art in General, New York, USA, 17/6/2011.

Heys, T.E.B., Barnet, S.E., 2011. Does God Live in the No-Fly Zone, Galerie Occurrence, Montréal, Canada, 3/12/2011.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2011. Virutorium, Gallery Connexion, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, 17/3/2011.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2011. Virutorium, Acadia University Gallery, Acadia, Canada, 12/1/2011.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2011. Virutorium, AC Institute, New York, USA.

Heys, T.E.B., Eckardt, A., Pedersen, U., 2010. Library of the Unwanted, Manchester Central Library, Manchester, UK, 10/12/2010.

Heys, T.E.B., Goodman, S., 2010. Unsound Systems, Site Gallery, Sheffield, UK, 5/11/2010.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2010. Viralava, AC Institute, New York, USA, 1/7/2010.

Heys, T., Barnet, S., 2009. Does God Live in the No-Fly Zone, (Solo exhibition) Five Years Gallery, London, England.

Heys, T.E.B., Lopez, N., 2009. Listening for Talinel Chaban, Centre d'exposition Circa, Montréal, Canada, 9/5/2009.

Heys, T., Couzinier, T. and Dubuard, B., 2009. re: CORD and Scalene, (Group exhibition) 'Extracts'. The Slick Art Fair. Paris, France.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2009. Unsound Systems, (Group exhibition) 'Art in the Name of Security'. Academy of Art, Berlin, Germany.

Heys, T.E.B., Barnet, S.E., 2008. Does God Live in the No-Fly Zone, The Five Years Gallery, London, England, 21/2/2008.

Heys, T.E.B., 2008. The Thoughts Of A Construction Worker, The Under Construction Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey, 2/4/2008.

Heys, T., 2008. Viruhoody, (Group exhibition) 'Mal Aux Pixel Festival'. Mains DOeuvres, Paris, France.

Heys, T., Saucier, R., 2008. Virutorium, (Solo exhibition) Neutral Ground Gallery, Regina, Canada.

Heys, T.E.B., 2006. Infrasense, Peterborough Digital Arts, Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, Peterborough, England, 27/1/2006.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2006. Infrasense, Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford, England, 4/2/2006.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2006. Infrasense, The Ben Maltz Gallery, Los Angeles, USA, 5/5/2006.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2006. Infrasense, Galerie Séquence, Chicoutimi, Canada, 6/10/2006.

Heys, T.E.B., 2006. Infrasense, L'Oeil de poisson, Québec City, Canada, 6/1/2006.

Heys, T.E.B., 2006. Missing Mass, Galerie Sans Nom, Moncton, Canada, 24/3/2006.

Heys, T.E.B., 2005. A.D.I.E.U. (Architectural Developments In Escape Units) Working Archive, Gallery 44: Centre for Contemporary Photography, Toronto, Canada, 10/8/2005.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2005. Infrasense, Quartier éphémère, Montréal, Canada, 15/3/2005.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2005. Infrasense, Neutral Ground, Regina, Canada, 3/6/2005.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2005. Infrasense, Grunt Gallery, Vancouver, Canada, 7/10/2005.

Heys, T.E.B., 2005. Missing Mass, Gallery 44: Centre for Contemporary Photography, Toronto, Canada, 10/8/2005.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2004. Infrasense, Kunstencentrum Vooruit, Gent, Belgium, 12/11/2004.

Heys, T.E.B., 2004. Infrasense, The Folly Gallery, Lancaster, England, 6/11/2004.

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2004. Infrasense, InterAccess Media Arts Centre / Subtle Technologies Festival, Toronto, Canada, 27/5/2004.

Heys, T.E.B., 2003. A.D.I.E.U. (Architectural Developments In Escape Units) Working Archive, AXENÉO7, Gatineau, Canada, 14/9/2003.

Heys, T.E.B., 2003. Missing Mass, Axe Néo 7, Gatineau, Canada, 14/9/2003.

Heys, T.E.B., 2001. A.D.I.E.U. (Architectural Developments In Escape Units) Working Archive, Seven Degrees Media Centre, Laguna Beach, USA, 2/2/2001.

Heys, T.E.B., 2000. A.D.I.E.U. (Architectural Developments In Escape Units) Working Archive, RMIT Project Space, Melbourne, Australia, 16/3/2000.

Heys, T.E.B., 1999. A.D.I.E.U. (Architectural Developments In Escape Units) Working Archive, Artcite, Windsor, Canada, 23/4/1999.

