International Centre for Fine Art Research

Fine art research at The University of the Arts is grounded in the distinctive histories of each of its constituent colleges. Entirely based in art and design, and with internationally significant research resources, archives and collections, the university now forms a network of communities and courses, projects and groups that together form one of the richest environments in Europe for doctoral study and new arts research. UAL plays a leading part in ELIA, has numerous international partners and is at the forefront of creating research relationships between art and design and research communities in the humanities and social sciences.

• ICFAR was created in 2006 to develop new international, collaborative research projects within this constellation of resources and expertise. We have a strong commitment to creating an interface between the research methods of working artists and the models of practice based research developing within the University and the wider research community.

• ICFAR supports research events and projects across the fine art disciplines and has a particular interest in developing research leadership amongst fine art staff. It hosts a range of existing affiliated groups and projects, as well as generating new collaborative research. The Centre’s affiliated groups each host distinctive resources, including study collections and publications, as well as projects that connect practice and pedagogy, and practice-based and theoretical approaches.

• ICFAR is currently developing research into artists' methods, practices and processes - with specific reference to the studio as a site of research in practice; into the intersection of fine art with writing, sound, poetics and performance; into print and publication as sites of artistic enquiry and into artists’ use of archives and archival methods. The Centre welcomes enquiries from prospective doctoral students in these areas.