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Exploring new ground: University joins forces with the Guild of St George at Ruskin Land

Launch of new partnership with the Guild of St George, opening up more opportunities for interdisciplinary research across the arts, humanities and sciences

22 October 2025
Ruskin Land partnership launch event

On Tuesday 16 September, the University of Birmingham hosted a Research Partnership Insights event, spotlighting its new multiyear collaboration with the Guild of St George, custodians of Ruskin Land in the Wyre Forest.

Formed in November 2024, this partnership marks a significant step in expanding the Guild’s research collaborations and enhancing academic access to Ruskin Land. The initiative aligns with the University’s strategic objectives in transformational humanities, interdisciplinary research, and practice-based creative fieldwork, while also opening new opportunities for forest science research.

To date, academics from the Departments of Music and English Literature and the School of Biosciences have already engaged with Ruskin Land, exploring its unique blend of farmland, orchards, over 100 acres of woodland, wildflower meadows, and Arts and Crafts-style properties.

Professor Fiona De Londras

The event, chaired by Professor John Holmes (Academic Lead for the partnership), brought together a distinguished panel of speakers from both the Guild and the University:

  • Rachel Dickinson (Master of the Guild of St George)
  • Professor Fiona de Londras (Director of Research, College of Arts and Law)
  • Professor Rob Mackenzie (Director, Birmingham Institute of Forest Research)
  • Mark Cleaver (Director for Land Management and Environmental Matters, Guild of St George)
  • Professor Annie Mahtani (Professor of Electroacoustic Composition and Practice, Department of Music)Jenny Robbins (Treasurer and Director for Properties, Guild of St George)

Attendees gained valuable insights into the site’s facilities, logistical arrangements for access, and the process for submitting Expressions of Interest. The event also featured first-hand accounts from colleagues who have conducted research at Ruskin Land, including Emily Grace, a PhD student working on Acute Oak Decline, highlighting the site’s potential for innovative, cross-disciplinary projects.

Professor Annie Mahtani

About the Guild of St George and Ruskin Land

Founded in 1871 by Victorian art and social critic John Ruskin, the Guild of St George is a charity dedicated to education, the arts and crafts, and the rural economy. Ruskin’s vision was to reconnect people with nature and foster a more equitable society. Today, the Guild manages Ruskin Land as a living legacy—supporting research, creativity, and sustainable land stewardship.

This partnership promises to enrich the University’s research, offering staff and students new avenues for collaboration and discovery in one of the Midlands’ most inspiring natural settings.

For more information on future partnership events and opportunities at Ruskin Land, please contact Professor John Holmes j.holmes.1@bham.ac.uk or visit the University’s research partnerships sharepoint site Guild of St George partnership

Research Partnerships Insight Event: Working with the Guild of St George and Ruskin Land. | Flickr

 

Featured staff

  • Professor John Holmes

    Professor of Victorian Literature and Culture

    Biographical and contact information for Professor John Holmes, Professor of Victorian Literature and Culture at the University of Birmingham.

    Phone: +44 (0)121 414 5989
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  • Professor Fiona de Londras

    Director of Research, College of Arts and Law

    Academic profile of Professor Fiona de Londras, Chair in Global Legal Studies at Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham.

    Phone: +44 (0)121 414 6318
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  • Professor Rob MacKenzie

    Director, Birmingham Institute of Forest Research

    Professor Rob MacKenzie, is an atmospheric scientist with a particular interest in how plants affect air composition.

    Phone: +44 (0)121 414 6142
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  • Professor Annie Mahtani

    Professor of Electroacoustic Composition and Practice

    Biographical and contact information for Professor Annie Mahtani, Professor of Electroacoustic Composition and Practice at the University of Birmingham.

    Phone: +44 (0)121 414 5787
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