Lecturer (Teaching) in Fine Art (0.6 FTE - Fixed-Term Maternity Cover)

The Slade School of Fine Art is an art school where staff and students approach contemporary art practice, and the history and theories that inform it through experimentation, imagination, and research-oriented practice. The Slade is a department of University College London (UCL) with a lively and dynamic practice-led research culture. Staff are practising artists, writers and theorists with significant research outputs and exhibition profiles, actively involved in research and teaching.

For the 2026/27 academic year, the Slade will have around 350 students registered for taught programmes across the undergraduate BA Art & Technology, BA and BFA in Fine Art and the Graduate MA and MFA in Fine Art. There are around 15 MPhil/PhD students. Taught programmes are practice-based, and students develop their own work through tutorials, seminars, crits, lectures, workshops and technical support according to their individual needs. There are staff, co-working studio and technical facilities to support new and emerging computational art practices based at UCL East.

The Slade is working towards realising its commitment to being an anti-racist art school which promotes a culture of care and respect for everyone in the school. Part of this commitment is to discuss and embed the recommendations of the Independent Environmental and Cultural Review of the Slade. The Slade’s practice-led research culture facilitates an ongoing commitment to independent research while also supporting research with other artists, curators and researchers, which increasingly addresses pressing societal and cultural concerns.

Please note: The role is fixed term for up to 16 months to provide cover for maternity leave and associated research leave. We are recruiting for a teaching position for a practicing artist with a focus on Fine Art Critical Studies teaching within BFA Fine Art. The postholder will also be part of the History and Theory of Art team supervising BA Fine Art students on their independent study with the potential to contribute to teaching within that team.

Critical Studies: The post holder will design, deliver and oversee the teaching of the critical studies component of the BFA Fine with support from Post Graduate Teaching Assistants. Students’ understanding of critical studies will be developed through their participation in seminars, workshops, tutorials and gallery visits. Critical studies is designed to provide students with the ability to reference their work within a relevant contemporary and historical cultural context, as well as helping them to develop verbal and written skills to present and contextualise their artworks.

The role would suit someone with evidenced interest in and experience with working in collective or collaborative artist contexts and who sees this as a vital part of developing students' understanding of artistic practice. The post holder will supervise a group of third-year BA Fine Art students in their Independent Study focused on a topic of their choice. This will involve a series of 1-1 supervisions, as well as marking and feedback. The role requires the successful candidate to work on site in the Slade studios as well as other teaching spaces on the Bloomsbury campus.

Working Pattern: This is a 0.6 FTE role which equates to 3 days per week and will include Friday as one of the expected working days.

Right to Work Eligibility: Please note that this role does not meet the requirements for Skilled Worker sponsorship. Unfortunately, we are therefore unable to consider applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK. Applicants must already hold unrestricted right to work in the UK for the duration of the role.

Qualifications, Experience and Knowledge: The successful candidate will be a practising artist engaged in the practices and discourses of fine art, engaged in contemporary art debates and the wider cultural context. They will demonstrate an active engagement in debates concerning non-canonical approaches to art practice and art history, the decolonisation of thought and art practice, and diversity within contemporary art. They will have evidence of research and practice that questions canonical conventions of Fine Art and can inform innovative pedagogical and curriculum development. Examples may include research and practice that investigate or address experiences of race, class, gender identity, sexuality, cross-cultural and cross-regional interactions. The candidate will have experience of teaching in Higher Education and have experience of supervising and marking written work within History and Theory of Art/ Critical and Contextual Fine Art Studies.

Skills and Abilities: The candidate will have good oral and written communication skills and be approachable, flexible and have the ability to relate to staff at all levels and respond to the needs of students with a wide range of abilities and backgrounds. They will be able to work confidently with students and colleagues, including group teaching and critiques, individual tutorials and hands-on practical workshops, encouraging curiosity, exploration and risk taking and experience of working in collaborative or collective artistic contexts and support student research and writing across a broad range of topics and approaches.

Personal Attributes: The candidate will be committed to and demonstrate their experience of furthering equality, diversity and inclusion.

What we offer: As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits:

• 41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays and 6 closure days)
• Hybrid Final Salary Pension Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. The Slade is committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and marginalised communities, disabled people, LGBTQIA+ people, and women.