Assistant Professor

Email:- Kirsty.Warner@warwick.ac.uk

 

Profile

Kirsty Warner is an Assistant Professor at the University of Warwick, affiliated with Living with the Neighbours and the UK in a Changing Europe project. Her research sits at the intersection of EU-UK relations, cultural policy, and museum practices, exploring how political shifts—such as Brexit and funding changes—impact cultural institutions, particularly national museums in the UK.

Her PhD research, funded by the London Arts and Humanities Partnership, examined the evolving UK-EU relationship and its influence on UK national museums from 1991 to 2021, shedding light on how European integration and UK politics shape cultural governance.

Alongside her academic work, Kirsty has extensive experience in policy research and advisory roles, contributing to high-profile discussions on UK-EU legislative matters and cultural policy. At the Policy Institute at King’s College London, she supported policy analysis for the House of Lords, producing briefings on topics such as the Trade Partnership Committee under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Her work extends internationally, including her role in the UKRI-JSPS-funded 'Sustainable Cultural Futures' project, a UK-Japan collaboration that explored policy responses in the cultural sector post-COVID-19.

Research Interests

• Cultural Policy & Museums – The impact of political and economic shifts on national museums and cultural institutions.

• UK-EU Relations – Brexit’s effect on international collaborations, cultural diplomacy, and funding frameworks.

• Cultural Labour & Mobility – Challenges facing freelancers, youth mobility in the creative industries, and cross-border collaboration.

Publications & Contributions

Kirsty’s research contributes to debates on cultural governance, museum policy, and European identity, with recent publications including:

• Forthcoming book chapter: Museums and the Evolution of European (Union) Identity Construction (1970-2024) in Pop Goes the EU (Rowman & Littlefield).

• Policy Reports:

• Public Engagement with Culture Online and Generative AI
• Policy Approaches to Tackle Precarity in Freelance Cultural Work
• SCF Survey Findings: Cultural Engagement and Cultural Values
• Higher Education Pedagogy: GTAs Enhancing Education Fund (EEF): Supporting Student Engagement & Providing Resources for GTA Agency – Postgraduate Pedagogies, Vol. 3 No. 1 (2023).

News

🔹 January 2025 – Opinion article on youth mobility and UK-EU cultural relations published in Times Higher Education. Read hereLink opens in a new window.

🔹 January 2025 – Blog post published on UACES on Europe, reflecting on narratives of European identity following a research visit to the House of European History. Read hereLink opens in a new window.

Grants & Awards

Kirsty has received multiple recognitions for her research and contributions, including:

• UACES (University Association for Contemporary European Studies) Scholarship – Funding PhD research in Berlin.
• Arts Council England: Developing Your Creative Practice Fund (£10,000) – Supporting the project Curate, Manage, Conserve: From Theory to Practice, bridging museum theory and practice.
• Academic Excellence Scholarship (Kingston University) – Awarded for outstanding undergraduate academic performance.

Teaching & Academic Engagement

As an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA), Kirsty integrates her research expertise into her teaching. She contributes to modules on cultural policy, museums, and heritage, equipping students with insights into real-world policy challenges and museum practice.

She is also actively involved in discussions on higher education policy, youth mobility in the creative industries, and the role of cultural institutions in shaping public discourse.

Contact & Collaboration

Kirsty welcomes collaboration on research projects, policy discussions, and public engagement initiatives related to cultural policy, museum practice, and UK-EU relations.