The impact of feminist art practice and theory on pedagogical practices from a personal and institutional perspective

In this chapter I examine the impact of feminism on my teaching practice as an artist and lecturer in art schools and universities in the UK. I begin by looking at feminism in relation to my early career in the 1980s, with specific reference to the influence of the women’s art movement, and feminist art theory and practice. I identify some of the challenging experiences I faced in academia as a feminist artist, followed by a closer examination of the positive experience in the 2010s when I introduced a new subject, social art practice, into the art and design curriculum at the University of the highlands and Islands UHI). I consider the UHI MA Art and Social programme, which commenced in 2017, from a feminist perspective, including challenges within the institutional context, and achievements, benefits and changes that have emerged in relation to the educational contexts I discuss.