West Dean is operated by The Edward James Foundation, a registered charity comprising West Dean College (including the School of Arts, School of Conservation and KLC School of Design), West Dean Gardens, West Dean Estate and West Dean Tapestry Studio.
The Edward James Foundation which runs West Dean was established in 1964. It is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. Company no. 6689362 and Charity registration no. 1126084.
The members of the Board of Trustees are:
Professor Paul O'Prey CBE, Chairman
Professor O'Prey is former Vice-Chancellor of Roehampton University, which went from strength to strength under his leadership. In his previous role as Director of Academic Affairs at the University of Bristol, he played a major part in the development and implementation of academic strategy in both research and education.
Professor O'Prey read English Language and Literature at Keble College, Oxford and gained his PhD from Bristol. His publications include several books and articles on writers of the nineteenth and twentieth century, notably Graham Greene and Robert Graves and his circle, as well as translations of Spanish literature. Professor O'Prey joined the Board of Trustees in 2015.
Caroline Griffith
Caroline moved to the UK from Australia when she married, and read for the Bar at the Inner Temple as a mature student. For many years she sat as a magistrate working in the adult and family courts. She has been a Governor for both secondary and tertiary education boards and has a lifelong interest in art and the creative crafts. Caroline Griffith became a Trustee in 2014.
Professor Nigel Llewellyn PhD FSA
Nigel Llewellyn is an expert in Art History and taught at the University of Sussex for 25 years, during which time he also served as Dean and Pro-Vice-Chancellor. This was followed by time at the Tate as Head of Research, leading on research projects across all four Tate sites.
Nigel is involved with several other organisations including the National Heritage Science Forum, the National Museum of Wales, the Harbour House Trust and the Arts and Humanities Research Council and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.
Francis Plowden FCA
Francis Plowden is a chartered accountant and was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers until 2000. Since then he has been a Board member in the private, public and voluntary sectors, including eight years as Chairman of the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College. He is a Trustee of the Anna Plowden Trust, which promotes skills in and awareness of conservation of the moveable heritage. He has also been Chairman of the National Council for Palliative Care, a Commissioner of the Judicial Appointments Commission and a Board member of the Serious Organised Crime Agency, as well Boards in the private sector. Francis Plowden became a Trustee in 2014.
Mike McCart
Director of Development and Policy at Southbank Centre, whose cultural offering exemplifies London's global relationships, attracting world-class artists and 10 million visitors to its summer festivals programme alone.
Martin Ashley MVO RIBA
Martin is an architect in private practice specialising in historic building conservation. Based in Twickenham, Martin's Practice of architects and surveyors assists clients and occupiers in the conservation and management of significant historic building estates, advising and enabling the repair, adaption, and development of historic properties to serve the ongoing needs of client organisations in the 21st century. Martin and his Practice are privileged to have worked over many years with The Royal Household, The Crown Estate, Royal Parks Agency, Historic Royal Palaces, The English Heritage Trust, and City of London Corporation amongst other government and local government agencies and charitable trusts.
Martin Ashley is Surveyor of the Fabric to the Queen's Free Chapel of St George in Windsor Castle, to the Old Royal Naval College Greenwich, and to St Bartholomew the Great in the City of London. Martin is a member of Historic England Conservation Committee, and an active Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Masons.
Naomi Davenport
Naomi Davenport is Head of Programme and Content at London Craft Week, a city-wide festival celebrating creativity and exceptional craftsmanship from around the world.
With 12 years of experience in the cultural sector spanning craft, design and contemporary art, Naomi is interested in the dialogue between these sectors, particularly the manner in which craft practices and design thinking together can drive radical solutions.
Prior to joining London Craft Week, Naomi worked across India, Sri Lanka and Singapore, where she celebrated the depth of craft heritage in South Asia and Southeast Asia through a diverse range of international programming across an array of design disciplines.
Naomi is a graduate of the Courtauld Institute of Art.
