Last month, the School of Psychology launched a new public lecture series, made possible through a generous legacy donation from alumnus John Shrigley (Psychology, 1974), enabling the School to host leading experts and share cutting-edge research with a wider audience.
The inaugural lecture, Drawing as a Tool of Learning, was delivered by Dr Rebecca Chamberlain, lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London, who presented research on drawing as a model system for understanding artists and art perceivers. Her talk demonstrated how a psychological approach to drawing can deepen understanding of both artistic processes and the people behind them. By bridging art and science, she illustrated how cognitive and perceptual mechanisms influence creative expression.
Hosted by Dr Awel Vaughan-Evans, Reader in psychology, the lecture closely aligned with the School’s teaching, including the third-year module Harddwch a'r Ymennydd / Beauty and the Brain, delivered bilingually.
Professor Paul Downing, Head of the School of Psychology, said,
Dr Chamberlain’s talk was the perfect blend of hard science, drawing on multiple approaches and methods, with approachable and relatable examples aimed at the general audience. We are very grateful to John Shrigley legacy which has supported the launch of this new series.
A recording of the public lecture is available to view online.