- Room 214 - 3D Design, Roland Levinsky Building, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- P.L.Macpherson@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Ms Polly Macpherson
Associate Head of School
School of Art, Design and Architecture (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business)
- Design
- Creative industries
- 3D design
- Designer maker practice
- Mixed materials
- Making
- Craft and design processes
- Design production
Email publicrelations@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Biography
Biography
Polly Macpherson is Associate Professor of Design Practice in the School Art, Design and Architecture and the Creative Industries Supervisor in the Sustainable Earth Institutes Low Carbon Devon project at the University of Plymouth, UK.
- Associate Professor of Design Practice - As a designer, researcher, and programme leader for the MDes Design, she currently leads a group of internationally acclaimed practitioners and researchers who teach the thinking, inventing, designing and creating of sustainably produced spaces, objects, and artefacts relevant for 21st century living.
- Sustainable Earth Institute – Low Carbon Devon, Co-Investigator Creative Industries - Supported by an investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the three-year £2.6 million programme, supports Devon-based organisations to access research, business support, and engage with the University of Plymouth around the low-carbon agenda. There are many outcomes from this project including the Green Maker Initiative and related book, a timely collaboration project with MAKE southwest.
Qualifications
- IDEO Business Innovation Certificate which included Designing a Business and Designing Strategy.
- Dynamics of Leadership Performance Coach - Cultural Leadership Prog. - Arts Council England, CCSkills & MLA funded.
- M.A. - University of Wales
- B.A.(Hons) - University of Wolverhampton & California State University, Long Beach
Awards
- Automation Academic Fellow - South West Creative Technology’s Network
- Conference Prize, Drawing Research Network, University of Brighton 2010
- Deans Honours List for Excellence - California State University, Long Beach
- The Watt Memorial Trust Award for Travel & Academic studies
Professional membership
- Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
- Fellow Royal Society of the Arts (RSA)
Roles on external bodies
External Expert
- Board of Trustees - Exeter Phoenix
- Judge – Channel 4, Kirstie’s Celebrity Craft Masters
- Judge - BBC Woman's Hour, Crafts Council and V&A Craft Prize
- Creative Cultivator Advisor
- Board of Trustees - The Devon Guild of Craftsmen.
- Creative & Cultural Skills –Expert Advisor
- Craft Council Hothouse 3, South West coordinator.
- ‘Get Fresh’ Exhibition sector, Emerging Designer Devon Guild of Craftsmen & Arts Council.
- ‘Craft+ STEM in the 21st century’, Crafts Council, Associate Parliamentary Design & Innovation Group, House of Commons
- Contributor to Design Commission, Restarting Britain, Design Ed.& Growth.
- Judge & selector, Contemporary Craft Festival
- Consultant – Crafts Councils Higher Value: Redefining Best Practice in Crafts Graduate Support
International Expert
- EQ Arts Expert Reviewer - Enhancing Quality in the Arts
- Quality Enhancement Review, Programme Review Visual Arts – Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Tomas Bata University, Zlín, Czech Republic
- Key Note Speaker at 1st China Crafts Week, Hangzhou - Innovative Design of Traditional Crafts
- Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts - Singapore: BA (Hons) Fine Art, Graphic Design and 3D Design New Practice – External Expert
Guest Professor
- Industrial Design at Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
Visiting Professor
- Industrial Design Department, Faculty of Architecture at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. (3months)
External Examiner
- Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts: MA Art & Design (current)
- Cardiff Metropolitan University: BA (Hons) Artist Designer Maker
- University of Ulster: MFA Multidisciplinary Design
- Liverpool Hope University: Design BDes (Hons)
- Loughborough University: BA (Hons)3D Design New Practice
Academic External Expert/Assessor
- Various UoP UG & PG BA / MA / MSc Courses
- Loughborough University, Undergraduate Art & Design review
- Hereford College of Art, University of Wales B.A.(Hons) Blacksmithing & BA(Hons)Contemporary Applied Arts
- Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Tomas Bata University, Zlín, Czech Republic
Highlights
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
Polly is interested in how things are made, how things can be made ethically and sustainability and how this can be taught in order to nurture individuals, develop creative voices, and construct sustainably produced spaces, objects, and artefacts relevant for 21st century living.
· Undergraduate: Product & Furniture Design
Interdisciplinary design to inspires you to challenge, disrupt and rethink design practices to
create unique and compelling objects, artefacts and user experiences.
· Post Graduate: Programme Leader MDes Design
This programme aligns with contemporary trends stressing the role of designers for global
prosperity, driving innovation and speculating with new, sustainable and material futures.
· Phd Supervisor:
Design practice - craft, digital, material culture and sustainability
______
Her graduating students have achieved a wide range of progression opportunities including exhibitions, awards and employment: RSA Ceramics Future Design, Best Young Designer – Wallpaper, Lighting Association Design Award and Independent's Top 10 Sustainable Seating.