Dr Ghazwa Alwani-Starr
Ghazwa’s 37 year career has spanned senior roles in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Ghazwa has a PhD in Architectural Engineering, and is a Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer. She has extensive experience in the Higher Education sector and is currently Chief Operating Officer at the University of Bath. Before that she was first, Director of Property and Facilities Management, and then Pro Vice-Chancellor Strategy, Planning and Partnerships for the University of London, and Chief Operating Officer at Queen Mary University of London.
Ghazwa has acted as custodian to listed historic estates and listed grounds both in the HE sector and in the NHS and brings a passion for conservation and knowledge of estate master planning, facilities management and major capital projects developments.
West Dean is run by an Executive Leadership Team led by the Chief Executive. Together they take responsibility for every aspect of the smooth day-to-day running of the organisation. This includes teaching and research, student and staff recruitment and welfare, financial management, campus services, estate management and fundraising.
Alexander Barron ACA, FRSA, Chief Executive
Alex was appointed Chief Executive in July 2015. He is a Chartered Accountant and worked previously as West Dean’s Director of Finance & Enterprise. Before joining West Dean, he was a partner in a professional firm, where he specialised in not-for-profit sectors, including charities, schools and colleges, credit unions and registered social landlords. He is also currently a Trustee of The Edward James Foundation’s Final Salary Pension Scheme and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Alex’s creative interests have mainly focused around music, and he received a national songwriting award in his late teens.
Francine Norris BA (Hons) MA FRSA, Principal and Deputy Chief Executive
Francine is a designer and academic with extensive experience in higher education, both as a teacher and at senior management level. She is responsible for the College, including all three Schools – Arts, Conservation and Design and their respective programmes of study, short courses, research, library and collections, student support and academic services.
Formerly Francine was Dean and Head of School of Crafts and Design at the University of the Creative Arts. She studied architecture at Manchester University and worked in architectural practice in London before completing an MA in Interior Design and moving into design education. In recent years Francine has developed her own practice as a painter alongside her ongoing research into the impact of architectural space on creative arts practices.
Mark Harty FCA, Director of Finance and Business Systems
Mark is a Chartered Accountant who oversees all aspects of West Dean’s financial management. He joined West Dean in 2019. Prior to this, following five years in public practice, he held senior financial positions with high-growth companies in the UK and overseas.
Our mission is to provide the highest quality education in arts, design, craft and conservation. Our vision is to be internationally recognised as a centre of excellence.
Our schools of arts, design and conservation offer a uniquely broad range of world-leading courses. At the heart of all we do, is our belief that 'making' makes our lives better. We celebrate the intrinsic value of work that has been hand-made by artists and artisans, and challenge the assumption that mass-produced must be the only way because, across the world, the maker movement is growing.
From online courses to postgraduate degrees, our student cohorts reflect the interests, backgrounds and aspirations of a global community. Guided by experts, who are often leaders in their field, our students are encouraged to develop their practice and reach their true potential.
Our London and Sussex campuses connect our students to the city and countryside, providing inspiring study environments and state-of-the-art studios across all our disciplines, helping to forge collaborations and discover their creative voice.
Whether you are conserving or crafting, discovering or designing, make your mark at West Dean.
2023: 9.2.2023, 18.5.2023, 26.6.2023, 19.10.2023
2022: 11.2.2022, 13.5.2022. 1.7.2022. 14.10.2022, 9.12.2022
2021: 12.2.2021, 19.3.2021, 14.5.2021, 9.7.2021, 15.10.2021, 14.12.2021
2020: 14.2.2020, 1.5.2020, 19.6.2020, 31.7.2020, 18.9.2020, 16.10.2020, 8.12.2020
Across the School of Arts and School of Conservation, the role of research is essential in underpinning the College's academic ambitions, helping West Dean to be at the forefront of the specialisms it supports, positively impacting it as a teaching and learning environment. Research projects are key to establishing new and innovative practices, emphasising the importance of skills-based making and conservation, as well as demonstrating the value and scope of interdisciplinary collaboration. Research at West Dean College not only benefits students, staff and specialist audiences but also wider academic communities and the public.
The College is privileged to be on a site of historic significance, both in relation to the heritage of the West Dean Estate and its more recent associations with the life and work of its founder Edward James.
You can find out about the specific research groups here.