Artefacts

Heys, T. & Goodman, S, 2014. 'Martial Hauntology', 180gm Clear Vinyl, 6 x 12"x12" 'Dead Record Office' cards, and a 112-page book released in a triple gatefold., 2014.

Performances

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2013. 'Martial Hauntology', The Unsound Festival, Bunkier Sztuki, Krakow, Poland, 16.10.2013.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2013. 'Martial Hauntology', The Evil Music Festival, The House of World Cultures (Haus der Kulturen der Welt), Berlin, Germany, 26.10.2013.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2012. 'Martial Hauntology', OpenSound Event, Nantes, France, 30.10.2012.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2012. 'Martial Hauntology', Chelsea College of Art and Design, Moving Forest, London, England, 04.07.2012.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2012. 'Martial Hauntology', New Forms Festival, Vancouver, Canada, 15.09.2012.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2012. 'Martial Hauntology', Sound Development City Event, The White Building. London, England, 05.09.2012.

Heys, T., Couzinier, T. and Dubuard, B., 2009. 're. Cord', Nemo Festival. Paris, France.

Heys, T., Couzinier, T. and Dubuard, B., 2008. 're. Cord', Neutral Ground Gallery. Regina, Canada.

Heys, T., Couzinier, T. and Dubuard, B., 2008. 're. Cord', Palais de Tokyo, 'From One Revolution To Another', Paris, France.

Books

Jackson, D., Courneya, M., Heys, T., 2026. 'Listening In: How Audio Surveillance became Artificial Intelligence', Bloomsbury Academic, London.

Goodman, S., Heys, T., Ikoniadou, E., 2019. 'AUDINT--Unsound:Undead', Urbanomic.

Heys, T., 2019. 'Sound Pressure: How Speaker Systems Influence, Manipulate and Torture', Rowman and Littlefield International Limited, London, England.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2013. 'Dead Record Office', Art in General, New York, USA.

Heys, T., Hennlich, A., Parikka, J., Buiani, R., Goodman, S., Poissant, L., 2010. 'Infrasense / Virutorium: Viral Projects by the Kit Collaboration and Robert Saucier', Thirdsound Press, Manchester, England.

Book Chapters

Heys, T., 2021. 'The Black Ecstasy of Guantánamo Bay'. In Chartier, D., Lund, K.A., Jóhannesson, G.T. (eds.) Darkness. The Dynamics of Darkness in the North, pp. 65-86, Montréal and Reykjavik, Imaginaire du Nord and University of Iceland.

Heys, T.E.B., Ikoniadou, E., Goodman, S., 2017. 'A Century of Zombie Sound'. In Futures and Fictions, Repeater.

Journal Articles

Heys, T., Hennlich, A., 2013. 'The Nervous Witness of Struggle', Esse, 54-57.

Heys, T., Hennlich, A., 2010. 'The Art of Conservative Détournement', ETC, 88, 61-64.

Heys, T., 2010. 'The Avant-Garde and the Detainment Camp', ETC, 91, 31-33.

Presentations

Heys, T., 2013. 'Chair of panel 'Clandestine Movements and Detention Under Dictatorship'', Musical and Other Cultural Responses to Political Violence in Latin America, Manchester University, 06.12.2013.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2012. 'An Unsound History of Sonic Warfare', Invisible Attacks & Hideouts, Hau 3, Berlin, Germany, 03.02.2012.

Heys, T., 2012. 'Audio Visual Interpretation', Real-Time Visuals, Goldsmiths College, Real-Time Visuals Research Network, London, England, 18.06.2012.

Heys, T., Perich, T. and Kontopoulos. M, 2011. 'An Unsound History of AUDINT', Rhizome Commissions, The New Museum, New York, USA, 15. 07.2011.

Heys, T., 2011. 'The Haunted Histories of AUDINT', Art In General Artist's Series, Art in General. New York, USA, 29.07.2011.

Heys, T., Goodman, S. and Tompkins, D., 2011. 'The Martial Arts of Sonic Hauntology', Eyebeam Sonic Arts Conference, Eyebeam, New York, USA, 13.06.2011.

Heys, T., Saucier. R, 2011. 'The Resonant Frequency of the Virus', Artist Forum Series, Gallery Connexion, Fredericton, Canada, 19.03.2011.

Heys, T., Goodman, S., 2010. 'An Unsound History of AUDINT', Platform Series, Site Gallery, Sheffield, England, 25.11.2010.

Other Outputs

Heys, T.E.B., Saucier, R., 2014. 'Radiabolus'.