Ellen Hughes 

Ellen joined the Centre for Fine Print Research in January 2017 to undertake a full-time PhD funded by UWE. Her programme of studies was supervised by Professor Carinna Parraman, Dr Tavs Jorgensen from the Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries, and Education plus Professor Glenn Parry and Professor Don Webber from the Faculty of Business and Law. Ellen completed her PhD in 2021.

What attracts designers to Bristol and why do they stay? Designers’ experiences of migration to the city, 1974 – 2015

Bristol has been identified as a significant UK city for design, home to a large number of designers working across a wide range of sectors from illustration, film and TV, to architecture and engineering. Until now little has been know about why designers are attracted to the city. Through an analysis of 65 life-story interviews with designers who migrated to Bristol between 1974 – 2015, Ellen’s PhD research examines the significance of childhood experiences and associations with place in migration and occupation decisions, and the role of personal, educational and professional networks in migration movements across the life course.

Ellen previously worked as an oral historian for the British Library on the Crafts Lives project, documenting the lives of UK craftspeople. She has an MA in the History of Design (RCA/V&A) and a BA in Ceramics.