Graduates include -
- Bethany Isaac - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=Ogl_67JXvGY
- James Otter - http://www.ottersurfboards.co.uk/
- Josh Milton - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLcYnkb7o3A
- Laura Lane - http://www.lauralane.co.uk/
- Gavin Keightley - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=26&v=Rzef6z4h_3A
External Student Engagement projects including -
- Hole & Corner, Benchmark, Port Eliot Festival https://vimeo.com/183234760.
- Barge house, Oxo Tower & The Chapel at House of St Barnabas, Soho, London. https://vimeo.com/169845176
- Linley/Snowdon Summer School https://www.davidlinley.com/linley-summer-school/
Staff serving as external examiners
- Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts: MA Art & Design
- Cardiff Metropolitan University: BA (Hons) Artist Designer Maker
- University of Ulster: MFA Multidisciplinary Design
- Liverpool Hope University: Design BDes (Hons)
- Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts - Singapore: BA (Hons) Fine Art, Graphic Design and 3D Design New Practice
- Loughborough University: BA (Hons)3D Design New Practice
- External Expert/Assessor Quinquennial Review: Hereford College of Art, University of Wales B.A.(Hons) Blacksmithing & BA(Hons)Contemporary Applied Arts
Research
Research
Research interests
Polly’s research and teaching are closely connected focusing around collaboration, processes of knowledge development and making. Her current interests align with research thinking about archaeology, materiality, place and space with additional categories of Mapping, Journey and Movement; exploring the different ways in which these themes can be presented, organised and structured.
As a visual cartographer and maker she is interested in materials, in the processes of making, objects and new outcomes and how artefacts could/can be made/used to enhance and or change perceptions in or of environments and situations.
There are a variety of different ways in which she has successfully executed these ideas through the mixing of materials (concrete, clay, wood, combustibles) sound investigation & film / stills to produce objects, drawings and images. https://www.pollymacpherson.com
SWCTN Fellowship - https://swctn.org.uk
Polly was awarded an Automation Academic Research Fellow with South West Creative Technology Network in April 2019 and has started exploring how automation developments are effecting the skills, creative ideas and processes of Designer Maker / Craft Practitioners in the South West. https://swctn.org.uk/automation/fellows/polly-macpherson/
The South West Creative Technology Network (SWCTN) is a £6.5million project to expand the use of creative technologies across the south west of England. The network is offering three one-year funded programmes around the themes of Immersion, Automation and Data.
Polly is the Creative Industries lead for Low Carbon Devon Project (LCD) funded by European Regional development Fund (ERDF), managed by Sustainable Earth Institute. The aim of the project is to bring together University of Plymouth researchers, the Devon low carbon and energy sector and Creative Industries in order to support the opening of a new cluster of Low carbon Creative Industries. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/sustainability-hub-low-carbon-devon
One for the many outputs includes the Green Maker Initiative book a collaboration with MAKE Southwest(formerly Devon Guild of Craftsmen). With over 50 contributors the book asks what the role designers, makers and consumers can have in reducing the environmental impact of objects, and even make a positive contribution to the world we live in. It has practical strategies and approaches for designer makers to reduce the environmental impact of their craft with the hope that it will be used as a guide and reference to navigate thinkings, questions and ideas that encompass “Designing” and “Making” and raise awareness of our actions as “Consumers” and “Users”.
Other research
Urban Dialogues Network https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/urban-dialogues
For further Exhibitions, Projects, Commissions, Consultancy & Creative Industry Projects - www.pollymacpherson.com
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsPersonal
Personal
Reports & invited lectures
International Teaching and Lectures
Oct.-Nov. 2018
Guest Professor in Industrial Design at Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
http://english.jiangnan.edu.cn
Key note presentation 1st China Crafts week, Hangzhou China 2019
https://www.chinadesigncentre.com/uploads/2018/02/100036038023.pdf
Jan.- March 2011
Guest Professor in the Industrial Design Department, Faculty of Architecture at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
http://www.chula.ac.th/
Other academic activities
With an extensive career working in Higher Education Polly’s experience covers the delivery, development, validation and examination of courses and students at local, national and international level through to research activity and dissemination and creative industry lead projects.
As an active member of staff Polly’s current wider University responsibilities include ADA elected staff member of the Plymouth University’s Senate and member of Faculty of Arts & Humanities Advisory Board.
University Senate & Honorary Doctorate committee member, Chair of Peninsular Arts Galleries Programming Advisory Group, University of Plymouth Complaint & Appeals Board, Academic Lead for technical and making workshops, Plymouth Award Management Group, 3D Design Visiting Lecturer Programmer, UPC/University Link Academic Advisor Cornwall College, Petroc College & Truro College, Senior Management Team, Academic Promotions Board, Validations including MSc Paediatric Dietetics & MA CAP, TQA Faculty of Arts & Learning, Teaching & Research Forum
Links
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/pollymacpherson
https://www.pollymacpherson.com
Instagram @PollyMacpherson
Instagram @MacphersonPolly
Twitter @PollyMacp