Welcome from the Director, Professor Anna Reading:
I was appointed as Director of the Arts and Humanities Research Institute (AHRI) in 2018 and have since been leading an exciting transformation of the AHRI that has included development of the REACH Space - an experimental and creative research space for the curious with a commitment to socially engaging research in the arts, culture and humanities.
The AHRI was established in 2011 to support interdisciplinary research that links different subjects across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. We now support 13 interdisciplinary and socially engaged research centres and actively support development of new, interdisciplinary research themes; for 2019/20 academic year, the theme is Engaging Memory.
At King’s, researchers readily connect with each other across traditional boundaries from classics to creative industries, from modern languages to film, from music to history. But at the AHRI we recognise that, politically and environmentally, the world is facing unprecedented challenges. So at our Strand Campus we have the REACH Space - a new state-of-the-art engaged research suite that pioneers sustainable and lasting ways of thinking, doing and sharing research. We bring together arts, culture and humanities researchers and reach out to those working in the sciences, social sciences, policy and law, forming innovative and creative research teams and circles. Our research circles develop deep and trusting relationships and co-research partnerships with diverse non-academic communities through projects that offer new insights and results for all.
At REACH and in the AHRI we free imaginations and unleash potential to create rich research and lifelong learning opportunities for staff, students and communities. By embracing diverse voices we question fixed ways of thinking and doing. Together we are finding new ways to mutually understand difficult challenges big and small. In short, the AHRI builds transformative research teams to make the world a better place.