1. Introduction. 1.1 About the application

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1 Joint application for accreditation of the institution s participation in the Norwegian Artistic Research Fellowship Programme and for accreditation as a specialised university institution 1. Introduction 1.1 About the application Bergen Academy of Art and Design (KHiB) is applying for accreditation as a specialised university institution based on the equality of status between artistic research and academic research that was introduced by the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges in 1995: The purpose of this Act is to make provisions for universities and university colleges to a) provide higher education at a high international level. b) conduct research and academic and artistic development work at a high international level. c) disseminate knowledge about the institution s activities and promote understanding of the principle of academic freedom and the application of scientific and artistic methods and results, both in the teaching of students, in the institution s own activities and in public administration, cultural life and business and industry. Universities and university colleges shall promote the purpose of the Act by: a) providing higher education on the basis of the foremost within research, academic and artistic development work and empirical knowledge. b) conducting research and academic and artistic development work. (The Act relating to Universities and University Colleges of 1 April 2005, Sections 1-1 and 1-3) The Act recognises that artistic research is a precondition for providing relevant art education at a higher level, in the same way as scholarly research is for other subject areas in higher education, and that, using different methods and forms of presentation, both scholarly and artistic research produce new insight that is beneficial to society. The Act s explicit emphasis on and acknowledgement of the artistic field has played a crucial role in enabling higher art education in Norway to develop strategies based on artistic core competence. In the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education s (NOKUT) regulations, artistic research is placed on an equal footing with scholarly research in line with the wording of the Act. The academies of the arts and the institution categories In addition to the current institution categories university, specialised university institution and university college the category academies of the arts was previously used. As a result of the amendments to the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges in 2005, this category was removed and the two art academies were placed in the university college group. The art academies argued that, due to their special national professional responsibility, they should be placed in the category specialised university institution. The Storting s Standing Committee on Education, Research and Church Affairs expressed the view that inclusion in the university college category should only be temporary: 1

2 The Committee agrees with the removal of the art academy category from the wording of the law, but assumes that this also means that the art academies in Oslo and Bergen will be assessed as soon as possible in relation to the accreditation standards for specialised university institutions, and accreditation for artistic research fellowship programmes corresponding to doctoral programmes. The Ministry should take steps to ensure a speedy accreditation process. (Recommendation No 48 ( ) to the Odelsting, 3.2 The Committee s comments) In connection with the development of a new strategic plan for the institution, which was adopted in 2012, KHiB focused on starting work on the accreditation application. KHiB is aware that Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHiO) is also planning an application process. Why is this important to KHiB? Since 1999, KHiB has made artistic research a highly prioritised part of its activities and it has had research fellows in the Norwegian Artistic Research Fellowship Programme since Artistic research is a precondition for teaching at KHiB and a driving force behind the ongoing organisational development work. Should KHiB achieve accreditation, being placed in the institution category is at least as important as the wider authority this entails. Among the specialised university institutions, KHiB, together with the Norwegian Academy of Music, and hopefully also KHiO later on, will contribute to highlighting these institutions special responsibilities at the national level and further develop the requirements for quality and relevance in artistic research. On the terms art and artistic In this context, KHiB uses the terms art (or the arts ) and artistic as overriding terms for various artistic and design-related practices. This will be elaborated on in sections 1.2 and 1.3. KHiB s use of these terms is in line with the premises for the Artistic Research Programme. The first report to outline a Research Fellowship Programme, from 2000, starts with a clarification of terms: In the recommendation, the term art education is consistently used as a common term for all education in which artistically creative or performing expressions and other work methods have a central place, including education in music and design. Likewise, terms like artistic research, artistic work etc. are used as generic terms for work in all arts disciplines, including music and design. (Proposal for programme for artistic competence development in the art education institutions. Recommendation from a select committee appointed by Bergen National Academy of the Arts, Oslo National Academy of the Arts and the Norwegian Academy of Music, 3 November 2000, p. 5) In 2012, the Research Fellowship Programme was also referred to as a single programme with room for subject-specific projects: The subject area of art encompasses the whole arts field, as it is manifested in Norwegian institutions of higher education, at the same time as it shall be understood to include a project and subject-specific dimension. (Art and qualification, 2012, p. 1) A complicating factor in this use of terms is that the fine art field (also called visual art) is in many contexts simply referred to as art, as in KHiB s Department of Fine Art. Art can thus be both an overriding and a subordinate category. This will be discussed further in section

