Experiential Knowledge Conference

The Experiential Knowledge Conference 2007 was a collaboration between the University of Hertfordshire and London Metropolitan University.

Examining knowledge

The EKC Conference was held on Friday 29 June 2007 at the University of Hertfordshire with support from:

• Design Research Society
• Arts and Humanities Research Council funded Design Advanced Research Training (DART) scheme

The conference addressed the theme of New Knowledge in the Creative Disciplines, in order to explore what is understood and accepted as new knowledge in research and in creative practice, and what their role and relationship might be.

The theme can be interpreted differently with regard to research and to practice.

The concern for 'new knowledge' arises because research is defined in terms of the original contribution to knowledge or understanding.

Creative practice and new knowledge can be understood through the creation of:

• new artefacts
• products
• services

Through the contribution to knowledge, research aims to advance its field.

Practice also is interested in an advance of its respective field and claims to achieve this advance through its own processes and outcomes.

In the creative disciplines, the advance of the field is associated with the creation of new artefacts, such as:

• paintings
• design products
• performances
• compositions
• films

This has raised questions about the format of the contribution of knowledge in research and practice, about its format, and how new knowledge is created.

Sharing ideas

The Experiential Knowledge Conference served to bring together researchers and practitioners from different disciplines to engender challenging multi-vocal debates around the theme of knowledge.

The conference also aimed to facilitate exchange and cross-fertilisation between the creative disciplines and other practice-led disciplines such as:

• education
• health
• knowledge management

Its commitment to share the outcomes are demonstrated in its two publications:

• The Journal of Visual Art Practice - encouraging high-quality reflection on the full spectrum of issues which concern those who teach in the visual art field and engaging with a wider and more diverse constituency both nationally and internationally.
• Writing Visual Culture - a 2012 relaunch of international peer-reviewed e-journal Working Papers in Design for research in visual culture published by the School of Creative Arts at the University of Hertfordshire which aims to stimulate discussion into all aspects of visual and material culture.