Learning Innovations Award 2026 | Sponsored by Art UK
Ian Thompson is an arts, design and communication education specialist with extensive experience of developing, delivering and managing innovative programmes of study across schools, FE colleges and universities. He currently runs the Outreach programmes across Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon Colleges of Arts.
Ian is one of three directors of Art Matters London CIC, moderates for UAL Awarding Body, is a member of NSEAD, completed an MA in Academic Practice in 2018 and is a UAL Senior Teaching Scholar.
Instagram: @ual_insights
'Ian’s work represents an extraordinary commitment to inclusivity, equity and innovation in arts education over several decades. Since 1989, he has not simply built programmes, but created transformative structures of access and opportunity that have enabled thousands of underrepresented learners to engage with creative education. Through pioneering outreach models, new pathways into higher education, and research-led curriculum development, his practice demonstrates a rare combination of vision, accountability and care.
His impact extends far beyond institutions, reaching students, educators, technicians, community partners and vulnerable groups through deeply meaningful and sustained work. In projects supporting homeless service users and people in addiction recovery, Ian has shown how arts education can become a powerful force for dignity, confidence and social change.
Through initiatives such as Art Matters CIC and his work across schools in East London, he has built a lasting infrastructure of creativity, kindness and belonging. Inspirational to colleagues and transformative for learners, Ian exemplifies the power of arts education to widen participation and change lives on a national scale.'