Our People

Prof Frances Corner OBE

Fellow, Honorary Fellow

Warden of Goldsmiths, University of London

DPhil (Oxford), MA (Chelsea School of Art), BA (St Martin’s, London)

Professor Frances Corner OBE works at the intersection of education, culture, and civic life, helping institutions navigate change with creativity and purpose. Driven by a conviction that creativity and values are powerful forces for transforming how we learn, lead, and live, she places education at the heart of a more equitable, sustainable future.

As the first woman to serve as Vice-Chancellor of Goldsmiths, University of London, and formerly as Head of London College of Fashion, she has led organisations through major transformation: from founding the Centre for Sustainable Fashion to establishing Goldsmiths’ Migrant Futures Institute, and developing new, values-led models of philanthropy and partnership.

Across more than three decades in higher education, her focus has been on connecting creative practice with social purpose, ensuring that universities and cultural institutions serve their communities and respond imaginatively to the challenges of our times.

Today, Professor Corner continues to work across education, culture, and health as Chair of the Maudsley Charity,  as a board member of LAMDA, Creative UK, and the All-Party Parliamentary University Group. She advises organisations and leaders on aligning creativity with care, sustainability, and civic responsibility.

Professor Corner believes that creative education is one of society’s greatest catalysts for change, equipping people not just to adapt, but to imagine better futures.