Realising the research potential of collections
16 February 2018
Research with the University of Reading's world class collections will be given a boost after two new Academic Residencies have been appointed.
The Heritage & Creativity Institute for Collections has announced the recipients of its 2017-18 Academic Residencies are Dr Rob Banham (School of Arts and Communication Design) and Dr Paddy Bullard (School of English Literature and Language).
The Heritage & Creativity Institute for Collections facilitates the development of high quality research funding bids to realise the research and impact potential of the University of Reading’s world class collections. The Academic Residencies will provide support for developing a funding bid and public facing or academic networking activity.
Dr Paddy Bullard specialises in seventeenth and eighteenth literature. He writes on a range of rural topics, including georgic poetry, traditional song, and non-urban environments.
Dr Bullard was the academic advisor to the Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL) Arts Council England Designation Funded project ‘The Museum of the Intangible’. His planned research bid focuses on building an academic successor to this project in collaboration with the MERL and a wider network of academic and professional partners.
As part of his residency, Dr Bullard is also planning a public engagement event on georgic (18th century rural themed) poetry with The MERL Poet in Residence and Charles Causley Poetry Prize winner Jack Thacker.
Read a blog by Dr Bullard on collections-based research >>>
Dr Rob Banham's research investigates the design of printed ephemera, the influence of technology on design, and the history of colour printing. He also writes and speaks about contemporary design.
Dr Banham’s research and teaching has consistently drawn on the outstanding Lettering, Printing and Graphic Design Collections at the University of Reading. His planned research bid seeks to reconstruct historical methods of colour printing through investigation of the materials and tools for printing which survive in collections and archives within and outside the University.
As part of his residency he will organise events bringing together an inter-disciplinary team from the University of Reading with a range of external academic and professional partners.