Dr Natasha Kidd

Personal statement

Dr Natasha Kidd is Associate Vice Provost: Creative Engagement, a reader in Art Practice and Pedagogy and Creative Practice Research Lead for the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries.  

Best known for her automated painting systems and large-scale participatory events, her practice research explores the distinct ways in which an artist learns and strategies for making these creative methods transparent, widening recognition and value. 

Natasha has over twenty years of arts experience working with leading galleries, participating in research groups, delivering training, running workshops and contributing to unique public programming.

Natasha was the academic lead for West of England Visual Art Alliance Bath Spa and co-Iead on Bristol and Bath Creative Research and Development Programme, a £6.8 million collaboration between the University of West England, Bath Spa University, the University of Bath, the University of Bristol and Watershed, a digital creativity centre.  Natasha is academic lead on Bath Spa’s work on the Place Partnership programme, a 3.1 million project to diversify cultural talent in the South West.  As part of her work as practice research lead for BSU’s Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries, she runs the yearly practice research symposium Doing Together. 

With a strong track record of academic leadership, Natasha demonstrates a strong commitment to the development of creative pedagogy, through innovation in teaching/learning, related professional activity and her contribution and management of the highly reputed subject area of Art at Bath Spa University.

Natasha co-leads Material:Pedagogy:Futures (MPF), a research network at Bath Spa University, Kingston University, University of Westminster, University of Bergen and UAL. She is a founding member of Inventory of Behaviours (IOB).  IOB researches the rituals, traits and habits of artists in order to better understand the processes that constitute creativity. The project’s findings have been disseminated through large scale participatory performances, book chapters, conference papers, talks and seminars and films. 

Natasha's work has received national and international recognition through exhibitions, events and commissioned installations by galleries and leading public arts institutions that include Camden Arts Centre, London, Modern Art Oxford, The Lowry, Manchester, The Tetley, Leeds, School of the Art Institute, Chicago and Tate Modern, London. 

Academic qualifications

• 2012 - 2018 D-Phil (PHD), University of Oxford.  A Word in Your Ear: The Undoing of an Object as a Strategy for Learning in Fine Art Practice
• 1996 - 98 M.F.A. Painting, Slade School of Fine Art, UCL            
• 1992 - 96 B.A. (Hons) First Class (Painting), Slade School of Fine Art, UCL            

Professional qualifications

• PG Cert in Learning and Teaching (Distinction), CTLAD, University of the Arts, London

Other training 

• 2019 – 20 Developing Academic Leaders, Bath Spa University                  
• 2021 - 22 Developing Research Leaders, Bath Spa University                  

Professional memberships

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, January 2008

Internal roles

• 2020 - (current) Practice Research Lead, Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries (CCCI)
• 2018 - 2024 Subject Lead Art: Responsible for the art subject area at PG and UG level. 
• 2021 - 2022 Academic Representative on Academic Board
• 2015 -2020 Program lead UG Fine Art. 

External Roles 

• 2023 The Art Academy, University of Bergen, Visiting Researcher/Reader
• 2023 Leeds University, External Examiner UG Fine Art
• 2021 Chelsea College of Art, Course Revalidation Panel, PG Dip Fine Art        
• 2020 Manchester Metropolitan University, Course Revalidation Panel, BA Fine Art
• 2019 Plymouth University and Transart, External Examiner, MFA Contemporary Art Practice
• 2018 Glasgow School of Art, External Examiner, BA Painting and Printmaking
• 2017 Norwich University of the Arts, External Examiner, BA Fine Art

Teaching specialism

Creative Practice and Pedagogy