Research and Innovation

The Faculty's research activities were recognised as being world leading and of international excellence in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The Faculty submission to Unit 34 (Art and Design, History Practice and Theory) was Kingston University's top performing unit, and demonstrated world class and internationally significant research with over 70% of the outputs submitted rated at 4* and 3*. A mature and sustainable research environment supports the production of our research, spread across four research centres and supported by both internal and external research funding and strong external partnerships. Our four established centres provide a strong infrastructure and supportive community for staff and student research.

The strength of the Faculty's research has been recognised through the award of a number of prestigious grants from the EU (Horizon 2020), national research councils including; Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Leverhulme Trust,  Wellcome Trust, Henry Moore Foundation, Henkel Trust and Japan Foundation. Significant funding has also been awarded by the private and the public sector, including Arts Council England, British Academy, British Council, and Heritage Lottery Fund. These competitively won grants have enabled ambitious research projects such as the Eadweard Muybridge web portal and publications, The Creative Resources project on recycled materials in design, the Dora Gordine and Stanley Picker Trust project based at Dorich House Museum, the Ivor Robert Jones exhibitions and publications and the research programme 'Histories in the making, 140 years Kingston School of Art', and critical developments in individual and collaborative practice in fine art, design, literature, performing arts and the built environment.

Key examples of our collaborators and partners include: The British Library, The Design Museum, Henry Moore Institute, Kingston Museum Art Gallery and Archive, Olympic Studios, Rose Theatre, RAF Museum, Science Museum Group, South London Gallery, Tate, V&A and the Chinese National Gallery, and the BFI, ICA, Sadler's Wells, Kyoto Arts Centre, and LABoral in Madrid. Further UK networks and partners include the NHS, The Sorrell Foundation and The Women's Institute and several schools, care homes, community centres and interfaith organisations in our local and regional community.