Dr Jane Watt

Jane has extensive teaching experience across all levels of Fine Art and currently leads the following modules:

Drawing: representing and recording

Professional Engagement

Degree Project

She is a primary PhD supervisor in the fields of public and engaged art practice, site-specific and installation in practice-based and case study Fine Art research

Jane has developed modes of critical engagement and collaboration in site-specific installation and engaged practice through practice-based and field research. Her research focuses on how artists negotiate with, and involve, people and place. She examines practical, social, heritage, environmental and well-being issues and how these influence the creative process of the artist and the community in which she works. The primary evidence that she gathers through practical engagement, observation, interview, discussion and presentation with others directly informs her engaged art practice.

She is currently co-investigator and part of the Leadership Team for ARISE (2024-28), a ground-breaking research project funded by UKRI which seeks to develop resilience within the UK’s coastal seas and communities. ARISE is an inclusive collaboration among: local, regional, and national authorities; coastal residents, heritage groups and people who care about UK coasts; and experts in policy analysis, cultural engagement, creative practice, health sciences, biological sciences, computer science, pollution management, disaster studies, environmental sciences, economics, and geography. She is working with colleagues from across the Schools of Allied Health Science, Technology, Business and Arts and the Suffolk Sustainability Institute here at University of Suffolk, as well as across the Eastern Arc Academic Consortium: University of Essex, University of East Anglia and University of Kent. https://easternarc.ac.uk/arise/

In 2021 she founded Blast Radius with artist researcher Dr Susan Barnet, a collaborative and interdisciplinary research project bringing together specialists in art, heritage and environmental science to use analogue and digital technologies (art, film, and photography, including 3-d scanning and VR) with wildlife, ecology and history/heritage research. As part of this project they were commissioned to make a short film Longshore Drift for British Art Network’s Landscape Research Group supported by Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and Tate. They are currently leading a long-term research project Power House on Orford Ness, in partnership with The National Trust. This project explores new ways in which to examine this unique internationally significant nature reserve and former military testing site through artist-led research, public exchange and presentation. https://blastradius.uk

In 2020-21 Jane was co-investigator with artist Sara Heywood in a collaborative knowledge exchange project Mulberry – Tree of Plenty in collaboration with Dr David Chau, Associate Professor in Biomaterials and Allied Subjects at the Eastman Dental Institute, UCL. The project explored the materiality of the mulberry tree in Bethnal Green, east London. It considered how this iconic tree can be used as a vehicle to stimulate discussion, debate and engagement in cutting-edge research and applications in biotechnology, heritage and contemporary engaged art practice. Over the course of a year, the team engaged with local participants and tree specialists to investigate points within the yearly cycle of the mulberry to frame their material exploration of bark, leaves, pollen, and fruit. The project was commissioned as part of Trellis: a UCL Culture and UCL East programme and funded by EPSRC. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/trellis-2020-21

Find out more about Jane’s art practice: www.janewattprojects.com

Conferences and Symposia Papers

Watt and Barnet (2025) ‘Methods of making; case studies on art-science-community labs’, Visual Arts Practices Symposium, California Institute of Technology, USA

Watt and Barnet (2023) ‘Blast Radius Challenge Lab’, Together for Transformation, University of Suffolk Conference, UK

Watt and Barnet (2023) ‘Blast Radius: The impact of a creative impulse’, Close Look Distant View, Suffolk Archives and University of Suffolk, UK

Watt and Barnet (2022) ‘Longshore Drift’, British Art Network Landscape Research Group, UK

Watt (2020) ‘Reflections on Home: an engaged public art project’, University of Suffolk, Public Engagement Conference, UK

Watt (2016) ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, University of Suffolk Public Engagement Conference, UK

Watt (2015) ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ Objects in Motion: Material Culture in Transition Conference, CRASSH, University of Cambridge, UK

Watt (2015) ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ Re:Print Symposium, Anglia Ruskin University, UK

Watt (2015) ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ Image Makers: Image Takers symposium, Art Cell, CRUK (Cancer Research UK) Cambridge Institute, UK

Exhibitions 

For Folks Sake, The Cut Halesworth, UK (2024)

Make It Count, Power House, Orford Ness and University of Suffolk, UK (2024)

Landscape Rebels, Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, UK (2023)

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, The Art Station, Saxmundham, UK (2022-23)

Postcards for Perec, University of Essex, University of Bath, University of the West of

England UK (2022-24)

Aller Retour, Halles aux Poissons, Le Havre, France (2022)

Murky Waters, Art Walk, Porty, Edinburgh, UK (2022)

Crown Letter, Institute Francais, Kyoto as art of KG+ program, of Kyotographie International Photography Festival, Japan (2022)

Crown Letter, Tour St Jacques, Photo Days and Hyper Festival of the City of Paris, France

(2021)

HERE, The Art Station, Saxmundham, UK (2021) 

Crown Letter international online project (2020) 

Lockdown and Light co-curator international online project (2020) 

Alive in the Universe, Palazzo Pesaro, Venice, Italy (2019)

Aller Retour, Fort de Tourneville, Le Havre, France (2019)

Landscape and Light II, Letheringham Lodge, UK (2018)

Still on the Beach (solo exhibition), Aldeburgh Beach Lookout, Aldeburgh, UK (2017)

Ice Carnival The Art Station Saxmunham, UK (2017)

Parasol, Appel d’Air 2 Festival, Arras, France (2016)

Landscape and Light, Letheringham Lodge, UK (2016)

The Cabinet of Curiosities  (solo exhibition) Waterfront Gallery, Ipswich, UK (2015)

A Portable Collection (solo exhibition) The View Tube, London, UK (2015)

Experimental Village Cyprus College of Art, Paphos, Cyprus (2015)

Public Art Commissions

Mulberry – Tree of Plenty a collaborative cross-disciplinary project by artists Sara Heywood & Jane Watt and Dr David Chau, Associate Professor in Biomaterials and Allied Subjects at the Eastman Dental Institute, UCL. Commissioned as part of Trellis: a UCL Culture and UCL East programme and funded by EPSRC.  (2020-21)

Reflections on Home Alton Estate Artist in Residence in collaboration with Sara Heywood, to create a series of site-specific work as part of the Alton Estate Regeneration Programme commissioned by Artscape, with Redrow and Wandsworth Council (2017-19)

Loom to the Moon permanent artwork commission for John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. Source of funding: John Radcliffe Hospital Charitable Funds, Oxford (2016-2019)

The Cabinet of Curiosities Darwin Green Artist in Residence series of temporary site-specific works. Source of funding: Artscape Management/Barratt’s (2013-15)