Main menu
Staff & students

Dr Miranda Matthews

Staff details

Dr Miranda Matthews

Position

Lecturer

Department

Educational Studies

Email

m.matthews (@gold.ac.uk)

Dr. Miranda Matthews is Associate Head of School for Student Experience in Professional Studies Science and Technology

Miranda Matthews joined Goldsmiths as full time faculty in 2016. Miranda became Associate Head of School for Student Experience in Professional Studies, Science and Technology (PSST) in 2023.

Miranda has directed the Centre for Arts and Learning (CAL) since 2019. She develops programmes of public facing research events and collaborative research projects. Miranda also supports and develops practice research, as Convenor of the PSST Practice Research Network. The PRN validates arts and interdisciplinary practice as a form of research inquiry.

Miranda teaches at all levels of study at Goldsmiths. She is on the BA Education Management Team as Admissions Tutor. Miranda leads Critical Pedagogies in Contested Spaces in the MA Arts and Learning. She is also a tutor on the PGCE Art and Design. Miranda supervises students on the PhD Art Practice and Learning, and also supervises visiting research students.

Academic qualifications

  • SFHEA - Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy 2016
  • PhD Educational Studies, Goldsmiths College, University of London 2012
  • MFA Masters in Fine Art, University of Reading 2003
  • BA Fine Art, First Class Honours, Birmingham City University 2000

Research interests

Miranda researches issues of agency and representation in the arts and learning, among arts educators, practitioners, students and faculty. Since 2016 Miranda has researched how arts methods can assist undergraduate students’ sensory transitions into Higher Education. Miranda’s book, Arts Methods for the Self-representation of Undergraduate Students: Sensory Transitions into University Cultures, was published by Routledge in April 2023.

Miranda has developed research with artist teachers, exploring their professionalising supportive networks, and responses to education policy in practice. A chapter in press for this project is: Moving beyond immanence: artist teacher networking and collaborative arts practice, in Rachel Payne (ed.) Artist Teachers: UK Perspectives on Pedagogies, Practices and Partnerships.

During the pandemic of 2020-2021, Miranda created a public facing research project titled Finding Comfort within Discomfort, that investigated the ecosystems of creative resilience that sustained people through difficult times, into post-pandemic creative ecosystems. Articles have been published relating to this project, and Miranda has a forthcoming chapter Finding Comfort within Discomfort: Creative Ecosystems for Learning in the Pandemic in Kelly Murdoch-Kitt and Denielle Emans (eds.) Creative Resilience (2024).

Since 2021 Miranda has researched Ecologies in Practice, for arts practitioners, practice researchers and the vocal, creative empowerment of young people and minoritised groups. She is Principal Investigator for CAL/CMUK Ecologies in Practice: Participatory Arts Methods for Climate Research with Young People.

Featured publications

2023: Arts Methods for the Self-representation of Undergraduate Students: Sensory Transitions into University Cultures
This timely book explores the transitional experiences of undergraduates in minority groups studying at university and how arts methods and practices can play an important role in facilitating these t

Grants and awards

Ecologies in Practice: Participatory Arts Methods for Climate Research with Young People, AHRC Networking Grant
The Centre for Arts and Learning (CAL) at Goldsmiths, University of London, began exploring ‘Ecologies in Practice’ as a research theme for 2021-2022, looking at the way arts practice relates to envir

Publications and research outputs

Edited Book

Matthews, Miranda, ed. 2025. Ecologies in Learning and Practice: Arts Interventions in the Earth Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan.

Edited Journal

Matthews, Miranda, ed. 2020. Discomfort Zones - Special Edition of the International Journal of Art and Design Education., International Journal of Art and Design Education, 39(4). 1476-8062

Book Section

Matthews, Miranda. 2024. The Education of the Sentiments. In: John Baldacchino and Herner Seaverot, eds. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Continental Philosophy of Education. London: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781350334106

Matthews, Miranda. 2024. Moving beyond immanence: artist teacher networking and collaborative arts practice. In: Rachel Payne, ed. Professional Learning for Artist Teachers: Pedagogy, Partnerships and Practice in UK Contexts, Edited by Rachel Payne. Maidenhead: Open University Press, pp. 126-140. ISBN 9780335252152

Matthews, Miranda. 2023. Finding Comfort Within Discomfort: Creative Ecosystems for Learning in the Pandemic. In: Kelly Murdoch-Kitt and Denielle Emans, eds. Make+Shift: Creative Resilience for Everyday People.

Article

Matthews, Miranda. 2023. How Arts Methods Can Foster a Sense of Belonging in Students. Wonkhe,

Matthews, Miranda. 2022. Relational freedom and equality in learning: the affect of Sartre and Rancière. Pedagogy, Culture and Society, 30(5), pp. 749-763. ISSN 1468-1366

Gilbert, Francis and Matthews, Miranda. 2021. Affective digital presence: how to free online writing and drawing? Journal of Writing in Creative Practice, 14(2), 29. ISSN 1753-5190

Conference or Workshop Item

Matthews, Miranda. 2023. 'Integrating Arts Methods for Dimensionality and Vocal Presence in University Cultures'. In: Researching Sensitive Subjects and Fragile Lives: Amplifying Voices and Cultivating Epistemic Justice through Innovative Research Methods. Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India 5-7 December 2023.

Matthews, Miranda; McKenzie, Bridget and Davidson, Kevin. 2023. 'Centre for Arts and Learning and Climate Museum UK: Participatory Arts Methods for Engaging Young People in Climate Research'. In: Ecologies in Practice Conference: Education, The Arts and the Earth Crisis. Goldsmiths, University of London, United Kingdom 13 -14 July 2023.

Matthews, Miranda. 2022. 'Intimidating Architecture and Flexible Takeovers'. In: CAL-APR: Art, Learning and Anti-Racism Symposium. Goldsmiths CCA, United Kingdom 12 December 2022.

Project

Matthews, Miranda. 2023-2024 Creative Commuters.

Matthews, Miranda. 2023-2024 Arts Economies Project.

Matthews, Miranda. 2022-2023 Ecologies in Practice: Participatory arts methods for engaging young people in climate research.