3 1.2 Description of KHiB Kunsthøgskolen i Bergen (KHiB), or Bergen National Academy of the Arts, was established on 1 August 1996 in connection with the national university college reform. In 2012, its name was changed by royal decree to Kunst- og designhøgskolen i Bergen (KHiB), or Bergen Academy of Art and Design, at the proposal of KHiB s board of directors, in order to better highlight the academy s overall activities. KHiB is one of three independent state-owned institutions in Norway that offer creative education in the arts at a higher level. KHiB s supreme body is its board of directors, and the rector is the chair of the board. The rector and pro-rector are elected offices. The deans and the director are employed on a fixed-term basis. A new strategy plan for the period was approved by the board in autumn In addition, an action plan for artistic research was adopted in KHiB has a challenging location in that its activities take place in six different buildings around Bergen. We have been promised since 1996 that the academy s activities will be gathered under one roof. On assignment for the Ministry of Education and Research, Statsbygg announced a competition in 2004 to design a new building for the academy. The firm of architects Snøhetta won this competition. The pre-project was completed in 2011, and the government allocated start-up funds for the building project in the revised national budget in May KHiB s has employees corresponding to a total of 85.5 full-time equivalents: academic fulltime equivalents and 42.4 technical administrative full-time equivalents, 2 and 330 students. In order to ensure renewal and relevance, KHiB uses fixed-term appointments for academic positions in accordance with the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. Of the academic full-time equivalents, 39.1 are employed on an artistic basis. In 2012, KHiB s departmental structure was revised and is now as follows: Department of Design Department of Fine Art KHiB offers bachelor s degrees and master s degrees in design and art and has research fellows at doctoral degree level in the Research Fellowship Programme. KHiB also offers practical teacher training (PPU) and a one-year curator programme. KHiB s teaching structure was radically reorganised in connection with the Quality Reform in , when, among other things, students were given an opportunity to plan individual courses of study across departments. New programme descriptions describing learning goals and learning outcomes, adapted to the national qualification framework, apply from the 2012/13 academic year subject to the necessary transitional arrangements. A revision of KHiB s Quality Enhancement Programme (KUP) was initiated in All figures in the application relating to staff and students are taken from the database for statistics on higher education (DBH) as of 1 October Here, academic full-time equivalents include recruitment positions (research fellows) and are the sum of the employees in all the departments, plus an adjunct professor in a position equivalent to 0.2 of a full-time equivalent at the joint administrative level. Technical administrative full-time equivalents include the rector, the deans and the technicians, who account for 9.6 of 42.4 full-time equivalents. 3

4 Greater focus has been placed on artistic research and research in art and design at the institution in recent years. Strengthening artistic research was the driving force behind the change processes carried out in the organisation that resulted in two art departments being merged and reorganised, as well as ongoing processes in the Department of Design. Administrative functions are largely organised at the joint administrative level. Change processes have been initiated here as well in order to follow up developments in the artistic departments. KHiB is very active in relation to dissemination, which includes both the results of artistic research and research in art and design and the results of students work. KHiB has a gallery dedicated to artistic research and research in art and design: Rom8, and two student-run galleries: Galleri Fisk and Galleri Bokboden. The annual master s degree shows are among the most popular exhibitions in Bergen. The newsletter KHiBnytt is published approximately six times a year in Norwegian and English, and it is distributed to a large number of external contacts in Norway and abroad. International cooperation is an integral part of KHiB s activities. KHiB recruits academic staff, research fellows and students internationally, which results in an environment with great breadth and gives us access to international networks. KHiB collaborates with the other art education programmes through the national Artistic Research Programme (PKU) and the National Council for Development of Performing Arts Education(NRKU) under the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions (UHR), and it has close contact at management level with KHiO and NMH. In Bergen, KHiB collaborates with key institutions such as the Grieg Academy/the University of Bergen, Bergen School of Architecture (BAS), KODE/Art Museums of Bergen, Design Region Bergen etc. Bergen Academy of Art and Design has operator responsibility for the Artistic Research Programme (PKU), which includes the Research Fellowship Programme and the Project Programme. KHiB is applying for accreditation for one subject area, the Arts, which covers all art and designrelated activities except for practical teacher training. In this context, art is used as an overriding term for the two departments. This corresponds to the use of terms in the Research Fellowship Programme mentioned in section 1.1. THE ARTS design fine art Historically, there was a very close relationship between visual art and design at the former arts and crafts colleges. Design at KHiB has a clear artistic basis. Correspondingly, some activities in the art department are closely related to design. Since 1996, KHiB has organised its work based on a common academic environment with internal differences: joint staff seminars, joint meetings for research fellow supervisors, interdisciplinary days, joint funding for academic staff for artistic research and research in art and design, competence-raising measures and projects, a system whereby students can choose courses from all departments etc. 4

