Professor Angela Partington

My experience as a lecturer has involved teaching across a range of courses and subject areas, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels (including PhD supervision). UG teaching aims to make cultural theory accessible and usable for creative practitioners. Lecture programmes have included: 

·      the historical interrelationships between capitalism, technology, and modernity;

·      theory and practice in art, media and design;

·      research methodologies in visual culture;

·      theories of taste and pleasure;

·      the consumption of cultural goods in the development of identities;

·      creative practices in commercial contexts;

·      co-creative practices. 

Teaching is underpinned by my research, and has covered a range of subject-areas from fashion histories and technologies in design, to postmodernism and advertising, the gendered gaze, and co-creativity. My aim is to encourage students to question assumptions often made about consumer culture, and about the roles of art, design and the media within it, in order to develop their ability to think critically about their own and others' practices and to 'locate' themselves within a range of contexts, and to think of themselves as 'cultural intermediaries' as well as makers of artefacts.

In my previous and current academic leadership roles I have led a number curriculum developments with a particular focus on professional skills, interdisciplinary learning, and inclusive practice, to ensure that the portfolio is relevant, forward-looking, and attractive to a diverse range of students with differing needs and expectations.

I am committed to widening access and participation, and to driving innovation in Higher Education in response to the needs of C21st students, through the development of inclusive practices in learning and teaching.  

As Associate Dean at Kingston School of Art my key achievements are:

- Sustained improvement in subject league table positioning

- Embedding professional skills in the curriculum

- Continuous improvement in NSS results

- Continuous improvements in course quality and graduate outcomes

My research interests include:

-      the historical development of consumer culture and the emergence of new markets for cultural goods;

-      the role of consumers in driving innovation;

-      the convergence of creative practices;

-      the relationships between creative industries and higher education;

-      theories of creativity and pedagogical practices.  

-      co-creativity, interdisciplinarity, and inclusive practices in learning and teaching 

My recent and current research contributes to current debates about practice-based learning and the marketisation of HE, drawing on recent theories of co-creativity, student engagement, and inclusive practice.

Future work will include collaborative cross-disciplinary research addressing the changing identity of the creative practitioner in the context of contemporary cultural industries, and market-led innovation in Higher Education.

I have published several book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals, have presented papers at numerous conferences, have been an invited guest on Radio 4's 'Thinking Allowed', and invited to speak at CHEAD'S annual conference in 2020, on the value of creative education in supporting diversity and inclusion, and to present at a UKAT 'Tutoring Matters' webinar in 2021.  

My work has been cited in 100+ publications.

Scholarly affiliations

• British Educational Research Association

Publications

My work has involved the oversight and management of portfolio developments, including the validation of new courses in partnership with other institutions, both nationally and internationally.  

Through a number of leadership and management roles I have contributed to strategic development in response to the evolving contexts for Higher Education, including:

-      the student experience

-      widening participation and inclusive practice

-      employability and graduate outcomes   

-      interdisciplinary collaboration

-      innovation in learning and teaching 

As Associate Dean Education (KSA), my responsibilities include:

– Leading a continual pedagogic debate, helping to ensure that the latest approaches to learning and teaching are incorporated in the curricula and staff development, leading to sustained inspirational and innovative learning and teaching.

– Leading the review and delivery of the Faculty's Learning and Teaching Strategy, ensuring that this leads to sustained excellence in teaching and learning and the student experience.

– Continuously reviewing the Faculty's portfolio.

– Promoting and helping to manage the development, validation, recruitment and the quality of teaching and learning.

– Overseeing the quality assurance and quality enhancement processes.

– Managing improvement in agreed University and Faculty course metrics.

– Helping to develop and manage the Faculty's academic staff development programme, ensuring that this supports the Faculty's Learning and Teaching Strategy.

To these ends, I have produced Faculty L&T Strategies, a Faculty Access & Participation Plan, and a Graduate Outcomes Action Plan, for which I am responsible in leading the implementation of.

I chair the Faculty's Education Committee, and the Faculty Recruitment Committee, and I represent the Faculty on numerous University committees and groups.

I also lead the Faculty's Portfolio Review operations group, to ensure that the educational offer is internationally relevant and forward-looking, and attractive to a diverse range of students with differing needs and expectations.   

As well as working closely with the Students' Union and its Officers, I also chair committees which involve student consultation, and meet regularly with student reps, to ensure that the student voice is heard and acted on.

In 2020 I was nominated as the strategic lead for an institution-wide review of the University's Personal Tutor scheme, and developed an institutional policy to ensures that the scheme supports a personalised learning journey for all our students, and enables delivery on specific commitments in the University's Access & Participation Plan.

My external network includes:

- Council for Higher Education in Art & Design (CHEAD)

- Group for Learning in Art & Design (GLAD)

- Creative Industries Federation (CIF)

- Principal Fellows HE Academy Network

 - British Educational Research Association (BERA)

- All Party Parliamentary Group for Art Craft & Design Education

- UKAT (UK Advising & Tutoring) Advisory Group

- Women's Higher Education Network

University responsibilities

• Education Committee
• Regulatory Framework Committee
• Student Voice Working Group
• Teaching Excellence Steering Group
• Learning Technologies and Spaces Advisory Group