Head of Discipline: Therapeutic Arts

Location: Markeaton Street and Britannia Mill, Derby Campus

Hours: Full-Time (37 Hours)

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better. 

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

About the College

The School of Arts is recognised in diverse fields of established and emerging, immersive forms of practice. We are committed to empowering individuals and creative collectives to fully engage in real-world issues which impact society at local, regional, national, and international levels.

The school has a diverse and expansive portfolio of courses within the 3 discipline areas: Art & Design, Film & Performance and Therapeutic Arts. We are looking to appoint a Head of Discipline of Therapeutic Arts, to lead an area of courses which includes (but is not limited to): Creative Expressive Arts and Health and Wellbeing, Art Therapy, Drama Therapy, Dance Movement Psychotherapy and Music Therapy at UG and PG levels. Our students use the Arts as a tool to work with others positively and therapeutically and develop their skills in the applied arts as Arts & Health Practitioners to lead to fulfilling careers in a wide range of arts, health, social care, and educational settings. 

About the Role

The ideal candidate will have experience in leading a comparative area or department of Therapeutic Arts/Arts for health, mapping curriculum against health and social care sector requirements. The new Head of Therapeutic Arts will lead on teaching, learning and research strategy to ensure arts and creativity can be applied therapeutically in community, voluntary, health, educational, and corporate settings. As Head of Discipline, you will be an accomplished leader who possesses a strategic understanding of contemporary art education, research, and practice. Successful candidates will lead the Therapeutic Arts Discipline Area and work closely with the Heads of Art & Design, Film & Performance, and the Head of School in delivering the new 5-year strategy. 

They will maintain high standards of teaching, learning and assessment in all its forms and the development of scholarship and research in the Discipline area. Successful candidates will initiate and encourage activity in professional/ industrial engagement to enhance academic enterprise, undertaking sector horizon scanning and benchmarking performance against competitors and identifying other opportunities. Working collaboratively as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will lead an ambitious agenda and ensure that we provide real academic excellence and develop new internal and external partnerships.

About You

This role is an opportunity for an ambitious, motivated, and collaborative leader to play a prominent part at an exciting time at the School of Arts at the University of Derby.

Key Contact

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Professor Alex Molasiotis, PVC/Dean for College of Arts, Humanities and Education via A.Molasiotis@derby.ac.uk.

Advert Closes: 20/01/2025

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