ARU lecturer featured at National Portrait Gallery
Rena Kydd-Williams has been celebrated as a ‘changemaker’ in her local community
Rena Kydd-Williams in front of her portrait in the National Portrait Gallery. Photo by Franchesca Pinamang
A long-serving Anglia Ruskin University lecturer has been celebrated in a new display at the National Portrait Gallery.
Rena Kydd-Williams was nominated to be featured for her tireless work supporting others and promoting social justice. Her portrait, created by Panamanian collage artist Giana De Dier, is part of the gallery’s year-long display Artists First: Contemporary Perspectives on Portraiture.
Rena first joined ARU as a student in the late 1990s, before progressing to a senior lecturer role teaching in the subject of nursing and learning disabilities. After a short time away, she rejoined ARU in 2019 as Placement Support Facilitator – ensuring ARU Paramedic Science students receive the support they need while on their placements with NHS Trusts and healthcare services.
Outside of her role at ARU, she runs workshops for charities, universities and other organisations covering learning disabilities. She also volunteers as a project manager for good causes and community projects in the London Boroughs of Hackney and Redbridge, helping them access funding and assisting with awareness programmes.
The display at the National Portrait Gallery celebrates influential figures from Britain’s African and Caribbean diaspora, with Kydd-Williams chosen for her collaborative approach to activism and education. Rather than a solo image, her portrait features a group shot of colleagues and community members she has worked with over the years.
Coincidentally, Rena’s portrait is located opposite John Ruskin, after whom ARU is named; next to John Stuart Mill, whose work Rena used to refer to when teaching ethics; and close to a portrait of the 19th century nurse Mary Seacole, who has served as an inspiration for Rena during her career.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with so many diverse and dynamic people. I couldn’t have done what I did alone and it was important to have a group shot of some of the people who have supported me, or who I’ve supported, because I’m socio-politically minded. Any wins I achieve are for the greater good of the community. It’s not just about me.
“It is overwhelming that my portrait is placed near so many people that have influenced my life.”
Rena Kydd-Williams“I would struggle to think of a community activist with more dedication and judgement than Rena.”
Social activist Ngoma Bishop, who nominated Rena Kydd-WilliamsThe display, supported by the CHANEL Culture Fund, runs until August next year and features work by nine artists exhibiting at the gallery for the first time.
Rena’s portrait can be found on the second floor, room 22 of The Deborah Loeb Brice Gallery.