5 See also the discussion of the term visual art/art in section 1.1. The reason why KHiB chose to use the name the Department of Fine Art was a desire to use as broad a term as possible that included the whole breadth of practices from the two former art departments. More detailed information about the institution is available in section 3.1. Appendices Appendix no KHiB Strategy Plan KHiB Reports and Plans About artistic research Artistic research at KHiB KHiB s understanding of artistic research includes members of staff s individual artistic/design work, joint thematic projects and critical dialogue and reflection closely linked to artistic work. In KHiB s view, a comprehensive approach of this kind is necessary in order to provide an art and design education at a high level, and this forms the basis for KHiB s strategic plan and more detailed plans. The term artistic research at KHiB refers to research work in both departments. Here, the common challenges are as important as the professional differences between art and design. This is related to the discussion of art/artistic in section 1.1 and about art as a subject area in section 1.2. Criteria for appointments: Artistic activity at the highest / a high international level Pursuant to the Ministry of Education and Research s regulations, the main qualification for appointment on an artistic basis to positions as professor/associate professor in higher education is artistic work at a high, or the highest, international level: Professor: Extensive artistic activity at the highest level judged by international standards, and relevant breadth and in-depth study of the subject area or discipline at the highest level. Associate professor: Completion of an approved artistic research fellowship in the relevant field, or documented artistic practice or artistic research at a high international level and with a specialisation that is relevant to the subject area or discipline. (Regulations for appointment and promotion to academic posts of 9 February 2006 no 129, Sections 1-2 and 1-4) Applicants considered for positions as professors/associate professors on an artistic basis at KHiB have a background as active, practising artists or designers. Those who are appointed have qualified for the position through a high and recognised level of activity in the field of, exhibition activity, commissions, consultancy and curator assignments etc. They are expected to further develop the activities on the basis of which they were appointed and to maintain their broad network for the benefit of the institution. Teaching competence/ experience is required in addition to artistic activity. Dissemination skills and general academic orientation are tested through trial lectures and interviews. Job descriptions can include additional requirements relating to applicants ability to reflect and express themselves, project experience etc., but these 5

6 requirements are not included in the regulations. So far, only a few people have been recruited to positions in higher arts education in Norway on the basis of having completed the Research Fellowship Programme or (outside Norway) an art-based PhD, which is only natural given that these exclusive programmes were only recently introduced. Brief history: Research through the Arts There is a long-standing tradition in Norwegian higher art education for a large proportion of the academic staff to have the qualifications required of an associate professor or professor, and the institutions have given professors and associate professors opportunities for professional development through their own artistic work. Developments in the 1990s helped to promote a more discursive institutional culture in which members of staff s own artistic work was brought more into the collective arena. During the 1990s, the focus on theory and reflection also became stronger, stimulated and challenged by contact with international institutions where these dimensions have been more in focus. In Norway, the term kunstnerisk utviklingarbeid (literally artistic development work ) was coined in order to describe work at the forefront of higher art education, on a par with research in science subjects, and in order to avoid the Norwegian word for research ( forskning ), which many felt was too closely associated with scholarly research. Artistic research is conducted on the basis of and through artistic practice, and it thereby communicates approaches and experiences that are specific to this perspective. One of the most important early international references is from 1994, when Christopher Frayling, then rector of the Royal College of Art, introduced a distinction between research into art, research through art or research for art. Here, research into is understood as art history/theoretical research, research through as something the artist him or herself is in a position to engage in, and research for as technical development work in relation to materials and tools. In research through the arts, it is the artist s distinctive experience and reflection that are communicated. Recognising research through the arts challenges the traditional division of labour whereby artists and designers produce art and design and theorists do research and talk and write about it. Research through the arts is not intended to turn artists and designers into theorists. What the artist can contribute is something different from what someone who studies their work can tell us. The international context artistic research Based on differences in different countries history and context, it is only natural that different understandings of and structures for artistic research have developed, and the field is constantly developing. The content of and framework for artistic research is often on the agenda at international network meetings and conferences. KHiB s understanding has developed through sharing experience with relevant international communities. The Norwegian platform of a clear basis in artistic practice has attracted much interest from abroad. In Sweden, the term konstnärlig forskning ( artistic research ) has been established as a separate area in the Swedish Research Council and through the konstnärlig doktorsexamen (artistic doctoral exam), which was introduced in KHiB participates actively in forums where artistic research is discussed, such as the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), of which KHiB s rector is Vice President. She is also on the board of the Program for Arts-based Research (PEEK) in Austria. KHiB is a member of the European Society for Artistic Research (SAR), which publishes JAR Journal for Artistic Research. JAR is an interesting example of how publishing challenges relating to artistic projects can be addressed. KHiB has itself taken the initiative for international forums in which the framework for and quality of artistic research is discussed. The Sensuous Knowledge project is particularly important here. Since 2004, through conferences and publications, it has developed into an international 6

