I’m an artist-researcher who works with drawing, documentary and moving image, and a specialist in artist support: mentoring and coaching visual artists to plan projects, overcome obstacles and secure funding.
I worked for 13 years as a freelance animation director, producing animated shorts for broadcast TV, charities, the commercial sector and to disseminate academic research. I co-founded the AnimatedDocumentary.com blog.
I worked at AUB as a Senior Lecturer in the Animation department, from 2015–18, teaching on both the MA and BA (Hons) Animation Production courses. I continue to teach on BA (Hons) Animation and BA (Hons) Fine Art as a regular Visiting Tutor.
On the BA (Hons) Animation Production course, I teach drawing in the life room and through group and one-to-one tutorials, as well as giving students feedback on storytelling and project planning as they develop pitches for their graduation films.
On the BA (Hons) Fine Art course, I support students with professional development: writing about and presenting their work and building portfolio websites.
I am a Visiting Academic at the University of Southampton; a regular guest speaker at the Royal College of Art; was previously personal tutor and Professional Development unit leader, BA (Hons) Fine Art at Solent University; and have worked as a Visiting Lecturer at King’s College London, Camberwell College of Art, Central St. Martins College of Art & Design (both University of the Arts London), Kent Institute of Art and Design and Paris College of Art, as well as delivering workshops for BAFTA and the BBC.
My research focuses on the processes of making animated documentary films, examining how subjective interpretation of subject matter is created through drawing and animation processes. Autoethnography is the methodology which facilitates both my creative reflection and academic writing.
I have presented my research at four international conferences of the Society for Animation Studies, and published in a peer-reviewed journal. In 2017, I was awarded a two-month Research Fellowship, at Arts University Bournemouth.
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