Welcome to RAAD
Welcome to the blog for RAAD - the Centre for Research in Art and Design at Birmingham City University. We are a community of artists, designers, makers, thinkers and writers. We believe that creative practice in art, architecture, and design matters and that it can make a difference - transforming individuals, communities, and society. In our research we collaborate, explore, and share knowledge in order to make a difference.
Capturing Craft Exhibition
A new exhibition, ‘Capturing Craft: the making of the Baskerville punches’ opened on Wednesday 2 July at The Hive, Birmingham and aims to shine a spotlight on the precision tools used to create the timeless Baskerville typeface – and the legacy behind it.
SLIDEFEST Palestine
SLIDEFEST Palestine was an evening of powerful and evocative images and presentations from artists and photographers based in Palestine and/or the diaspora. The public event was run in partnership by Gulf Photo Plus, GRAIN Projects, our Art Activisms research cluster and the British Journal of Photography, and was held in Birmingham in our School of Art building on 3 June 2025.
Beyond Success and Failure
The Art Activisms cluster held an evening of public discussion Beyond Success and Failure: Reflecting on Socially engaged art practice on social practice with artists Becky Shaw, Liz Wewiora and Regan McDonald as we question where we place the value and success of socially engaged work.
CFP – special issue on climate adaption
RAAD researchers Dr Anastasia Nikologianni and Prof Kathryn Moore are collaborating with Dr. Bruno Marques (IFLA President - Wellington University New Zealand) and Mrs Marina Cervera (Spain) to guest edit a special issue of the journal Land on” Climate Adaptation and Recovery Strategies: Reimagining Governance in Urban Regions”. They have just released the call for papers (CFP), with a deadline of 31 March 2026.
Creative Practice in doctorates
This month sees the publication of a special issue of the journal Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education on “Creative Practice and Doctoral Education”, guest-edited by Sian Vaughan and Jacqueline Taylor from RAAD.
Understood the Assignment
RAAD artist and research Jack Lewdjaw gave presented his paper “Understood the Assignment: Day School an Alternative Art School” at the National Association for Fine Art Education conference 2025 held in conjunction with Feral School of Art in Hull on 25 April.
Living the CITY: Reflections
On Thursday, February 20th, 2025, the Parkside Galleries hosted the opening and wine reception for the photographic exhibition, Living the City: Contemporary Everyday in China.
Under the Cyber Eyes
This curatorial project is based on RAAD researcher Dr Shiyu Gao’s Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship research project about the intersection of surveillance and expanded media art in contemporary China. Shiyu reflects on the project here.
Courses for Dis-Course(s)
The Art Activisms research cluster invite you to join a book launch, with artist Roo Dhissou in conversation with Stuart Whipps on Thursday 3 April 2025.
Making space for Keeping Warm
For the past three years Becky Shaw has been a co-lead on Just Heat, an international research project that explores people’s experiences of energy change since 1940. The focus of the project was to explore how the social, political and emotional meaning of home heating could inform current change.
Disability Under Siege
Focusing on the role of arts and culture in the development of collaborative partnerships for the promotion of inclusive disability-led education, throughout the duration of the Disability Under Siege project Professor Anthony Downey has been supporting cultural and other institutions in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan to expand educational provisions for young people with disabilities. Here he describes this important and innovative collaborative project for RAAD’s new blog.
Opening: Living the City
We are excited to announce the exhibition opening and reception for the exhibition Living the City: contemporary everyday in China on 20 February 202 at BCU’s Parkside Gallery in central Birmingham.
The Conformed Body
Prof. Jiehong Jiang’s latest monograph The Conformed Body: Contemporary Art in China has recently been published.
Welcome to our research blog!
Our blog will share stories and news from RAAD - the Centre for Research in Art & Design here at Birmingham City University (UK). We are a community of artists, designers, makers, thinkers and writers.