7 reference point (discussed in more detail in section 3.2). Through other channels, KHiB staff have also contributed texts about artistic research that are often cited. 3 The development of artistic research at KHiB In 1999, KHiB received an extra allocation of NOK 1 million from the then Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs. It was earmarked for the development of artistic research. This made it possible to establish an institutional strategy, with provisions being made in the budget for funds for artistic research projects and publications, and to appoint an international Artistic Research Committee. This meant that KHiB could start building experience and networks, and establishing institutional interpretations and structures that, subject to minor adjustments, have proven to be robust. At the same time, it was necessary to engage with the national context that developed during the same period. The premises for the Artistic Research Programme include both a clear basis in artistic practice and a requirement for the development of critical reflection in an artistically relevant form. The following quote from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London was used in 2000 in the first proposal for the principles for and organisation of the programme, in order to draw attention to how reflection is an integral part of artistic activity: Art and design practices are intellectual pursuits in their own right not requiring translation to other terms in order to have sense and coherence. Art and design works embody meaning through their discursive relationship to other works in their field and their corresponding cultural positions. Art and design works can be read by those trained in the subject in the same way that, for example, mathematicians read mathematics or philosophers read philosophy. ( Proposal for a programme for artistic competence development in art education institutions, 2000, p. 2) At the same time as art is recognised here as a separate reflection practice, the establishment of the programme was based on a desire to strengthen the explicitly articulated, critical reflection in the art education environments, and to stimulate the testing of relevant formats for this. Other important contributions to the understanding of artistic research were made in 2007, with the report Vekt på kunstnerisk utviklingsarbeid ( Emphasis on artistic research ). The report was written by an expert committee, chaired by Professor Harald Jørgensen from the Norwegian Academy of Music, that was appointed by the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions in order to look into the possibility of including artistic research in performancebased funding. The committee formulated the first official definition of artistic research in the Norwegian context: Artistic research covers artistic processes that lead to a publicly accessible artistic product. This process can also include an explicit reflection on the development and presentation of the artistic product. (Vekt på kunstnerisk utviklingsarbeid, the Jørgensen committee, the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions, 2007, p. 13) In line with the above quote from Central St Martins, the Jørgensen committee s report was based on an understanding that all artistic activity contains elements of artistic research. The report 3 Examples include Professor Søren Kjørup s article Pleading for Plurality: Artistic and other Kinds of Research in the anthology The Routledge Companion to Research in the Arts (2010), and former rector Nina Malterud s articles Can you make Art without Research, Art and Artistic Research, Zürich University of the Arts (2009), and Artistic research necessary and challenging in the periodical published by Oslo and Akershus University College, InFormation Nordic Journal of Art and Research, 1/

