Exhibition will showcase the skills of Technicians

An event aimed at celebrating the unique contributions of technical support staff, and the diversity of the work they carry out across a range of subject areas at Northumbria University, will run throughout December.

Dozens of colleagues who help make up the multi-talented technical team in the Arts, Design and Social Sciences Faculty, have united to stage an exhibition of personal and professionally completed work to showcase their skills in the Foyer of Northumbria School of Design.

Examples of fine art, fashion, graphic, interior and 3D design will form part of the showcase, named Variantia, which will be officially opened on Friday 2 December.

It is hoped the exhibition will inspire students and instigate new collaborations among staff to further teaching and interdisciplinary research.

“Many of the technical team are creative people in their own right with personal work and research to demonstrate their own skills and interests,” said Kenny Macrae, Technical Support Manager. “So this event is very much about showcasing the depth and breadth of those skills across the Faculty to the wider Northumbria community.”

Fellow Technical Support Manager, Keith Holmes, added: “We hope as many colleagues and students as possible will be able to visit the exhibition during December and that it will raise awareness of the many skilled and experienced practitioners we have working at the University.”

Last November, Northumbria was announced as a new signatory of the Technician Commitment, an initiative led by a steering board of sector bodies, with support from the Science Council and the Technicians Make It Happen campaign to promote visibility, sustainability, recognition and career development for technical staff.

Head of Northumbria School of Design, Dr Heather Robson, said: “The technical teams provide a vital contribution to the research and education strategies within the Faculty.”

Dr Solomon Lennox, Head of Arts, added: “It is the expertise and craftsmanship of these colleagues that make the Faculty of Arts Design and Social Sciences a leading centre of research-enriched creativity.”

All colleagues are invited to the Variantia launch evening on Friday 2 December from 5pm-6pm in the City Campus East (CCE) 2 Foyer.

The exhibition will then be available to view 9am-5pm weekdays until Thursday 22 December.