Rebecca Davies

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Rebecca Davies
About
Teaching and learning
Business, knowledge transfer and international
Leadership and management

About

During the 20 years I have worked within Kingston School of Art, I have lectured on Illustration Animation, Graphic Design, Fashion and Fine Art degree courses, run the Visual Communication pathway on Foundation and I currently run the Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media Practice. I have recently also taken over the strategic reorganisation of Short Courses at KSA and intend to bring my knowledge and experience of all these distinct disciplines to broaden and reflect an expanded and more integrated short courses portfolio. 

My training as a printmaker and predominantly teaching as a visual communicator has allowed me to work with architects, designers, animators, publishers, chefs, archeologists, brewers, directors, illustrators and artists collaboratively, as a curator and commercially. I have facilitated and run practice/research led projects with institutions including V&A Museum, The Science Museum, Imperial College, The Old Vic, Fixperts, Helen Hamlyn Trust, The Design Museum, The Whitworth Gallery, Salisbury Museum, Crate Brewery, The Sorrel Foundation and Stanley Picker Gallery.

My approach to all levels of teaching, is providing all students with a conceptual and practical toolkit to work, flourish and push the boundaries of creative thinking to impact wider world.

Academic responsibilities

School Head of Department

Qualifications

  • MA Printmaking, Royal College of Art
  • BA Hons Fine Art, Falmouth School of Art

Teaching and learning

Since taking over as Head of Department in 2013, the Foundation course has almost doubled in size and receives over 1300 applications for 180 places each year. The course was awarded outstanding in all areas of inspection by Ofsted in 2015 and continues to place 100% of students wanting to progress into higher education, both nationally and internationally and many of whom stay on to continue their studies at Kingston School of Art. 

The Foundation course has moved locations three times and across two campuses in the last 10 years and I have been responsible for redesigning each new learning environment to reflect the symbiotic approach to teaching all four pathways across Foundation. 

I contributed to a conference on 'The Future of the Graduate Show', at the Design Museum, 2015, where I talked about the architecture of the degree show through drawing comparison between the 'disneyfication' of education and the necessity to dig deeper and showcase the archeology of often misunderstood design based processes. 

I have been external examiner at University of East London and have been on the Validation Panel Committee to set up a Foundation Diploma, and degree courses in Fashion Design, Communication Design and Interior Design and Architecture at The Indian Institute of Art & Design, New Delhi.  

Qualifications and expertise

  • External examiner at Middlesex University
  • External examiner at London College of Fashion
  • External examiner at Swansea College of Art, UWTSD
  • Validation Committee Member for IIAD

Undergraduate courses taught

Business, knowledge transfer and international

I am responsible for planning and coordinating the strategic re-development of short courses across KSA. Kingston School of Art is one of the top creative institutions in the UK that prides itself on its accessible, inclusive, thinking through making ethos to all areas of art, design, digital, cultural and creative study. Building on our long-established reputation of Foundation, Degree and Postgraduate courses, it should also provide a clearly focused series of flexible, constructive and relevant smaller courses that support its mission.

Since 2019, we have launched over 24 new short courses including Foundation Preparation, Toy Invention Programme in collaboration with Spinmaster (the first in the UK), Net Zero Architecture, Sustainable Fashion and Introductions to Animation, Life Drawing, Experimental Drawing, Art School Backwards, Music Production, Design Curation and Entropic Allotments. 

I set up the Sorrell Foundation, Saturday Club programme at Kingston University in 2014. This is a widening participation programme designed to introduce local groups of 14-16 year old students to the potential of art & design education. This has grown to work with multiple artists, designers and engineers including Arup, Studio Glithero, Rogers, Stirk, Harbour and Partners and Matt + Fiona & British Land.

Areas of interest

  • Diversifying the short course portfolio at KSA
  • Introducing KSA to international markets through Short courses
  • Embedding outreach and widening participation into all programmes
  • Introducing the local community and local businesses to our activities and courses at KSA

Leadership and management

I am responsible for planning, developing and delivering the newly updated Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media Practice to consistent student numbers of 175 students and a growing team of contracted staff and visiting lectures. 

Since taking over as Head of Department I have placed particular emphasis on Widening Participation and greater student diversity through outreach activity and encouraging consistent numbers of International students. To support this strategic mission I've re-structured the application process with a new online application system, open day structure and interview process. Throughout Foundation we have designed an embedded programme called 'Polyphony Radio' to explore voice, cultural identity and inclusive discussion across all pathways on the course. 

I am redesigning Short courses at KSA to further consolidate KSA's commitment to outreach, diversifying recruitment and encourage greater long term relationships with international institutions, schools and colleges and industry partnerships.

University responsibilities

  • Associate Professor (Major responsibilities: teaching and learning and enteprise)
  • Head of Department of Foundation Studies
  • Course Director for Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media Practice
  • Academic lead for Short courses at KSA.