Alice Fox, course leader, Deputy Head of the School of Art and founder of the University of Brighton’s pioneering MA Inclusive Arts Practice, has won the prestigious Excellence and Innovation in the Arts title at the Times Higher Education (THE) awards 2017.

The award recognises Alice and the University’s work bringing together people with learning disabilities and non-disabled collaborators to work together on creative arts projects.

As part of the Inclusive Arts programme at the University, academics have worked alongside artists with learning disabilities to deliver aspects of the curriculum, expanding the boundaries of inclusion and rupturing notions of who holds knowledge.

Alice Fox’s 14-year collaboration with the learning disabled Rocket Artists group has pushed the boundaries of inclusion in the arts through performance, symposiums and exhibitions – making the case for diversity through the work whilst posing questions that challenge prejudice and work against isolation.

She also delivers inclusive arts and staff training for institutions such as the British Council, Tate Modern and The National Gallery and is a Tate Exchange Associate recently performing Frozen Unfrozen at the opening Give and Take event at Tate Modern. Through Tate Exchange, Alice has been developing new inclusive pedagogies of co-production through her research into the practices of Expanded Listening.

Award judges said Alice’s work “has supported marginalised and under-represented communities to engage with the arts in a variety of creative ways.”

Find out more about MA Inclusive Arts Practice