Royal calling for curator

11/03/05

Royal calling for curator

A Kingston design expert has rubbed shoulders with royalty at a special event staged to celebrate the achievements of Britain’s creative industries. Professor Catherine McDermott joined 400 guests invited to a Buckingham Palace reception honouring their contribution to art and design.

The head of Kingston’s MA in Curating Contemporary Design, Professor McDermott was introduced to the Queen by Design Council chief executive David Kester. “She asked about the University’s range of courses and was particularly interested to know about what Kingston graduates go on to do,” Professor McDermott said. “The Queen clearly recognised the role institutions such as Kingston play in helping the next generation of designers make their mark.”

Other VIPs on the Palace guest list included Kingston alumnus Jasper Morrison, London Eye designers Julia Barfield and David Marks and fashion supremo Sir Paul Smith. “It was a huge honour to mix with some of the world’s leading designers,” Professor McDermott said. “I’ve spent more than 20 years teaching and practising design history, but I was asked to the Palace largely because of the MA programme’s success. The invitation was confirmation that Kingston University is widely recognised as a major force in design education.”

Kingston’s curating alumni have gone on to work for such industry giants as the V&A Museum and product design firm IDEO.