8 also argues in favour of not drawing a clear distinction between art and reflection, as this would remove the reflection element from artistic work: The committee underlines that artistic activity, whether creative or performing, contains a strong element of reflection, where ideas and actions are tested and evaluated, where methods are involved and either used or discarded, and where results are weighed against ideas and the goals for the activity. All this is interwoven with and based on a broad range of knowledge about and skills in the practice of creative and performing artistic activity. This reflection is always implicit in the activity, and sometimes it is also explicitly expressed. Presenting an artistic product based on implicit reflection is the dominant form of presentation in the arts subjects. The committee will therefore not make it a requirement that the artists formulate explicit statements about the reflection process they have undergone before the product is completed and presented. Sometimes, however, the artists themselves can give explicit expression to some of the reflection that underlies an art product, as is required of fellows in the research fellowship programme for artistic research. In many cases, such an explicit description of the artistic reflection is given orally and in writing, but, in some cases, it must also be based on non-verbal means of describing essential aspects of the artistic process, for example through demonstrations, gestures, film, models, drawings etc. The crucial factor is that it is presented in a manner that the subject area in question finds relevant and sufficiently precise. Providing such an explicit description of the reflection behind the art product and placing the work in a broader context is very much to the fore in artists teaching of students and in professional environments critical discussions, and to a lesser extent in meetings with the public. (Vekt på kunstnerisk utviklingsarbeid, 2007, p. 14) At the same time, the report addressed how the art education institutions, through discursive activity, debate and criticism, have a need for verbalised reflections in advanced and relevant formats. In this context, the requirement for critical reflection must be formulated more specifically because it is a necessary element in teaching and academic discourse. Critical reflection From the paragraph above, it is clear that reflection is regarded as a key element of artistic research, that artistic activity in itself implies reflection, and that explicitly articulated reflection is required in the academic environments in higher art education. KHiB requires a statement on context and critical reflection in connection with the awarding of project funds, and it uses the same requirements for artistic research projects as the national Project Programme: - To contribute reflection on content and context; - To contribute to the articulation of and reflection on methods and ways of working; - To promote critical dialogue within the art education environment and with other relevant environments; (Guidelines for the Project Programme, section 1, 26 September 2011) In the Research Fellowship Programme, the requirements for critical reflection are as follows: With regard to the artistic result of the work, the candidate must give an account of: - his/her personal artistic position/work in relation to the chosen subject area, nationally and internationally; - how the project contributes to professional development of the subject area; - critical reflection on the process (artistic choices and turning points, the theory applied, dialogue with various networks and professional environments etc.); 8

9 - critical reflection on results (self-evaluation in relation to the revised project description). The results of the critical reflection shall be available to the public and shall be of a permanent nature. The candidate shall choose the appropriate medium and form. (Regulations, Section 5.2, 2 September 2010) Both the requirements concerning content and the open form of the reflection element are topics of continuous debate in the milieus associated with the Research Fellowship Programme, and, as the number of completed reflections increases, they provide a valuable basis for assessing the academic value of this element. KHiB s focus on critical reflection does not just include written reflection, but also focuses on systematically providing arenas where oral forms of academic dialogue and criticism can be developed. Relevance Good projects and results should attract interest from educational institutions both in Norway and abroad, and not least from practising professional communities outside the academy. Through its artistic work, KHiB is in contact with the full range of art and design practice in society. It is important that both peers and other important external players see the artistic research carried out at KHiB as being of high quality and relevance. This is necessary in order to ensure the legitimacy and breadth of the institution s network. Contact is necessary with important members of the community, such as clients, galleries, dissemination channels and other resources is necessary, not least because the art education programmes are constantly strengthening their networks in the educational sector. Some of the bodies that set the agenda in the field are public bodies, such as the Arts Council Norway, KORO (Public Art Norway), and museums and collections, and they are thereby required to practise transparency in their guidelines and evaluations. However, many important players are organised on the basis of other principles, such as private companies and galleries. They have a decisive role in relation to much of the work produced through artistic research. Work carried out by KHiB staff is subject to open and closed quality assessments in several stages and by different players that are not subject to the same requirement for transparency as public bodies are. This diversity of players and agendas means that the framework conditions and requirements for results cannot be streamlined. This was also the conclusion in the Jørgensen committee s recommendation, and the committee s reason for not recommending the introduction of indicators for performance-based financing of artistic research Requirements for artistic research and research relating to subject areas Of the 43.1 academic full-time equivalents at KHiB, 39.1 are employed on an artistic basis, while 5.4 are research fellows. Sixty-four per cent of the academic staff have the qualifications required of an associate professor or professor. 4 The committee recommended two indicators, but considered this to be too few to form the basis for performance-based allocation: the number of candidates who have completed the Research Fellowship Programme, and the number of awards of national project funds. The committees argument in favour of national project funds for artistic research was probably an important contribution to the establishment of the Project Programme. 9

