Catherine Richardson

Professor Catherine Richardson is a distinguished academic and current Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Arts and Humanities at the University of East Anglia (UEA), affiliated with the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing. She joined UEA in September 2024 after a long and impactful career at the University of Kent, where she held the position of Professor of Early Modern Studies and led multiple research and strategic initiatives.

Her academic background includes significant leadership roles such as Director of the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries, Director of the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Deputy Head and Director of Research in the School of English, and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation (Humanities) at Kent. She played a key role in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) submission and helped establish Kent’s Signature Research Themes.

Catherine Richardson's research focuses on material culture and the history of the creative industries during the early modern period. She actively collaborates with major cultural institutions including the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Folger Shakespeare Library, Weald and Downland Museum, and the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Her work emphasizes public engagement, heritage preservation, and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the cultural lives of non-elite communities between 1560 and 1660.

Her current research involvement includes the ESRC-funded project ARISE: Advancing Resilience and Innovation for a Sustainable Environment, indicating her expanding interdisciplinary reach. Although no publications are listed in the provided text, her project leadership and sustained funding suggest an active and influential research trajectory in humanities and cultural studies.

• Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
• Member of the Council of the Malone Society
• Governor of the Pasold Research Fund (since 2021), supporting textile history research

Catherine Richardson has supervised or mentored numerous early career researchers and PhD students through her roles at Kent and UEA, though no specific names are listed. She has led major externally funded projects, including an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) grant on 'The Cultural Lives of the Middling Sort' and the ongoing ESRC-funded ARISE project. These grants reflect her ability to secure competitive funding and lead cross-institutional collaborations.

She is deeply involved in academic governance and research strategy, having led research development and REF preparation at institutional and school levels. While no formal lab or research center is named at UEA, her prior leadership in founding and directing the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries at Kent demonstrates her capacity to build and lead large-scale research initiatives and teams focused on cultural and creative economies.