As a lecturer Jessica has taught at various institutions across the UK, but also at the Sichuan Institute of Fine Arts, China and Clermont-Ferrand School of Fine Arts, France. Jessica joined Staffordshire University in 2012, where she holds the position of senior lecturer.
Jessica is currently course leader for BA Fine Art and formally course leader for Art & Design Foundation. Jessica has a long history of teaching on Foundation courses and is passionate about this transformative year of education, which reveals a students’ true potential. Jessica’s particular area of interest in teaching is finding ways to create a sense of belonging within the art school environment and encourage safe spaces to nurture, encourage and essentially raise minoritised voices.
Jessica’s Fine Art practice combines sculpture, installation, performance, photography and publications and centres on themes such as thresholds, boundaries and domains; often occupying uneasy spaces. She has exhibited across the world, in countries such as USA, France, Finland, The Netherlands and China – as well as throughout the UK. Jessica has devised and curated GLINT, which examines the specific and varied nature of creative inspiration, asking artists to track and document ‘the moment the work happened’, thereby creating an archive of ‘lightbulb moments’ from artists across the world. In addition to her teaching role, Jessica is an external examiner at Salford University and serves on the national GLADhe committee (Group for Learning in Art & Design in Higher Education).
Professional memberships and activities
Committee Member of GLADhe External Examiner for Art, Design & Media Foundation Course, Salford University
Academic qualifications
MA Fine Art
PGCE Lifelong Learning in Art & Design
BA hons Textile Design
Expertise
Sculpture, live art, conceptual art, installation, curating
Research interests
GLINT Project Project curator. GLINT explores the moment the work happens. It tracks the conception of the artwork in real time, through the eyes of a selected group of artists. The Zine Project A project set up in 2018 (post Brexit, pre BLM) to foster a sense of belonging, within the art school at Staffordshire University. This project encouraged dialogue amongst students, on pertinent issues, in a safe space - an environment which differed at time from the studio, where students could experience marginalisation. Objects for a Studio Objects for a Studio began in 2008. The project has involved me spending a single day in another artists' studio, with the intention to create work using the materials that surround me. Each studio day is documented with a single photograph and titled with the sequence, date and location. The project explores the context of artistic production; the ability of the studio to become both the artists' ivory tower and self imposed prison; enabling and restrictive. The project also considers my role as the interloper; crossing the threshold into the privileged domain of another artist. Between 2008 and 2012, I have worked in 60 studios, across the UK and also in France, The Netherlands and China
Teaching
Course Leader BA Fine Art former Course Leader Art & Design Foundation Teaching at levels 3-7 Studio and theory based modules in BA Fine Art, MA Negotiated Studies and Art & Design Foundation
Publications
EVENT SCORES: Ideas between Artist-Parents and Their Kids, Rooftop Institute, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, 2023