Jayne Knowles was appointed interim Dean for Performance Arts and Foundation in November 2020. As interim Dean, she will oversee all of the performance and performance design and technologies courses at Wimbledon, guiding the School of Performance into its next stage of development. She will also be supporting students on the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Camberwell, as they experiment with different disciplines and progress onto undergraduate courses.
We caught up with Jayne to find out what her long history in the education sector and vast knowledge of Wimbledon College of Arts can bring to the role, as well as what she hopes to achieve in her new position.
Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background.
I’m an artist and maker and my practice is broad in terms of the context and audience. I’ve worked on public design commissions, produced exhibition interactives for galleries, as well as producing my own work in my studio. Narrative is an important element to the work I make.
My practice has always been underpinned through engagement with education and I have worked in art schools for 25 years, teaching on Foundation, BA and MA courses. I’m interested in how we support students to be successful at each of these levels. Before this role I was Associate Dean and prior to joining UAL I worked at Colchester School of Art where I was Head of School.
What are you hoping to achieve in your new role as Interim Dean of Performance Arts at Wimbledon College of Arts?
In my role as interim Dean I will guide the School of Performance into its next stage of development. The School is fairly young, being formed in 2017 and it’s the right time to re-set the academic and strategic direction.
Collaboration is at the core of the skills used in performance and performance design. At Wimbledon I'm going to facilitate more opportunities for students to collaborate with one another, and with others outside of the performance discipline.
On the long established Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Camberwell, the aim has always been to help students discover their personal creative strengths and guide them on to the next stage of their career, which is predominantly progression to degree level study. I’m going to support the students to achieve their ambitions.
The pandemic has been so difficult for everyone, but I want to ensure we learn from these experiences, capture the positive changes we have made in response to Covid-19 and use this knowledge in our planning and course design.
How will your previous job role at UAL contribute to your new post?
Prior to this role I was Associate Dean for Student Journey, overseeing the student experience at Camberwell Chelsea and Wimbledon. This role has shown me the importance of engaging with our students over what they think about what we as Colleges and courses do. How, by working together we can develop the experience. As Dean I will continue to listen and take note of all feedback. Formally and informally through forums, speaking to students in the studios and workshops, and through student surveys.
How do you see Wimbledon developing as a new integrated performance centre?
The ethos behind developing the integrated performance centre is student collaboration combined with an approach to working that reflects the profession. Wimbledon's BA and MA courses have an international reputation and have close links with the performance and performance design industry. We offer specialist study routes which allow students to develop their personal direction and specific skills within their discipline.
What is the most exciting element of the Wimbledon Site Development?
What I’m most excited about are the new Performance spaces and Technically Enhanced Studios – they are fab! The University is investing a significant amount to upgrade the spaces for all the Wimbledon students and install specialist facilities.
What is unique about Wimbledon as a college?
People often remark how friendly and welcoming Wimbledon College of Arts is. I think this is something to do with its location and its size. But I’m fascinated by how the strong sense of family and community is handed down from one student cohort to the next, and each year our new students always receive a warm welcome by the whole college.
What is one of the more challenging projects you’ve worked on during your time at UAL?
What has been a highlight of working at UAL so far?
This is difficult to answer – there have been so many! Being part of such a great team of staff has been amazing, and I’m constantly impressed by the talent, creativity and innovation of our students.
For more on Wimbledon’s performance courses visit the course pages.