Connecting through culture 2014–15 A look back Welcome to this review of 2014–15, which highlights some of the ways in which, during the last year, arts and culture have supported King’s College London in its ambitions to deliver world-class education, an exceptional student experience and research that drives innovation, creates impact and engages beyond the university’s walls. Over the last three years, the university and skills. Over recent years, King’s ‘My experience at King’s would has developed symbiotic partnerships has supported the development of be far different, and probably far with artists and cultural organisations specialist teams at the interface between less enjoyable, without the cultural that enhance the King’s experience the university and the cultural sector. engagement I’ve been lucky enough to for academics and students while Much – although certainly not all – of have. It’s added richness to my studies adding value across the cultural sector. the achievement in the pages that follow by providing context and dimension From uniquely tailored teaching, owes a great deal to the hard work and to the books and articles and widening training and internship programmes, dedication of those teams and their my horizons beyond the lecture hall. to collaborative research projects and directors: Katherine Bond (Cultural The cultural events and institutions enquiries, to exhibitions and public Institute), Alison Duthie (Exhibitions I’ve engaged with have surprised me, events, arts and culture are helping to and Public Programming) and Daniel confused me, excited me and ignited generate new approaches, new insights Glaser (Science Gallery London). my curiosity – prompting me to ask my and new connections – across and In partnership with colleagues across own questions and formulate my own beyond the university. King’s and the sector, they form a ideas about my studies and the world These partnerships are not restricted network that connects King’s to the around me. It’s been an invaluable to one area or discipline: cultural communities around it, increasing the addition to my time at King’s, and collaborations are developing in all porosity of the university so that new I can’t overstate the importance of our Faculties and, across our five ideas can freely flow, both in and out. cultural engagement in translating campuses, there are spaces where arts In January 2015, I had the pleasure and transcending academic studies.’ and culture offer new ways to engage, of talking about some of this work Emma Lawrence from the Anatomy Museum to the in Davos, sharing with participants 3rd year English with Film BA extraordinary Gordon Museum of at the World Economic Forum the Pathology. The Inigo Rooms, on the growing body of evidence we are My grateful thanks to those Strand Campus, host a year-round collating about the impact of arts and organisations whose support has programme of activity connecting culture on societies – and on issues of enabled this work during the year, the public with academic research social consequence – across the globe. including Arts Council England, through artistic collaboration and we Here at King’s, we are seeing at first Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, look forward to the opening of Science hand evidence of the impact of arts Foundation for Future London, Gallery London, on the Guy’s Campus, and culture on a concern that is closer Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, Legacy in 2017. This innovative new facility – to home and foremost in our minds: Trust UK, Musicians’ Union, Shard where science and art will collide – will offering all our students an outstanding Funding Ltd and Wellcome Trust; engage 15–25 year olds in cutting edge experience, harnessing the talent to the many partners who have research, bringing together researchers, within and around King’s to ensure our co-invested resources in shared students, local communities and artists graduates achieve their full potential endeavours; and to the many colleagues to stimulate new approaches and equipping them as best we can for across King’s and the cultural sector to contemporary challenges. a rich and fulfilling life beyond their whose enthusiastic engagement has Brokering and enabling these university years. made possible the achievements partnerships requires particular focus In the words of one of those students: outlined in the pages that follow. Deborah Bull Assistant Principal (Culture & Engagement) Maggi Hambling, Mother, bronze primed and hand coloured. Exhibited in the Inigo Rooms as part of the War Requiem & Aftermath exhibition at King’s. Photographer: Jana Chiellino Connecting through culture 2014–15 3 LEFT TO RIGHT: Katherine Bond, generating innovation and impact are demonstrating the value of this Director, Cultural Institute, Rob and to developing staff and students ecosystem. They highlight the Greig, Director, Parliamentary alike as the change-makers, creators potential for arts and culture to provoke Digital Service and Heather Walker, Deputy Chief Executive, and problem-solvers that the world new thinking and inspire new ideas in Supporting the Roundhouse, with King’s requires. Culture and cultural more unlikely fields: in Informatics, students at an event partnerships have an important role to in Dentistry and in War Studies, to play in achieving this strategic vision: name just a few. And for our students, they bring new insights to the global cultural engagement adds depth and the university’s questions with which our academics richness to their studies, helping them and students are grappling and inspire to locate their learning in a world the creativity that helps not only to beyond the classroom, inspiring find answers but also to communicate them to question and challenge and, them in novel ways. Indeed, research ultimately, to achieve their full and strategic ambitions at Michigan State University has unique potential. found that ‘arts and crafts experiences Across all of these collaborations, are significantly correlated with the university’s strategic framework producing patentable inventions and for culture ensures that partnerships founding new companies’; and lifelong with the cultural sector operate to the participation in the arts ‘yields the most highest of standards, are in support of significant impacts for innovators and the university’s overall goals and add entrepreneurs’. [Arts and crafts: Critical value to the institution as a whole. to economic innovation, LaMore, R. et Recognising that innovation occurs al., Economic Development Quarterly, at the interface between disciplines, 27 (3): 221-229 (2013)] King’s academics across the university’s The report of the Warwick range of disciplines are collaborating Commission on the Future of Cultural with practitioners beyond academia, Value captured the interrelationship increasing the porosity of the university. of the arts and society by using a To facilitate and encourage these metaphor from the natural sciences: sometimes unusual and imaginative meetings of minds, the university is developing a number of ‘third spaces’, a term used to describe neutral territory Culture and creativity exist in a distinct ‘where creatives and academics meet’ ecosystem. They feed and depend on by Dr Roberta Comunian and Dr each other. The points of connection Abigail Gilmore in their 2015 report between the Cultural and Creative Beyond the Creative Campus. The Industries are where the potential concept of the third space has been for greatest value creation resides – identified as vital for driving innovation culturally, socially and economically. both in universities and in the creative Enriching Britain: culture, creativity and industries. These third spaces are not growth, Warwick Commission on the Future of just physical: King’s has also developed Cultural Value (University of Warwick: 2015), p.9 specialist interface teams, working at the junctions between academia, the Our partnerships with the cultural cultural sector and the broader public: sector put King’s well ahead in an area brokering partnerships that provoke that is now understood to be of ever- new approaches to research and increasing importance economically. education, engage a wider public and The cultural and creative industries ensure that King’s research has impact represent 5% of the UK economy – beyond its walls. the nation’s fastest growing industry, This review describes some of the The university’s strategic connections with arts and Since 2011, there has been a step major feature of London, culture is a according to the Warwick Commission university’s cultural programmes and change in the university’s engagement distinctive characteristic of the King’s report – with the latest James Bond activities between 1 August 2014 and culture go back a long way – to the first decisions in with arts and culture and a growing experience. Our partnerships with the film alone expected to generate £7.3bn 31 July 2015, many (but not all) of the late 1980s to teach collaboratively with RADA – awareness of the potential for a cultural sector allow us to give students for the UK. With its acknowledged which are brokered or facilitated by synergistic relationship between King’s opportunities that open their minds in strengths in the arts, social sciences those teams. Given the wide range of and student opportunities have always been at the and culture to add value to students ways that will stay with them for life. and digital humanities, King’s has activity, across all Faculties, this report heart of our partnerships