Local communities to benefit from renewed University of Kent and Canterbury Cathedral partnerships

The University of Kent and Canterbury Cathedral have renewed a long-established commitment to work together to promote greater community engagement across a range of activities that will encompass the intellectual, cultural, artistic, financial and spiritual life of Canterbury and beyond. This an integral and proud moment for The University of Kent

This renewed commitment was formally agreed through the recent signing of a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by Professor Shane Weller at The University of Kent and The Very Reverend Dr David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury. It is the fourth such MOU since 2014.

In March, The University of Kent and Canterbury Cathedral were also delighted to announce the appointment of Revd Dr Jonathan Arnold as the new Michael Ramsey Chair.

Established in 1991, the Michael Ramsey Chair is a key point of contact between the University of Kent and Canterbury Cathedral in the development and delivery of major projects and programmes in culture and the arts. In order to connect with the University of Kent’s own cultural programme, Revd Dr Arnold will be based within our Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries (ICCI) at Gulbenkian Arts Centre.

The priority areas of the new MOU include:

• Developing inclusive and accessible arts and culture initiatives that encourage and enable participation by people from all our diverse communities.
• Enriching research opportunities in areas of shared interest, especially relating to the heritage and historic fabric of our localities, and encouraging collaboration between individuals and departments within our organisations.
• Facilitating and leading closer working between the partners, other local institutions, and our local and county councils.

Professor Weller, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, said:

“This new Memorandum of Understanding will enable us to build on the existing partnership between the two institutions and to work together on the delivery of a number of flagship civic engagement initiatives. Together with the recent appointment of a new Michael Ramsey Chair, focused on public engagement, this MoU reflects our shared commitment to the region.”

Dean David said:

“I’m delighted to sign this new Memorandum of Understanding, reiterating the Cathedral’s and the University’s joint commitment to ever closer partnership working in service of the communities of Canterbury and East Kent.”