10 It is in field of artistic research that KHiB is able to deliver results that cover a wide range. The application therefore focuses on this work. Staff employed on a theoretical basis amount to four full-time equivalents. Of these, four staff members (0.8 full-time equivalents in total) have the qualifications required of an associate professor or professor. These theorists carry out research based on their expertise and are allocated project and publication funds, although naturally only to a limited extent. Theoretical expertise that is relevant to teaching and seminars is also largely brought in from outside the academy in the form of guest lecturers, who do not register their research at KHiB. Job descriptions for academic staff are worded so as to cover the breadth of the design and art field in accordance with the departments areas of responsibility, as they are formulated in programme descriptions. When a position becomes vacant, the department considers whether the job description should be retained or changed before the vacancy is advertised. This ensures relevance. The subject area is dynamic, and it is important for KHiB to be able to address topical issues through revised job descriptions and new projects. The project portfolio in artistic research reflects the diversity of the academy s subject areas and strengths in a positive way, and most of the academic staff are involved in one or several projects. Artistic research is an integral part of activities in all fields in which tuition is provided, but the institution s size means that all fields cannot be given equal emphasis. Individual artistic research has a natural place at KHiB and it is often part of large collaboration projects. It is typical of large-scale artistic research projects that they have a dynamic structure involving several phases and expression/dissemination in different channels: a pre-project, workshops and dialogues, exhibitions and other forms of public presentation, large and smallscale seminars, feedback, and one or more types of publication. They often include researchers from relevant subject areas, at KHiB or other institutions. The academy s projects almost invariably have international references, networks and partners, and their links to society at large and choice of dissemination channel are an important dimension. Many projects actively include students, but pure teaching does not count as artistic research. The Ministry of Education and Research s sector goals are formulated as follows: On the basis of their distinctive nature, universities and university colleges shall carry out artistic research and scholarly research of a high international standard. For the period covered by this application, this is set out in KHiB s Strategy Plan , the previous strategy plan for (extended to 2012) and the Action Plan for Artistic Research The following is a quote from the part of the strategy plan that concerns artistic research and research in art and design: From KHiB s Strategy Plan STIMULATING, creative, high-profile and sound Bergen Academy of Art and Design is a stimulating and energetic arena for developing new ideas and knowledge. Bergen Academy of Art and Design challenges established practices and is innovative in art and design. improves quality by focusing on processes and results. stimulates value creation and knowledge sharing 10

11 shows initiative and is innovative, and promotes critical reflection. further develops a strong academic environment through the targeted recruitment of highly-qualified academic staff, and through dialogue and cooperation. defines overriding themes and develops projects that include members of the academic staff, research fellows, students and external partners. ensures close collaboration between artistic research and research in art and design. contributes to the development and quality of the Norwegian Artistic Research Programme. contributes to setting the agenda in international debates. is a high-profile participant in international projects. From KHiB s Strategy Plan (extended to 2012): Through systematic research, Bergen Academy of Art and Design shall contribute to pushing back the boundaries of knowledge in art and design. Artistic research has distinctive characteristics that must be taken into account and developed in their own right. The Academy shall stimulate artistic research and research in art and design in which professional resources are shared so that individual projects can be placed in a broader context. Dissemination, dialogue and criticism shall be strengthened as necessary elements in the development of projects. The Academy will endeavour to ensure that this work is integrated with wider networks and external environments, and it will develop concrete projects in collaboration with partners in Norway and abroad. The Academy shall play an active part in strengthening artistic research at the national and international level, and in discussions of the relationship between artistic research and scholarly research. In 3.2.1, internal structures aimed at strengthening and ensuring the quality of artistic research are described, while in 3.2.2, concrete results are described with the focus on the period since KHiB s assessment of how the institution meets the criteria in this section is presented at the end of section 3.2, on p.. Appendices List of employees in teaching and research positions in the art subject area, specialisation and time allocated to artistic research and research in art and design Appendix no A structure designed to improve and assure quality In recent years, KHiB has consolidated its focus on artistic research as the academic basis for its activities, and it is following up this focus through changes to the organisation s infrastructure. KHiB has for more than ten years placed great emphasis on assuring the quality of artistic research through structural measures. The most important measures are: 11

