Vicki DEAN
Subject Leader, Foundation Year, Arts, Science & Technology
University of Northampton
Vicki is currently the Subject Lead for Foundation Framework across Arts, Science and Health, Business, Education and Social Sciences at The University of Northampton. Having taught in both the Further and Higher Education sectors in a variety of roles for over 20 years Vicki has a wealth of experience in teaching students from a wide range of backgrounds.
Vicki led, developed and coordinated the Foundation Framework in the School of the Arts last year and is now Subject Leader for the Foundation Framework across the University.
In her past experience as an educator, Vicki has worked collegiately with subject leaders and deans, to provide strategic direction and leadership for international development across our provision. She led, organized, and controlled budget with teams cross-University for end of year Northampton Fashion Shows, Silverstone Racecourse, The Derngate Theatre and Graduate Fashion Show, London, and has gone on to establish external international relations with China, India and Sri Lanka.
Vicki studied Fashion Knitwear at Central Saint Martins in London, and has several years of industry experience. She is now working towards her application to become a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Douglas GITTENS
Senior Lecturer, School of Interior Architecture and Design and the Built Environment
Nottingham Trent University
Douglas is currently a Senior Lecturer in Interior Architecture and Design at Nottingham Trent University, where he is involved in the co-ordination of BA Interior Architecture and Design Year 2 and Module Leader for Design Studio 2
From 2005 until 2015, he worked as a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for BA(Hons) Interior Architecture and Design, Lincoln School of Architecture; Year 2 Co-ordinator; BA(Hons) Interior Architecture & Design, Studio Tutor and Dissertation Supervisor; BA(Hons) Interior Architecture and Design & BA (Hons) Architecture, Admission Tutor; BA (Hons) Interior Architecture & Design.
Douglas’ research interests include spatial theory and architectural representation such as contemporary perspective drawing, representation of absurd space, and the documentation of architectural memory and lost space. He is also an experienced design practitioner and draughtsman who continues to operate within the creative industries.
Douglas is involved in an ongoing research project related to the representation of architectural images in sketchbooks and digital imaging with Amanda Hufford of the University of Lincoln.
Larisa BLAZIC
Senior Lecturer, School of Media, Arts and Design
University of Westminster
Larisa is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Media, Arts and Design at the University of Westminster.
She taught at the School of Media Art and Design since 2003 on BA Graphic Information Design (now BA Graphic Communication Design) and BA Contemporary Media Practice in various capacities. Larisa has also developed digital media strand within BA GID and has taught modules like Computer applications in arts and design, Digital media, Sequential Information 1 and 2 and Designing software.
Over the last decade, she has been invited as a guest lecturer at the Ravensbourne, Kingston University and Middlesex University
Besides a number of collaborations (Node London, Raylab, Depford.tv, SPC, Floss Manuals, Data Union), Larisa has produced outdoor video installations to examine the notion of moving images in public spaces, co-created an online video platform for collaborative creative work looking at open video, authorship, licensing, copyright issues, and video codecs.
Larisa is currently contributing to the organisation of FLOSSIE, an annual conference focused on women and open source, and to Libre Graphics Meeting in collaboration with Constant vzw and Libre Graphic Research Unit.
Sarah Ann KENNEDY
Course Leader in Animation, Senior Lecturer
University of Central Lancashire
Sarah is currently the course leader of BA and MA Animation at University of Central Lancashire. Upon studying fine art at Newcastle, Sarah went on to develop this work at Royal College of Art where she improved her skills in the craft of animation and developed her story telling skills.
Sarah has worked as a writer on various projects including Peppa Pig, Eastenders, Dusty and Musty, Last Days, and Cock and Bull for BBC Learning Zone. She also developed, wrote and directed her own series for C4 called Crapston Villas which won various awards including the Independent TV Award for Best Newcomer, and Broadcast Best Animation.
Sarah also played a variety of characters as a voice artist and actress including Dolly Pond in Pond Life, Miss Rabbit in Peppa Pig, and Nanny Plum in Little Kingdom. She also contributed as a script advisor for the C4 scheme ‘Animator in Residence’ held at Bradford’s Museum of Film and Photography and worked in development at Talkback Productions.
Besides being a member of Bafta and the Writers Guild, as a practitioner and an educator, Sarah believes that it is important to keep her status as a practitioner in the animation industry in order to keep herself aware of what is happening in the industry.
She is currently developing a book with Bloomsbury Press and has presented various papers in USA and Canada about animation, including one about the role of women in the animation industry at the 2010 Popular Culture Conference in St Louis, USA.