Rachel Emily Taylor

Rachel Emily Taylor is a lecturer, fine artist, and AHRC-funded PhD researcher affiliated with University of the Arts London and Sheffield Hallam University. She is currently Course Leader of BA Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts and contributes to academic discourse as Associate Editor of the Journal of Illustration.

• BA Graphic & Media Design: Illustration Pathway, University of the Arts London
• MA Communication Art & Design, Royal College of Art
• PGCert Heritage Research, University of Hull
• PhD Fine Art (Practice-Based), Sheffield Hallam University

Rachel's research centers on heritage, illustration, and the reconstruction of underrepresented historical voices, particularly children, through artistic practice. Her work critically engages with museum narratives, challenging the 'Authorised Heritage Discourse' and proposing illustration as a tool for historical reclamation. She explores how workshops with contemporary children and situated artworks can reconstruct the historical child's voice in museum settings.

Her recent publications and exhibitions demonstrate a consistent focus on the intersections of art, memory, and cultural institutions. The 2024 monograph Illustration and Heritage synthesizes her research into how visual practice can reshape heritage interpretation. Her artistic output spans installations, performances, and publications, often developed in collaboration with museums such as the Foundling Museum, the Brontë Parsonage Museum, and the Horniman Museum.

Scientific Awards and Recognition:

• Multiple Staff Research Fund Awards (University of the Arts London, 2015–2025)
• Grant for the Arts, Arts Council England (2015–2017)
• AHRC PhD Studentship (2014–2017)
• Peter Gordon Pickard Award, Royal College of Art (2013)
• British Council Award (2011)

Rachel has led significant research initiatives such as Remote Sensing, a platform for sharing knowledge on place-based fieldwork during pandemic restrictions. She advises on illustration education through her role on the Illustration Educators Management Committee and has received sabbatical and early career researcher support. While she mentors students through her teaching and leadership, no direct advisees are listed in the provided materials.

She has collaborated extensively with key cultural institutions including the Foundling Museum, the Wellcome Collection, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Museum of Witchcraft, often combining artistic practice with academic research. Her work continues to influence how heritage institutions engage with marginalized histories through illustration and participatory art.