12 Fixed-term appointments to academic positions ensure continued professional relevance Fixed-term appointments are the norm for art-based academic positions at KHiB. The fixed term is six years and it can be renewed once upon application. In order to ensure continuity, members of staff are often encouraged to apply for renewal. Eighty-two per cent of the academic staff at KHiB are employed in fixed-term positions. The vast majority of the artistic staff have thereby been assessed as being competent by an external expert committee during the last six years. Expert committees always include international representatives. KHiB sees the system of fixed-term appointments as a guarantee of activity, relevance and a high international level. Individual work plans ensure sufficient time for artistic research In 2000, KHiB implemented a fundamental revision of the regulations concerning the working hours, work plans and attendance requirements for academic staff. The regulations have proven to be robust and they have been practised consistently. Here is an excerpt from the regulations: When implementing these regulations, KHiB must take steps to ensure that a substantial amount of artistic research and research in art and design is carried out at the institution. This activity must at the same time have a much higher profile vis-à-vis the institution, i.e. it must be clear to both the members of staff themselves and to the rest of the environment at the academy how they intend to use this time. Important methods for arriving at an allocation of working hours that ensures sufficient time for R&D are: Individual work plans for individual employees; Distinguish between the assistant professor level and the associate professor / professor level; A realistic and fair assessment of the teaching workload; A transparent method for allocating R&D time to individuals; Critical dialogue about professional development Organising R&D time in blocks; Raising the profile of work on artistic research; Delimitation in relation to commissioned work; Consideration of alternative forms of knowledge acquisition. Organising R&D time in blocks will normally be the best way of ensuring that both the institution and the employees can make the best use of their time. Arrangements whereby, for example, a specific day of the week is set aside for R&D work should therefore be avoided. Instead, the R&D time should primarily be taken as whole weeks at a time. In connection with the preparation of employees yearly plans, it will be important that both the employer (the institution/department) and the employee clarify how the results of the artistic or design research shall be presented internally and externally. This will be done, among other things, through the department s annual reports on its academic activities and through the procedures relating to the allocation of R&D time. (Guidelines for working hours, R&D time etc. for artistic/design positions at KHiB, 15 May 2000). The standard allocation of working hours at KHiB for professors and associate professors is 60% teaching duties and 40% artistic research. The 40% shall also include what is referred to in the guidelines as professional maintenance. Administrative duties are not specified, but time for elected or appointed offices and special tasks is highlighted in the plan. 12

13 The results of artistic research and research in art and design are reported annually. Based on the work plan and report, goals and results are evaluated for the individual employee in annual development interviews between academic members of staff and the dean (design) or head of artistic research (art), in accordance with the department s activity plan and KHiB s strategy plan. There is strong focus on ensuring that the time allocated for artistic research and research in art and design is actually used for that purpose. The time can be revoked if there are no visible results which has happened in practice. The strategy for and results of artistic research and research in art and design are also a topic at the six-monthly management dialogue meetings at which KHiB s management meet with representatives of each department. Professional workplaces facilitate artistic research Over and above the normal office requirements, academic staff in full-time positions have workplaces where they can engage in art and design work, with the necessary technical equipment and access to workshops and other facilities to ensure an active artistic environment at the academy. Academic staff in 50% positions or less have access to shared workplaces whose use is subject to individual agreement. In the plans for KHiB s new building, extensive space has been set aside for such workplaces: 938 of a total net floor space of 9,888 square metres 5. This highlights how KHiB gives priority to artistic research having a visible presence at the academy, and it is closely linked to the next point: Attendance requirement KHiB sees it as a prerequisite for dialogue and professional development that academic staff are present for a high percentage of the time, and it has practised rules for this with no individual exceptions since The attendance rules allow room for necessary travel and short work periods elsewhere, but the main place of work for staff in full-time or more than 50% positions is KHiB. As regards staff who work 50% or 20% of a full-time position, they will naturally have obligations elsewhere. Academic arenas room for discussion Academic staff meet regularly to discuss artistic research and research in art and design at different levels. Since 2000, several joint seminars focusing on artistic research and research in art and design have been held every year for all academic staff (in addition to numerous seminars on organisation, teaching etc.). The agenda has included both in-depth reviews of individual projects and topics at the overall level. Attendance has been compulsory at the big, biannual seminars in order to ensure progress. Regular gatherings are also organised within departments, subject areas and artistic research groups. The organised discourse at this level has been strengthened as a result of the reorganisation of departments in Important arenas also include discipline and project-specific seminars featuring external, academic guests (for example in connection with Future Textiles, Re:place etc.). Rom8 for artistic research Rom8 is KHiB s exhibition space that is primarily dedicated to artistic research work by members of staff: Rom8 is a tool for the development, discussion and presentation of artistic research at Bergen Academy of Art and Design. Rom8 consists of a 100 square-metre room at street 5 Figures from the Floor space outline, Pre-project new building

