Overview

Victoria is a chartered psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, based in the European Centre for Environment and Human Health.

Prior to her academic career, Victoria worked in community mental health services. Her doctoral studies examined stress and coping theories amongst families experiencing homelessness.

Following research posts at the University of Birmingham and the University of Leicester, Victoria worked for 12 years at the University of Nottingham where she retains an honorary role in the Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology. She has teaching expertise in medical and health humanities, applied health psychology and clinical communication skills.

Before joining the University of Exeter in 2021, she established and led a teaching and research centre at the University of West London. She holds an honorary chair in the Geller Institute for Ageing and Memory, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of West London.

Victoria has spent time outside of academia working with arts and mental health charities where she developed expertise in art made by untrained artists (outsider art), curation, and commissioning. She is research consultant for PS/Y, an arts, curatorial and public engagement group that explores the arts and sciences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Social Work (University of NSW, Australia)
• Master of Social Science (University of Birmingham)
• Doctor of Philosophy (University of Nottingham)
• Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (University of Nottingham)
• Chartered Psychologist (British Psychological Society)
• Associate Fellow (British Psychological Society)

Research group links

• Dementia research

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Research

Research interests

Victoria’s research interests include ageing, creativity and mental health, ageing and the environment, and multisensory approaches to dementia care.

She has supervised doctoral students on topics including: a taxonomy of arts interventions in dementia care; embodiment, textiles and dementia; olfactory stimulation in dementia care; and Advanced Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (A-CST).

Research projects

• The Inclusivity Project https://theinclusivityproject.co.uk
• Culture Box https://www.cultureboxstudy.org
• The Pandemic and Beyond https://pandemicandbeyond.exeter.ac.uk  

Grants/Funding

• 2021. British Academy. Pump Priming Collaboration between UK and EU Partners. (PI) Building SEGA: Silver Employment in the Golden Age (SEGA), enhancing workplace health and wellbeing for older female workers in Europe 
• 2021. UKRI-Arts and Humanities Research Council - AHRC (CI) The Pandemic and Beyond: The Arts and Humanities contribution to Covid Research and Recovery. 
• 2021. University of Exeter-European Network (PI) The wellbeing of older female workers in Europe. 
• 2020. Arts and Humanities Research Council - AHRC (PI) Using multisensory culture boxes to promote public health guidance and to support the wellbeing of people with dementia in care homes.
• 2017-19. Trusts and Foundations (Lead Applicant) Ben Uri gallery and museum; Islington Heritage; Culture&, CW+; Devonshire House Care Home; Chelsea Court Place Care Home; Hounslow Council; The Alzheimer’s Society; Montessori St Nicholas
• 2017. Arts and Humanities Research Council - AHRC (PI) The Imagination Café - pop-up art installation/dementia care training
• 2016. Wellcome Trust (PI) The House that Boots Built: dementia and the multisensory
• 2014. Alzheimer’s Society (CI) Doctoral Training Centre: The arts and dementia.
• 2012. AHRC (CI) Dementia and the Imagination
• 2011. AHRC (CI) Dementia and the Imagination - development funding

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External Engagement and Impact

Editorial responsibilities

• Arts and Health: an international journal for research, policy and practice - co-exective editor

External Examiner Positions

PhD examiner: University of Manchester, Bangor University, University College London, Aston University, University of Liverpool, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University of Newcastle (Australia). 

External positions

• 2021 - present. Advisory board member- Hamwe festival, University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda
• 2021 - present. Research Advisory committee member. The Vegan Society
• 2021 - present. Advisory board member. Heritage Pathfinders, Leominster Meeting Centre
• 2020 - present. Affiliate. Centre for Society and Mental Health, Kings College London

Invited lectures

• 2022. (forthcoming). Creativity and dementia, Division of Clinical Psychology annual conference
• 2022. (forthcoming). Arts and ageing, University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda
• 2022. (forthcoming). Creativity and Dementia, Rye Art Gallery
• 2022. The arts and social health, University Jaume I, Spain
• 2022. Culture Box- Lessons from a pandemic-responsive project for older people with dementia. 
• Learning lessons from Covid-19: Hearing voices from multi-lingual cultural and vulnerable communities. School of Oriental & African Studies, London
• 2022. Remote delivery of creative activities to care homes during the pandemic, University of Liverpool
• 2021. Medical and Health Humanities, Nahrain University, Iraq. 
• 2021. Arts and Dementia Research in the UK. Music and health conference, Castellon, Spain
• 2021. Creativity and mental health. Division of Health Psychology annual conference 
• 2021. Mental Health month Conversation & Curation. Fashion Fights Cancer, NYC
• 2021. Culture Box Creativity and Wellbeing Week webinar 
• 2021. Museum Collections on Prescription, National Gallery
• 2021. Culture Box, Reflecting Value podcast, University of Leeds
• 2020. What is Outsider Art? Hamwe festival, University of Global Equity, Rwanda.
• 2019. The Home. Immersive Theatre and Exhibition. Kings College London.
• 2019. Creativity and Health Education. University Jaume I, Spain.
• 2019. The Art of the Line- creativity in dementia care, Depot Lewes.
• 2019. Creativity in health care training, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust
• 2019. Framing the Future: what is the past, present and future role of arts and health? Royal College of Physicians
• 2019. Transdisciplinarity in arts and health, Culture, Health, and Wellbeing conference, Newcastle.
• 2018. Artists are taking over the care home, Universidad Jaume I, Spain
• 2018. Curating the Medical Humanities- Curating Mental Health, Birkbeck, University of London
• 2018. Art and Wellbeing, Paintings in Hospitals/Arts Council England Collection Rooted in the Landscape symposium, Kings College London
• 2018. The future of creativity in mental health care, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.
• 2018. Brexit Means Brexit: what it means for our mental health, The Dragon Café/Mental Fight Club.
• 2017. Art in the Asylum, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust Consultants Conference
• 2017. Why use the arts in Dementia Care?, Culture Capital Exchange - Arts and Health forum launch
• 2017. A manifesto for mental health, Latitude Festival, Suffolk
• 2017. Artists are taking over the care home, Royal Society for Public Health - Powerful Partners
• 2017. The arts in Dementia Care, Beyond Dementia- The Whitworth Gallery, Manchester
• 2017-18 Hysteria (PS/Y multiple artform festival), London

Media Coverage

• Art from the Outside, BBC3 (forthcoming) 
• 2019. Devotion. BBC4 Digital Human
• 2018. Creativity in Older Age. BBC4 One to One.
• 2015. The art of Lorina Bulwer, BBC2 Antiques Roadshow Detectives
• 2015 - present. (selected) Sky News, The Times, Grazia, BBC London, BBC Breakfast, Red, Good Housekeeping. Huffington Post, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, Vice, The Conversation

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