The Visual and Material Practices Research Group (VAMP) is a cross-disciplinary group of makers, writers, and historians, interested in visualities and visual & material cultures. The group’s purpose is to generate new knowledge and innovative methodologies by putting writers and creative practitioners into conversation. We are committed to creating a generous and inclusive research culture, which we feel is crucial to rigorous and sustainable research practices.
Our current research activity is organised into five strands: Cultures of Care, Art School Futures, Writing Practices, Materiality and Place, and Disrupting Visual Histories. There are projects nested within these strands such as WITTA and the Journal of Writing in Creative Practice (Writing Practices). Much of our academic output critically challenges dominant cultural (including academic) hierarchies and representations. Alongside providing support for research outputs and hosting public-facing events, VAMP is a forum for curriculum development. VAMP’s student-facing programme includes an annual undergraduate research symposium and a student-produced journal (Visual Encounters).