Ms Polly Macpherson
Profiles

Ms Polly Macpherson

Associate Head of School

School of Art, Design and Architecture (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business)

Ms Polly Macpherson can be contacted through arrangement with our Press Office, to speak to the media on these areas of expertise.
  • Design
  • Creative industries
  • 3D design
  • Designer maker practice
  • Mixed materials
  • Making
  • Craft and design processes
  • Design production
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

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  

Visiting Professor 

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

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

Journals
Articles
Macpherson PL & Smith P 'Choosing materials for a guiding by things' PCA - Craft in an Expanded Field Open access
Books
Macpherson PL & Persighetti S (2010) Reading THE BACKS. Exeter UK The Backs Index
Conference Papers
Macpherson PL & Smith P (2016) 'Can things be good tour guides?' International Research FORUM on Guided TOURS Estoril, Portugal 3-/-0/20153-/-0/2015Publisher Site
Macpherson PL (2010) 'Sound Line Transforming sound into lines/marks/2D/3D (Poster Submission)' Drawing Research Network Annual Conference “Observation, Mapping, Dialogue” University of Brighton 9-/-0/20109-/-0/2010Publisher Site
Macpherson PL & Persighetti S (2010) 'Reading THE BACKS' Creativity & Place conference Exeter University 6-/-0/20106-/-0/2010
Macpherson PL & Smith P 'Can things be good tour guides? 2' Plymouth College of Art, Making Futures 4: Craft and the return of the maker in a post-global sustainably aware society Plymouth College of Art 4-/-0/20154-/-0/2015Publisher Site
Exhibitions
Cabinet: Connection and Collection. Peninsular Arts Gallery, Plymouth 14/05/2011Collection of Artist work - Clay & Framed drawings
Work in Progress Exhibition & Screening. The Devon and Exeter Institution, Exeter UK 12/11/201020
'things-meaning' Ambulation. Plymouth Arts Centre 14/08/201010
The Purpose of Drawing. The Cube Gallery, Plymouth University 07/06/20101
Exchange. Avenue Gallery, University of Northampton 11/01/20101
Envelope. Peninsula Art Gallery Plymouth UK 14/02/201632
'Trajectories - Future Pathways in Design'. Dutch Design Week 01/10/20156
New Economies New Ecologies. Salone Internazionale Del Mobile 14/04/20154
100 Devon Potters. Burton Art Gallery 14/05/20063
Drawing The Line. https://www.orleanshousegallery.org 08/10/20041
Presentations and posters
Macpherson PL Macpherson PL '‘Innovative Design of Traditional Crafts’' Author Site Open access
Other Publications
Hooper M (2016) The Makers’ Manifesto. Publisher Site
‘A Light Walk’.
‘Cupola’.
‘Cupola’.
'A Light Walk'.
Macpherson PL Academic / Research Lead London Craft Week 2016. Publisher Site
Macpherson PL Academic / Research Lead Port Eliot Festival 2016. Publisher Site
Macpherson PL Academic / Research Lead Port Eliot Festival 2017.
Mobile Machinoeki.
Things-Meanings Castle Drogo. Open access
Macpherson PL Woman’s Hour Craft Prize Judge 2017. Publisher Site
Personal

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