Dr Ben Cranfield appointed Dean of Creative Education

The new role will work with the Deans of the College’s three Schools (Architecture, Arts & Humanities, and Communication & Design) to provide enhanced capacity for tackling evolving issues in postgraduate creative pedagogy - including inclusive practice, digital and AI-enabled education, and academic development.

Dr Cranfield has been at the RCA since 2017, most recently in the role of Associate Dean (Education) in the School of Arts & Humanities. Before joining the RCA, he was a lecturer, programme director and Assistant Dean for MA programmes at Birkbeck, University of London for over eight years. Dr Cranfield researches and practices the relationship between curating, the archive, alternative pedagogies and institutional forms. Prior to working in academia he was a gallery manager and exhibition organiser and in 2007/8 he co-curated the year-long series ’60 Years of Curating’ at London’s ICA.

Professor Christoph Lindner, President & Vice-Chancellor of the RCA said of the appointment: “This new position is an important part of the RCA’s new Strategic Plan and reflects the increasing importance of providing dedicated College-wide leadership for education. Creating new ways of thinking about pedagogical excellence in art and design and equipping students for new futures and opportunities is vital to ensuring the RCA creates and delivers the best art and design education in the world. I look forward to working with Dr Cranfield on some of these exciting challenges.”