PhD in Media - Birmingham City University (2014-2017) funded by AHRC Midlands 4 Cities
MA in Media and Creative Enterprise - Birmingham City University (2009-2010) - Distinction
BA (hons) Media and Communication (Journalism) - Birmingham City University (2006-2009) - First Class
Karen has taught primarily on the following subjects:
- Creative industries and cultural policy
- Professional and Academic Development
- Race and gender in the media
- Media enterprise
- Social media
- Research methods
Karen is available for postgraduate supervision. She is interested in projects which align with her primary research interests in inequalities in craft, cultural labour, and the use of social media in cultural work.
Books
Patel, K. (forthcoming 2024) Craft as a Creative Industry. Routledge.
Patel, K. (2020) The Politics of Expertise in Cultural Labour: Arts, Work and Inequalities. Rowman & Littlefield.
Naudin, A. and Patel, K. Eds. (2021) Craft Entrepreneurship. Rowman & Littlefield.
Journal articles
Patel, K. (2022) ‘I want to be judged on my work, I don’t want to be judged as a person’: Inequality, expertise and cultural value in UK craft. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 25(6), 1556–1571.
Patel, K. (2022) In conversation with Deirdre Figueiredo MBE, Director of Craftspace. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 25(6), 1652–1664.
Patel, K. and Dudrah, R. (2022) Special Issue Introduction: Craft Economies and Inequalities. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 25(6), 1547-1548.
Patel, K. (2020) Race and Craft in the Covid Spotlight. Soundings, 75 (Summer 2020), 24-27.
Naudin, A. and Patel, K. (2019) Entangled Expertise: Women’s use of Social Media in Cultural Work. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 22(5-6), 511-527.
Book chapters
Patel, K. (2020) Diversity Initiatives and Addressing Inequalities in Craft. In S. Taylor and S. Luckman, eds. Pathways Into Creative Working Lives. Palgrave Macmillan.
Ashton, D. and Patel, K (2020). Girls’ Bedroom Cultures. In K. Ross, eds. The International Encyclopaedia of Gender, Media and Communication. John Wiley & Sons. [Open Access].
Ashton, D. and Patel, K. (2018) Vlogging Careers: Everyday Expertise, Collaboration and Authenticity. In S. Taylor and S. Luckman, eds. The ‘New Normal’ of Working Lives: Critical Studies in Contemporary Work and Employment. Palgrave Macmillan, 147-170.
Patel, K. (2017) Expertise and Collaboration: Cultural Workers Performance on Social Media in J. Graham and A. Gandini (eds) Collaborative Production in the Creative Industries. University of Westminster Press, 157-176. [Open Access]
Reports
Patel, K. (2021) Making Changes in Craft: Craft Expertise Phase One Report. Crafts Council UK.
Patel, K. (2021) Supporting Diversity and Expertise Development in the Contemporary Craft Economy: Working Paper 2. Crafts Council UK.
Patel, K. (2020) Supporting Diversity and Expertise Development in the Contemporary Craft Economy: Working Paper 1. Crafts Council UK.
Patel, K. (2019) Supporting Diversity in Craft Practice through Digital Technology Skills Development. Crafts Council UK.
Patel, K. and Naudin, A. (2018) Diversity and Cultural Leadership in the West Midlands: A report for the West Midlands Leadership Commission.
Selected talks and conference presentations
2023:
Craft and connecting knowledge and practice. Public lecture for Norwegian Crafts, National Museum Oslo, 8 November 2023
2022:
Inequalities, community and care: the Craft Expertise project. Public Lecture for the Glasgow School of Art, 20 October 2022.
Making together: How socially engaged craft organisations adapted to the COVID-19 crisis. Presented at ICCPR, Antwerp, 22 September 2022
Work and Social Justice in Art, Craft and Design talks series. Participant in panel with Sarah Brouillette, Craig Wilkins, Michael Corris and Dylan Miner. University of the Arts London, 29 March 2022.
2021:
Race, gender and cultural value in UK Craft. Presented at Media and Gender Research Group seminar series, 15 December 2021.
Inequalities and cultural value in UK craft. Presented at RSA Bath What Next? Series (online), 24 May 2021
QMUL Network: A conversation on sustaining craft practice in the digital era, with Katja May, Suzanna Petot, Yemi Awosile and Nick Bryan-Kinns, 12 April 2021 [full recording of event].
Care and resistance: alternative pathways in UK craft. Presented at The Cultural and Creative Industries: Pathways Beyond Economic Growth, King’s College London (online), 24 February 2021 [slides and blog post]
2020:
Crafts Council open forum on tackling racism and inequality in craft, with Rose Sinclair, Jay Blades and Amanda Parker, 25 June 2020 [full article and video of forum].
“They think I don’t know anything”: Race, gender and perceptions of expertise in crafts. Presented at the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Seminar series, hosted by Nesta and King’s College London, 8 June 2020. [Presentation slides] [Full paper] [Listen to the seminar audio].
2019:
‘Safe’ spaces? Challenges for women makers of colour online. Presented at CAMEo Leicester, 6 September 2019. [PDF]
The experiences of women craft makers of colour. Presented at Work Inequalities and Lifecourse research seminar series, Southampton Solent University, 27 March 2019.
Karen is available for media comment on issues relating to inequalities and diversity in craft and the arts.
