¹û¶³Ó°Ôº

XClose

School for the Creative and Cultural Industries

Home
Menu

People

The School brings together an interdisciplinary team of academic, creative, cultural, technical, industry, and engagement professionals. Find out more about who are involved in the running and development of the School.

Director

Haidy Geismar photo
Professor Haidy Geismar is the inaugural Director of the School for the Creative and Cultural Industries.Ìý

She is a social anthropologist with extensive experience of working in partnership with cultural practitioners including curators, community groups and artists, and with cultural organisations, including long-term connections to several museums, including the Tate and Victoria and Albert Museum in London.Ìý

She is an active curator, curating the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Ethnography Collections and working with museums including the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the East West Gallery, Honolulu. She is also Chair of the Royal Anthropological Institute Photography Committee and one of the founding editors of a new open access series, Anthropology and Photography.

Her research interests focus on intellectual and cultural property, indigenous rights, colonial histories and legacies, new forms of cultural representation, the affects and effect of digitisation, the anthropology of art, critical museology and the South Pacific (especially Vanuatu and New Zealand).ÌýPrior to her role as Director of SCCI, Haidy was Vice-Dean for Strategic Projects, leading on the inception, planning and establishment of the new programmes and facilities at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº East.


Core Team

Professor Haidy Geismar - Director

Haidy is responsible for the strategic direction of the School, working with academics, industry partners and cultural practitioners to ensure that the cutting-edge research and teaching within the School is reflective of, and support, the needs of the creative and cultural industries.Ìý

Send Haidy an email

Dr Kara Blackmore -ÌýCurator - Urban RoomÌý

Kara is developing the Urban Room as a space for experiential learning, exhibition making, and community dialogue.ÌýKara will use her experience in academic institutions and with community-driven exhibition making to support a dynamic user group of people who want to address issues of urbanism and public history.Ìý

Andrea De Santis - Operations Manager

Andrea is responsible for all operational areas of the School, working with faculties and departments and supporting the Academic Director in the establishment and running of the School. Andrea also leads the professional service team who support all areas of the School’s administration and engagement activities.

Ella Strickland de Souza – Senior Communications and Marketing Officer

Ella oversees the communications for the school including the website, social media channels and events.

Send Ella an email

Kailey Nolan – Senior Communications and Marketing Officer (maternity cover)

Kailey oversees the internal and external communications forÌýthe schoolÌýincluding the website, social media channels, and events, and supports engagement and partnerships with creative, cultural, and community stakeholders.Ìý

Send Kailey an email

Tomoyo Miyakawa –ÌýEmployer Engagement and External Partnerships Manager

Tomoyo is responsible for developing industry partnerships with a focus on student employability and for delivering a wide range of work-related learning activities for undergraduate and postgraduate students across SCCI.

Anick Soni –ÌýEmployer Engagement & Work-Related Learning Officer

AnickÌý(He/Him) supports SCCIÌýas the Employer Engagement and Work-Related Learning Officer. His focus is on building meaningful relationships between students, alumni, and external stakeholders across the arts. He has an extensive background working in Higher Education, Media, and Diversity & Inclusion. Outside of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº, Anick is a multidisciplinary Creative Consultant, Writer, and Researcher.

Send Anick an email

Spencer Samuel -ÌýMedia Production Technical Specialist

Spencer is aÌýMedia Production Technical Specialist working in ISD. He is currently working with the SCCI programme on the set-up and delivery of the Media Studios, Specialist Computer Cluster rooms and BlackBox in Marshgate.

Simba Chivaka -ÌýCluster Room & Media Space Support Specialist

SimbaÌýworks closely with Spencer to manage the School's cutting-edge spaces and equipment, including the BlackBox, an acoustically optimized audio room,Ìýa recording suite, podcast suite, two screening rooms, and an audio dub suite. Additionally, Simba manages a grinding suite and two production suites. TheseÌýefforts aim to create inspiring workspaces across diverse creative domains.

Sarah Byrne -ÌýManager and Curator - Culture Lab

Sarah will develop the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Culture Lab's exhibitions and programmes whilst supporting teaching aimed at nurturing a new generation of curators. The Culture Lab will work with ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº collections and archives and collaborate with students, artists, and community members on exhibition themes that resonate and matter to them. After spending 12 years working as a curator at the Horniman Museum, SarahÌýis looking forward to bringing her skills and experiences to the Culture Lab, helping to shape the future of such a new and dynamic space.ÌýÌý

Camella Ramjet -ÌýCollections Care and Curatorial Assistant

Camella's role focusesÌýon conservation, collections care, audience engagement and accessibility for the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Culture Lab, includingÌýimplementing preventive conservation measures for the Culture Lab’s exhibition space and collection store.  Ìý

Ìý