For me, as for so many people in the department of Culture, Media and Creative industries, Ruth was one of the first people I met at King’s, and she immediately made me feel included and welcome. As with anyone who was touched by her kindness, energy, and sense of justice, I will miss her profoundly.
Dr Virginia Crisp, Head of the School of Arts
02 September 2026
Dr Ruth Adams (1969-2026)
King’s mourns the passing of Dr Ruth Adams, Reader in Cultural & Creative Industries, who died on Saturday 29th of August 2026 at the age of 57.
Dr Ruth Adams worked in the Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries at King’s for over 20 years. She joined King’s in 2003 and was instrumental in establishing the MA in Cultural & Creative Industries.
Ruth obtained her BA in Sociology & Visual Culture from Lancaster University in 1997. She undertook her postgraduate studies at The London Consortium, completing an MRes in Cultural Studies & Humanities in 1999 and a doctoral thesis, 'Gentlemen and Players: The Victoria and Albert Museum – An Institutional Case Study of the Culture and Society Tradition', in 2005.
Her research interests included ‘culture wars’ and representations of Englishness; critical interrogations of the discourse of ‘heritage’; youth subcultures and popular music; postcolonial identities and culture; and class, gender, and cultural representation and consumption. Dr Adams’ list of publications is available here.
We could always count on Ruth to combine deep critical analysis, excellent humor, and kindness. During Covid we walked my dog through the local parks in SE London – a community which shaped so much of Ruth’s research. Her incredible mind enabled her to jump from heritage studies, to punk, and to grime music, seamlessly - constantly reframing what the creative industries and cultural theory have meant for generations of our students and colleagues. For so many of us, Ruth has utterly shaped what it means to be a good human and to give meaning to academia in the midst of so much pressure to be otherwise.
Dr Kate McMillan, Head of Department, Culture, Media and Creative Industries
From my Day One, Ruth was always there and has been a fantastic friend and colleague. I have admired Ruth’s coolness, DJ-ing, distinct style and her strong sense of social justice, and so have many colleagues and students, I am sure. Thank you Ruth, you are missed a lot.
Professor Hye-Kyung Lee, Professor of Cultural Policy
You are the very best of what a colleague could be – deeply compassionate, engaged, with an ever-present twinkle in your eye, and a sense of mischief that always lands on the right thing to do. I’ve been hugely inspired by your flair for innovation and your passion. Thank you for everything you’ve done and the way you’ve enriched the department, the college, the students, all of us, and the world. We miss you and we celebrate you.
Dr Red Chidgey, Reader in Gender, Media and Culture
Wherever the department goes in the future, it will always carry a part of you with it. Your influence is woven into the institution, into generations of students and colleagues, and into the spirit of the department itself. Very few people can say they have had such a profound and lasting impact on the lives and work of so many people.
Dr Serena Iervolino, Senior Lecturer in Critical Museology
Throughout her career, Dr Ruth Adams made a number of television and radio appearances. These include ‘Cunk on Britain’ and 'Cunk on Earth' (BBC & Netflix), ‘Peter York’s Hipster Handbook’ (BBC); 'Elizabeth: A Life Through the Lens (Channel 4); BBC Radio 4 'Today' Programme, 'Thinking Allowed' and 'The Third Degree'; Sky News & Channel 5 News, Korean television (KBS) and BBC Radio Wales. She contributed to feature articles in newspapers and magazines in the UK, Sweden, Brazil, and the UAE.
Dr Ruth Adams is survived by her husband Dan and many friends, family members and colleagues.