Research at Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon

The Graduate School programme, along with the activities of research centres and networks, hosted by CCW, provide a rich calendar of events to inform and enhance the broader course and college based activities. One of the most important functions of the Graduate School is to facilitate greater communication, focus and debate of key issues across the communities within the three colleges. Our research activities are well-established, diverse, specialist and grounded in the broad portfolio of art and design subjects represented by our taught course programmes. They offer new and challenging ways of thinking about how specific disciplines can share common concerns and questions.

Issues surrounding the practice, theoretical and historical contexts of Fine Art, Design, Conservation, Theatre and Performance are developed and interrogated through a focused research approach of contemporary relevance. We are particularly interested in research that addresses individually, collectively or in tandem, the four current Graduate School themes of Social Engagement, Environment, Identities and Technologies. The identification of a number of key thematic lines of enquiry is primarily intended to identify a context over and above individual research interests where there may be some common ground and a space for cross disciplinary dialogue. The themes also reflect a growing collective awareness amongst our research communities for identifying some of the more urgent social, political, economic and cultural agendas of our time and addressing them through innovative and creative responses.

In addition to hosting the University of the Arts London research centres, TrAIN and Ligatus (described separately in the Directory), CCW supports and hosts a number of research groups and networks that form a vital part of the research environment. These include, though not exclusively: 

> The generative languages of drawing and the material procedures of drawing as a tool for the realisation of ideas, supported through the Drawing Research Network. (http://cfd.wimbledon.ac.uk)

> Textiles research and designer-centred solutions that have a reduced impact on the environment. (www.tedresearch.net)

> Critical fine art practice and the exploring of new models for creative practice. (www.criticalpracticechelsea.org)

A significant and distinctive aspect of the CCW Graduate School is the range and quality of its external partnerships and networks with the cultural industries, organisations and institutions in London, the UK and Internationally. Many of these relationships have been built up over the years by the individual colleges and have resulted in a number of research projects, staff and student exchanges and funding opportunities and we remain interested in developing outward looking research activities with relevant partners.

The University of the Arts London website (www.arts.ac.uk/research) also provides information and contact with researchers within the University and has more information on its university wide research centres and networks as well as those which are hosted by Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon.