Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal
How do art and design technicians conceive of their role in higher education?
Clare Sams, Artist (formerly a Technician at Central St Martins)
I am interested in this research by Clare Sam as she asks what do art and design technicians do? As there are a lot of different perceptions from academic and support staff and also from the students themselves. In the beginning, I had a similar view about technicians in LCF as well, I think the technician primarily supports students directly in lessons and helps them construct and design projects and builds based on what they learn at school. Over the years, my perception changed, and it seems much broader and more impactful roles than that.
This case study starts exploring the complex and often underestimated role of technicians in higher education based on the members of technical staff within all colleges of UAL.
I found that one of the responses from technician 31 is so interesting and summarises the essence of what I believe the technician do:
“Helping students achieve their creative potential, supporting staff and students with technical queries, promoting sustainability and reuse of materials, balancing health and safety and creativity in a workshop environment”.
Three key themes emerged when comparing the responses from this study which I think would be the best way to describe what technicians mostly do in Higher Education: supporting, helping, and teaching. These themes define aspects of the technician’s day-to-day work and describe specialist types of technicians. On top of that, they use their specialist knowledge to create learning environments, and assist at events, in lecture theatres, classrooms, and virtual learning environments.
They also include line managers who support technical staff through management, responsible for all aspects of day-to-day operations including health and safety compliance and staff development. Importantly, these senior technicians also directly share their knowledge with students, teaching them how to utilise specific tools and techniques within their creative practices.
To conclude, technicians see their role in higher education as being experts in their discipline and fields. They view themselves as the point of contact and someone to ask for advice mostly from students and academic staff when they need technical advice or specialist expertise. The majority of technicians actively pursue their artistic practice outside of their technical role and the university.
References:
Halstead, A. (2012). Technicians and progression. Policy connect: Skills commission.
[online], http://www.policyconnect.org.uk/sc/research/report-technicians-and-progression, Accessed 10 March 2024
Hunt, N. and Melrose, S. (2005) ‘Techne, technology, technician: the creative practices of the mastercraftsperson’, Performance Research: A journal of the performing Arts, 10(4), pp. 70-82, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13528165.2005.10871452.
Shreeve, A. (2009). ‘I’d rather be seen as a practitioner, come in to teach my subject’: identity work in part-time art and design tutors’, International Journal of Art and Design Education,28(2), pp. 151-159, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-8070.2009.01602.x.