Arts University Plymouth Vice-Chancellor appointed to Creative UK’s UK Council

Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks’ appointment will amplify the voices of creative education and arts organisations from across the South West in the creative industries

Arts University Plymouth’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks has been appointed to the UK Council of Creative UK. Creative UK (formerly Creative England) is a non-profit organisation led by Caroline Norbury OBE that acts as the independent network for the UK’s creative industries, focusing on developing creative enterprises in various sectors such as gaming, film, digital media and production services. Creative UK’s board includes Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair of ITV; Vanessa Spence, Commercial Design and Visual Director at ASOS; and Sir Ian Livingstone CBE, Chairman of Sumo Group.

The organisation’s UK Council plays a vital role in determining and shaping Creative UK’s impact priorities, lobbying for and steering policy and areas for strategic investment, innovation and growth, and sharing crucial insights from across the industry and UK.

As a UK Council member, Professor Fieldsend-Danks will look to provide the best possible conditions for growth and success of the creative industries by championing and representing the interests and perspectives of creative education on this national platform, and by amplifying the voice of partners of Arts University Plymouth and other arts organisations nationally and in the South West.

Professor Fieldsend-Danks joins Council members from across the UK including Kate Varah, Executive Director of the National Theatre; Kanya King, Founder of MOBO; James Rider, Chief Commercial Officer of Pinewood; Giselle Stewart, Director of UK Corporate Affairs at Ubisoft; and Tom Wrathmell, Director of the BBC’s Across the UK Strategy.

The UK Council members cover each UK nation and region, boasting a full spectrum of creative sub-sectors, businesses big and small, freelancers, practitioners and education providers. These members listen and feed into the concerns, opportunities and ideas of creative communities and share these priorities on behalf of their respective UK nations and regions.

Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks is an artist and educator with over 25 years experience in creative arts higher education and leadership in the UK. In 2022, Paul became the first Vice-Chancellor of Arts University Plymouth. 

Paul is Professor of Fine Art, a Fellow of the RSA and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2023, Paul joined the UK Council of Creative UK. He is a non-executive member of the Plymouth Growth Board, and a non-executive director of Destination Plymouth.

As an artist and academic, Paul is currently on the editorial board for the international journal Drawing: Research, Theory, Practice published by Intellect, and was previously a co-director of the international drawing visualisation and research journal Tracey, published by Loughborough University (2011-2014). Paul regularly contributes to academic peer-review including Making Futures, The Journal of Visual Arts Practice, and book reviews for Bloomsbury Publishing and Intellect Books. He has exhibited his work in galleries and museums in the UK, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland, with work in both public and private collections.