Darren Kerr

Personal statement

Darren is an academic leader, researcher and educator with extensive experience in developing thriving creative departments and schools within higher education. Since 2010, he has led large subject areas across film, media and the digital arts, expanding student communities, strengthening research cultures, improving student experience indicators, and shaping future facing curricula.

His leadership approach is collaborative, creative and analytically driven, underpinned by strong partnerships with industry, cultural organisations and research networks.

Alongside his leadership roles, he maintains an active research profile specialising in sexual cultures, literary adaptation and the politics of representation. He is Director of Screening Sex, an international research network, BAFTSS scholarly interest group and public facing platform. He is series editor for EUP’s Screening Sex book series and a member of the editorial board for Routledge’s Porn Studies journal.

His career has been shaped by a strong commitment to the civic role of the arts and inclusive learning cultures. He is passionate about fostering creative communities that empower students, energise staff and meaningfully contribute to the wider cultural landscape.

About the School

The Bath School of Art, Film and Media is a vibrant and ambitious community where creative practice, critical thinking and industry engagement intersect. As Head of School, Darren is committed to strengthening its identity as a hub for creative innovation – one that is outward looking, research informed and deeply connected to regional, national and international cultural sectors.

The School cultivates collaboration across creative industry disciplines and emerging technologies. It prepares students to be critically informed, industry ready and creatively agile, guided by academic staff who are active practitioners, makers, scholars and researchers. The School continues to build an environment where creativity, experimentation and intellectual curiosity thrive, supported by strong pedagogic principles, inclusive practices, meaningful professional opportunities and excellent staff.

Academic qualifications

• MA Film and Fiction
• BA Media and Cultural Studies

Professional memberships

• British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies (BAFTSS)
• Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) – Adult Film History SIG
• Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA)
• The Production Guild of Great Britain

Research impact

Screening Sex operates as a significant public‑facing academic resource that advances research into sex on screen and wider sexual cultures. The site disseminates research‑informed content that has influenced cultural understanding and professional practice across arts organisations, educators, and international networks.

As a platform that commissions and publishes short research articles, opinion pieces, interviews, and reviews, it has become a valuable hub for emerging scholars and established researchers alike, supporting new work and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on representation, politics, and industry practice.

The project sustains an active research network, a seminar series and a book series with EUP that promotes new voices, interdisciplinary collaboration, and critical engagement with contemporary debates on sexual cultures.