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UAL becomes the first UK Supporting Member of ELIA network

Written byPress Office
Published date 15 March 2024

**Becky Moriarty, 2021 MA Illustration, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL | Photograph: Alys Tomlinson**

UAL has become a Supporting Member of ELIA, the first UK university with this status in the network. With over 285 members in 54 countries, ELIA is a globally connected network that provides a dynamic platform for professional exchange and development in higher arts education.

There is a long-standing relationship between UAL and ELIA. We previously held the ELIA Presidency under Professor Chris Wainwright, and Professor Pratāp Rughani is currently a member of the ELIA Executive Group and Representative Board. Over 200 of our staff already participate in ELIA activities and the network is open to all staff families and students.

We are also the first UK institution to be a partner of ELIA’s UAx Platform, established to support students from Ukraine’s Higher Education arts institutions. Dr. Silke Lange (CSM) has been closely involved in the development of this platform.

We want to encourage staff (academic, technical and professional services) and students to join the ELIA network and connect with partners, register for events and join platforms.

To stay updated with this network and to hear more about UAL’s international endeavours, sign up to the UAL Global Engagement Newsletter.

UAL has enjoyed a long-standing connection with ELIA, with many of our academic and technical staff benefiting from participating in this extensive network of institutions dedicated to arts education. In becoming a Supporting Member of ELIA, we look forward to even greater opportunities to collaborate with European and global partners who share our ambition to deliver on the potential of a globally connected creative arts education.

— Professor Roni Brown, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), University of the Arts London

Becoming a Supporting Member of ELIA represents a significant milestone for UAL. We have been a member of ELIA for many years, being a Supporting Member will place us at the heart of a community of over 285 European and global arts education institutions. It opens many new opportunities for co-creation of innovative practice, collaborative research and cultural exchange, reaffirming our commitment to be at the forefront of global arts education.

— Ian Storey, Director of Global Engagement, University of the Arts London

We are delighted to closely work with UAL as an ELIA Supporting Member. UAL will play a prominent role in actively shaping the development and direction of ELIA initiatives, projects, and activities with a current strategic focus on intergenerationality. We thank UAL for fostering connections by investing in ELIA’s international network, a globally connected, highly relevant force for the arts in higher education sector.

— Maria Hansen, Executive Director, ELIA

Upcoming ELIA events include:

Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity (EDI) Platform Meeting, Theme: taking space-making space 15-16 April, in Nida, Lithuania. Open to all artistic disciplines, faculty, artists, administrative staff and students, with an interest in EDI or policy. Featuring Aminata Cairo.

PIE (Platform Internalisation ELIA) Annual Meeting Prague (5 - 7June). Theme: "The Paradox of Internationalisation. Invites internationalisation officers, leaders, policymakers and those working in international student affairs to define and share the benefits and paradoxes of internationalisation in the arts in Higher Education".

Creative Skills Week 2024Join us in Amsterdam or check out our Satellite Programme (16 – 20 September). Be part of a growing creative skilling community. Also host your own CSW Satellite Event! Launch happening soon!

ELIA Biennial 2024, Milan (20 – 23 November). Theme: Arts Plural "How arts education can contribute to society in a more pluralistic way?"