14 level in Bergen city centre. The room is used actively in order to develop and communicate processes and experiments with particular focus on dialogue and critical reflection. The intention behind Rom8 is to turn an active pubic spotlight on processes of artistic research and to provide an opportunity to share knowledge, both internally and externally. ( 2013) In spring 2013, for example, there have been seven shows at Rom8 directly linked to the academic staff s artistic research. The shows feature work that is still in progress as well as the results of artistic research, and they are often followed up by seminars, discussions, lectures and similar. Here, processes and methods, trial and error, experiments and the development of ideas are highlighted. The academic discourse is extended to cross historically defined discipline boundaries and encourage new forms of cooperation. Project and publication funds, application support Since 1999, KHiB has allocated funds for projects and publications related to artistic research and research in art and design as a separate budget item. In 2013, NOK 1,113,000 has been allocated to various initiatives related to artistic research and research in art and design. Of the total, NOK 300,000 is budget funding for new artistic research projects, while NOK 283,000 is earmarked for ongoing projects (NOK 530,000 is for other artistic research activities, such as Rom8, Sensuous Knowledge, research fellowship projects). Moreover, NOK 311,000 has been allocated for new publications, while NOK 452,000 is earmarked for ongoing publication projects. It is possible to apply for additional funds for competence development and interdisciplinary projects, which are often pre-projects in connection with large-scale artistic research. In the budget for 2013, almost NOK 1.9 million has been allocated for artistic research-related activities: projects, publications, exhibitions, conferences, research fellowship support etc. To follow-up the academic staff s plans and projects, KHiB has since 2000 had an adjunct professor (20% of a full-time position) with competence in the field of philosophy / philosophy of science who cooperates with the two administrative advisers dedicated to artistic research. They organise internal seminars and provide individual support in connection with work on applications and project implementation. International artistic research committee with a majority of external members The project and publication funds are administered by the Committee for Artistic Research, which has a majority of external members and strong international representation. The committee has four external members from relevant art education institutions that focus on artistic research. Three of them work at higher art and educational institutions in other European countries. One member has experience from the Norwegian university and research system. The committee is chaired by the rector. This ensures that applications are assessed in accordance with the guidelines and with international references, as well as on the basis of information from the Norwegian research community. The committee normally holds allocation meetings twice a year and its remit is as follows: To allocate funds in accordance with the applicable guidelines to members of staff who have applied for funding for artistic research projects and publications. To revise the guidelines for applications as required, in accordance with Bergen Academy of Art and Design s strategy plan and other relevant guidelines. To contribute to the planning and evaluation of the Sensuous Knowledge conferences. To contribute, in dialogue with the institution s management, to further development of artistic research work at KHiB in accordance with the strategy plan. 14

15 To contribute to improving applications to the project programme. Appendices Appendix no Action Plan for Artistic Research Template for an individual work plan for academic members of 26 staff Committee for Artistic Research Results In the following, we will describe KHiB s results based on four categories and with different forms of quality assurance: Project and publication activity peer reviewed through the Research Council of Norway or the Project Programme Project and publication activity peer reviewed through KHiB s Committee for Artistic Research Exhibitions, work, commissions etc. by members of the academic staff The research fellows projects Publication is a precondition for a piece of work being defined as a result. The nature of art is such that its public presentation can be temporary (exhibitions, performances), and that the work itself may no longer exist. Project and publication activity peer reviewed through the Research Council of Norway or the Project Programme Up until 2010, when the national Project Programme was established, art education programmes had little access to external funding. The Research Council of Norway does not award funding to projects that are primarily based on artistic research, but it can support research projects that include elements of artistic research. The Research Council has supported two large projects at KHiB, as well as two smaller seminars. Close cooperation between the theorists on KHiB s staff and artistic staff is typical of these large projects. A substantial proportion of the funding for all projects comes from KHiB itself. 15