Verity Clarkson

Verity Clarkson is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Brighton’s School of Humanities and Social Science, based in the Centre for Design History. Her research focuses on Cold War cultural diplomacy, transnational exhibitions, and material culture. She holds a PhD from the University of Brighton (2010), funded by the AHRC in collaboration with the V&A Museum, and prior degrees from Brighton and the University of Oxford. Her work bridges design history, Cold War studies, and popular culture, with a focus on post-1945 British perspectives.

• Education:
• PhD: University of Brighton, 2010 (AHRC-funded)
• MA: History of Decorative Arts and Design, University of Brighton, 2005
• Bachelor: Modern History, University of Oxford, 1998

Her research interests include Cold War cultural exchanges, transnational exhibition histories, and the intersections of nostalgia and material culture. She co-edited Exhibitions Beyond Boundaries: Transnational Exchanges through Art, Architecture, and Design 1945–1985 (2022) and has published widely on topics like Soviet exhibitions in Britain, Polish national identity in Cold War exhibitions, and the cultural politics of material objects.

Key Awards:

• AHRC Doctoral Fellowship (2007-2010)

Her supervisory expertise spans Cold War cultural diplomacy, design history, and material culture studies. She has organized conferences such as the College Art Association Annual Conference (2017) and participates in international academic networks.