Dr. Loraine Leeson is a Professor of Fine Art at Middlesex University’s School of Arts within the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries. Her research focuses on the transformative role of art in addressing social and environmental challenges through collaborative community-based projects. She has led interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Active Energy project (2008–2020), which harnessed tidal energy in London through intergenerational collaboration, and the Art of Healing initiative in Kashmir, using creative methods to support children traumatized by conflict. Her work bridges art, science, and policy, emphasizing ethical co-production and participatory methodologies. Key projects include: Spaces of Hope (2021–23): Investigating hidden histories of community-led planning with Oxford Brookes University Hydrocitizenship (2014–17): AHRC-funded exploration of water governance through art Lambeth Floating Marsh (2014–15): Art/science collaboration addressing river biodiversity Her teaching roles include module leadership for BA Art Ecologies placements and former Programme Leader for MA Art and Social Practice (2016–2018). She has served as an external examiner for multiple PhD programs across UK and international universities, including Loughborough, Belfast, and the University of the West Indies. Leeson’s awards include the 2022 Times Higher Education Knowledge Exchange Award and the 2010 Olympic Inspire Mark. Her 2017 monograph Art:Process:Change details her socially situated practice over three decades. She chairs Four Corners film and video center and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.












