Art of Research 2024

In March, postgraduate research students came together for the annual Art of Research session. Designed to take the researcher out of their usual study environment, participants were paired up with artists to explore their research journeys on a blank canvas.

The session took place in a creative space in the Art School on Regent Street, with Dr Karen Heald, Reader in Interdisciplinary Art Practice, facilitating the session. Karen had paired the researchers with artists based on shared research interests, and it was evident on the day that the pairings worked very well, the connections were clear to see, and the creativity flowed as a result.

 Karen kicked things off with a speed networking activity to get the participants thinking ‘outside the box’, there were lots of deep and meaningful interactions alongside some very light-hearted and entertaining interactions involving the repeated use of the word ‘custard’, which was really entertaining to witness! 

The researchers then broke out into pairings with their artists and started talking about their research in greater detail, using various creative approaches to encourage them to think and work in a different way and open new avenues. The conversations were insightful and engaging and the outputs were very varied. All parties took a lot away from the session, with some pairings planning to continue the work together beyond the workshop.

A wonderful afternoon had by all, thank you to all participants and to Karen. We look forward to next year’s Art of Research session.