LYIT panel - Higher Diploma in 3D Modelling and Animation

Thanks to all (especially AnneMarie Kelly) in LYIT for inviting me to be part of a (Thursday 23rd of June) panel for their proposed Higher Diploma in Arts in 3D Modelling and Animation. Thanks also to fellow panel members Terry Quigley (University of Ulster), Edward Harte (360 Productions) and Conann (University of Ulster), ably chaired by Dermot Finan. Well done to all!

LYIT entrance steps

LYIT interior

Tara Moves Onwards and Upwards!

Thursday the 19th of November 2015 saw Dr. Tara Ryan moving on from IADT (after 4 years) to become Registrar at Hibernia College. Whilst delighted for Tara in her new job, we're naturally sad to be losing such a valuable human being in IADT. We relied on Tara as an energetic and inventive, student-centred resource. My partnership with Tara began when we started working together (from October 2013) on the Tempus ALIGN project - Tara singlehandedly steered the project's Work Package 1 through with enormous effort and rigour. We all learned from her.

Tara is not gone far away and my two promises to her were that I'd visit her in her new Hibernia office as soon as she was settled in AND that I was determined to work with her again very soon! The best of luck to you Madame!

Thanks to David Doyle for the photographs of the going away party!

Miss Ryan in full flight - picture by David Doyle

Tara, Andrew, looking mischievous with a knife, Laura and Annie - picture by David Doyle

 Barry Dig and Tara - picture by David Doyle

NCPA and Tempus ALIGN Dissemination Conference - Moskva

Arrived back on Sunday from the First Dissemination Tempus Conference in Moscow, November 13-14, organised by Anna Tarasova's NCPA team. The conference 'gathered the widest possible expert, academic, professional and student communities from Russia, Armenia, Ukraine and EU countries: Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Poland. There were over 160 participants (64 of them were ALIGN project partners).

The conference lasted for two days and was hosted in Moscow State Pedagogical University. The first day presentations dealt with issues around the main conference theme ‘Enhancing the quality and relevance of students’ learning experience’. Tempus ALIGN held a 'coordination' meeting in the afternoon.

On the second day, participants split into three working sessions:

1.      Writing and Using Good Learning Outcomes for Quality Progression of Students
2.      Tools and Mechanisms for Assessing Students’ Leaning Outcomes
3.      Achieving Excellence in Higher Education through Quality Assurance

Bath Spa's Paul Hyland and Inna Pomorina gave an excellent and inspirational closing workshop on 'Student Centred Learning'. Thanks to all!

Conference Opening Address

Conference Room

ALIGN coordination meeting

ALIGN coordination meeting room

NCPA conference - DQ with Ukrainian students and Liza Sozinova

Moskva - metro map

Moskva - traffic

Moskva - climb to Red Square

Moskva - Lenin Mausoleum

Moskva - Gum Department Store

Moskva - Red Square

Moskva Conference NCPA webpage

http://ncpa.ru/index.php?lang=en

Moskva - Shermetyovo - ice on wing

SKVC panel - Lithuania

Just returned from a week-long programmatic review panel for SKVC in Lithuania. Thanks to Annie, for expertly Chairing, to Natalia for facilitating our work and special thanks to my fellow panel members and new friends Julia, Vilma, Mika and Peter! Four programmes reviewed in Kaunas, Klaipeda and Vilnius. Return to Lithuania at the end of November.

Biznis Pelikan - Vilnius

  

Genocide Museum - Vilnius

 VMU Kaunas

VAA Klaipeda - photography

team in Klaipeda (image from Annie)

Baltic near Klaipeda

Near Klaipeda

VTDK - exhibition space

VTDK - animation

VTDK - animation

VTDK - animation studio

VTDK - animation

VTDK - animation

VTDK - animation

VTDK - digital editing

VTDK - photography

VTDK - sound studio

VTDK - library 

VTDK - tv studio

Return from Croatia!

The revalidation visits and meetings in Academy of Applied Arts University of Rijeka and in University of Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts are done, and I reluctantly return from Croatia!

Group shot - Branko, Dea, Marina, Egle, Davor, Janja, Goran and DQ in Rijeka (image by Egle)

Enormous thanks to our revalidation panel - Janja Sacic, Bozica Dea Matasic, Egle Ganda Bogdaniene, Branko Matulic and Vjeko Kis. It was a pleasure and an honour to work with you all. You have given me many new and valuable insights, lessons, perspectives and hopes for the future!

Huge appreciation too to AZVO's Davor Juric and Marina Grubisic, who kept us on time and on track and whose determined organisation of our training, visits, meetings, travel and accommodation allowed us every opportunity to focus on our tasks in hand! Thanks also to Goran for his expert translations!

There is much work to do in education in Croatia, but I have every confidence that the nation will take strength from its hugely important place in the history of art to guide the students of the future (from Croatia and from all over our globe) to become great artists and even greater human beings! Our work has truly been 'emotional labour', a very moving and inspirational experience. I learned many things and I promise that I will return to learn much more!

Thanks to all!

Kvarner Bay, Rijeka

Ceramics, Rijeka

Davor and Janje, Rijeka

Dea and Branko, Ceramics, Rijeka

Dea, Janje, Egle and Marina, Rijeka

Dean and Davor, Rijeka

Dean and Library, Rijeka

Egle and Erasmus ceramic student, Rijeka

Goran, Rijeka

Mosaics, Rijeka

Mosaics, Rijeka

Trip back to Zagreb from Rijeka

Art Academy Zagreb - Maca

Another Art Academy Zagreb Maca

Branko, Dean, Natalia, Vjeko, Davor, Marina and Goran, Art Academy Zagreb

Egle, Vjeko and Marina, Art Academy Zagreb

Dean's office, Art Academy Zagreb 

Branko, Egle, Dea and Professor, Art Academy Zagreb

Big plaster horse, DQ in Art Academy Zagreb

Librarians, Tania, Marina and Dea, Library, Art Academy Zagreb

Library, Art Academy Zagreb

Branko in Library, Art Academy Zagreb

first year space, Art Academy Zagreb

Vjeko, DQ, Dea and Life Drawing students, Art Academy Zagreb (image by Egle)

Life Drawing, Art Academy Zagreb

Life Drawing, Art Academy Zagreb

Sculpture, Art Academy Zagreb

A mysterious student and her dark works, Art Academy Zagreb

Mysterious student, DQ and Goran, Art Academy Zagreb (image by Egle)

Animation and New Media student, Art Academy Zagreb

Animation and New Media students, Art Academy Zagreb

Vjeko, Egle and Goran, Art Academy Zagreb

View through atelier window, Art Academy Zagreb

Statue of Jan Jelacica, Trg Bana Jelacica, Zagreb

Frankfurt Airport - blue screen of death (computer issues in Fraport delay Friday's flights)

https://www.azvo.hr/en/

http://www.bozica.matasic.com/

On my very brief lightning tour of Zagreb centre, I nearly got to visit the 'Museum of Broken Relationships' - looks fascinating! Next time!

https://brokenships.com/en/visit