Alan Kitching RDI AGI Hon FRCA

Alan Kitching is a practitioner of letterpress typographic design and printmaking. Kitching exhibits and lectures across the globe, and is known for his expressive use of wood and metal letterforms in commissions and limited-edition prints.

teaching
1956–61 apprentice compositor
1962–64 technician in hand and line type composition, Department of Printing, Watford College of Technology, Herts. (After meeting Anthony Froshaug (the new head of department) Kitching co-established the experimental printing workshop)
1967–70 part-Time lecturer in Typography, School of Art, Watford College
1968–72 visiting lecturer in Graphic Design at Central School of Art & Design
1973 visiting lecturer at London College of Printing
1974-75 visiting lecturer at Goldsmith's College
1988 visiting lecturer in Graphic Design at Royal College of Art
1990-2000 visiting lecturer at School of Graphic Design in Brighton
1991-2006 typography workshops at Royal College of Art
1994 visiting lecturer at Colchester Institute, School of Art
1993-1995 visiting lecturer at Glasgow School of Art

work
1973 starts own design practice with Colin Forbes
1977 partnership with Derek Birdsall and Martin Lee at Omnific and started letterpress printing there in 1985.
1986 starts letterpress workshops at Omnific Studios, Islington
1989 establishes The Typography Workshop in Clerkenwell
1994 worked in partnership with designer/writer Celia Stothard (later his wife)
1999 in partnership with Celia Stothard FRSA, purchased a large collection of theatrical wood types, now named, ‘Entertaining Types’ and housed in Kennington

awards and memberships
Designers and Art Directors Association (D and AD)
1999: Fellow of Chartered Society of Designers
1999: Member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI)
1994: Royal Designer for Industry (RDI)
1996: Member of the Designers and Art Directors Association (D&AD) 1997: Fellow of Royal Society of Arts
1998: Fellow of the Royal College of Art
2001: Visiting Professor The London Institute (now University of the Arts London)

commissions
1999: Stamps for Royal Mail: Magna Carta Millennium series
2002: Poems on the buses for Transport for London
2002: Posters for the National Theatre’s Transformation season of plays
2002: Stamps for the Royal Mail: Love Occasion series
2001/2003: Typographic artwork for The Guardian Newspaper
2003: Typographic artworks for VSO poster campaign ‘We need professionals’
2003: Typographic mural for The Guardian Newspaper building reception