Research themes

Three cross-disciplinary Research Themes form the organisational pillars of research activity at Norwich University of the Arts. They are each led by a Research Champion and include academic staff and postgraduate research students.

Pattern and Chaos – dedicated to the practice and theory of pattern, chaos and the spaces in between.
Created and Contested Territories (CaCTus) – questioning the interpretation and representation of contested creative and material practices; focusing on the cultural and political networks in which art, design and media are produced, valued and consumed.
Human Interfaces – exploring the slipperiness of human interfaces – the disruptions, unreliable narrators and narratives, the fabricated memory and histories, the holes and gaps, the truths, the lies – and how these might shift across cultures, time and art/design forms.

Work with us

We welcome enquiries about applied and collaborative activities and opportunities. If you are interested in working with us, if you have a question, or, if you would like further information about our research and researchers, please contact:

Email: research@nua.ac.uk

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We are delighted to announce Professor Louis Nixon will become Dean of Research and Knowledge Exchange at Norwich University of the Arts.

Professor Nixon, an artist and academic who has worked in Art and Design education for more than 30 years, will lead the University’s engagement with industry and build its reputation as a centre for world class research in creative arts and technologies.

Professor Nixon, an artist and academic who has worked in Art and Design education for more than 30 years, will lead the University’s engagement with industry and build its reputation as a centre for world class research in creative arts and technologies.

He joins Norwich from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) where he has worked since 2018 as Director of the Academy of Visual Arts, focusing on research development, initiating a new PhD programme and a Research and Knowledge Exchange strategy. At the Academy of Visual Arts, Professor Nixon was Co-convenor of the Augmented Creativity Lab, and a Governor of the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre.

Welcoming the appointment, Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Ofield-Kerr said: “Louis brings an international perspective and a track record of strategic development in research and knowledge exchange. This is a key appointment for Norwich and signals our ambition for the future of the University.”

Professor Nixon studied painting at Chelsea School of Art and completed postgraduate studies in sculpture at the Slade School of Fine Art. His fine art practice encompasses painting, sculpture, installation, and experimental film, often presented as multi-media installations in galleries and public spaces. In 1990 he founded the collective Space Explorations and, as artist, director, and curator, participated in large-scale interventions in response to specific sites including the Greenwich Royal Observatory and Hoxton Power Station. Since 2001 Nixon has worked independently and exhibited widely in the UK and internationally including solo exhibitions in London, Hong Kong, and Italy.

Follow the link in our bio to read the full announcement.

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