Jade French appointed a Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies

Jade French appointed a Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies

Jade French has recently joined the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies as a Visiting Research Fellow.

Jade is a contemporary art curator and Director of Development at The Royal Standard, an artist-led gallery and studio complex in Liverpool. Jade completed a PhD in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies earlier in the year titled Art as Advocacy. This research, which was undertaken collaboratively with Bluecoat and Halton Speak Out, explored inclusive curating alongside learning disabled artists and its role in initiating broader conversations around democracy and diversity in the gallery.

During her fellowship, Jade will be continuing research in this area as well as teaching. She will be visiting the University of São Paulo in May 2018 where she will be teaching and presenting at the conference New Challenges for Cultural Accessibility and Participation in Museums, organised by Brazil’s Study and Research Group on Accessibility in Museums.

In addition, Jade has been awarded the International Curator Residency at the Firestation Artists Studios in Dublin, Ireland. During this residency Jade will be collaborating with the Firestation Artist’s Studio and Arts Disability Ireland to explore an inclusive studio model for disabled artists, as well as sharing her recent research on inclusive curating.

Jade will specifically be located within the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage. Centre Director, Helen Graham, said:

“I am delighted that – now with her PhD in hand – Jade is joining us as a Visiting Research Fellow.

“There are so many exciting lines of inquiry arising from Jade’s PhD, all practice-based and all of enormous relevance to both our MA students and the concerns that animate the Centre’s research culture.”