Research

The School of Arts seeks to influence policy, strategy and professional practice through research which has a contemporary relevance and is respected nationally and internationally. It views research as a core activity of the School, essential to scholarship and intellectual endeavour, at the heart of its teaching, staff development and strategic partnerships as well as fundamental to its financial sustainability.

 

It has a particular interest in working closely with educational, cultural and media institutions in London, creating a laboratory of ideas and innovation which both draw on and feed into the thinking and practice of those involved. It contributes actively to the London Development Agency’s agenda for economic growth through knowledge exchange and joint research with the educational, cultural and media sectors, helping to sustain London’s position as a world city. Its links within Europe and across the globe are an essential part of this strategy.

 

It encourages collaborative and interdisciplinary practice across the School’s departments and centres, and across the University.

 

It places great importance on the positive impact its research work has on the School’s teaching, keeping practice and content alive and cutting-edge. Our approach to research-led teaching involves research active staff teaching within and around their areas of research expertise; ensuring that professional practice for our students is empirically informed; and that as a School we are actively engaged in developing our students as ‘scholarly practitioners’ who are able to research and critique their practice through conducting rigorous, reflective and critical enquiry.

 

Music

Almost half the students in the Department of Music are pursuing postgraduate programmes or research degrees. Staff are very active in research and composition and achieved a top rating of 5* in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise.

 

Cultural Policy and Management

The Department of Cultural Policy and Management teaches only postgraduate-level programmes. Teaching is rated ‘excellent’ by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and the Department has an international reputation for its research, achieving a 5 rating in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise.

 

Journalism and Publishing

As one of the UK's most highly-regarded providers of journalism and publishing education, the Department of Journalism and Publishing aims to be a leader in the new and emerging discipline of Journalism Studies. While other practice-based journalism departments are supported in their research outputs by Media Studies colleagues, the department is in the challenging position of having to continue to be leaders in practice whilst developing and driving research.  The core notion underlying the department's research profile is that of Reflexive Practice. This is academic research into the practices and products of journalism undertaken by journalists. This notion is innovative and dynamic, and allows the department to build a number of research themes and foci. Journalism received a rating of 3B in the 2001 RAE and is currently developing its research practice and profile with HEFCE capacity-building funds.



The distinctive and high-quality features of the School enrich the University’s cultural life and provide students with opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and enhanced links with local, national and international cultural organisations.