University gets creative with 15 new artistic industry posts
FIFTEEN new “creative” lecturer and professor roles have been created at Ulster University to meet a growing demand for skills in video gaming, animation, illustration and other creative sectors.
The university said the roles will help boost its profile as a leader in creative industries, which stems back to 1849 when it first opened the Belfast School of Art.
And the posts will help it meet a growing demand for skilled graduates in the arts, creative and immersive technology sectors.
The roles, which will be aligned with the Creative Industries Institute across Ulster University’s Belfast, Coleraine and Magee campuses, include new teaching positions in creative disciplines such as computer animation, visual effects (VFX) and games design.
The university is also seeking lecturers in new media, media practice as well as fashion, fine art painting and film practice.
The jobs are all part of Ulster University’s £20m investment into its Creative Industries Institute last year.
The goal of the institute is to “drive future growth in what is the fastest-growing sector of the UK economy and contributes £1.01bn of GVA a year to the Northern Ireland economy,” it said.
It brings together all strands of the university’s research and teaching expertise in the creative industries including: advertising and graphic design, animation, architecture, film and broadcast, product design, creative technologies, fashion, music, drama, photography and fine art.
Professor Paul Seawright, executive dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, said the new posts are part of the university’s contribution to growing the creative sector in Northern Ireland and show its leadership in emerging disciplines, such as the immersive technology space.
“Ulster University has a strong and proud history in the creative industries and these posts illustrate our ambitions for the fu- ture,” he said.
“They are a direct response to the university’s consultation with key players in the creative industries and the skills they tell us are in high demand.
“For example, the professor of animation, senior lecturer in animation and VFX and senior lecturer in games design will launch new Masters level programmes in computer animation and games design that will be the first of their kind on the island of Ireland, equipping a new generation with industry leading skills.”
Prof Seawright added: “As the Creative Industries Institute continues to drive exciting new development sin the sector, we are looking for people who share our ambition to partner with industry to shape the future.
“The Creative Industries Institute was formed as part of the university’s commitment to areas of excellence and was launched with a significant £20m investment in capital infrastructure with a further £5m invested in our staff.
“The institute is positioned to drive interdisciplinary research and post-graduate teaching in a range of emerging areas; VR/AR, games design, user experience design, VFX, digital production and post-production.
“If you are a leader in the field or can demonstrate your potential to transform the sector, we would welcome an application.”
The advertisement for the roles (see Jobfinder on page 13 of today’s Business Telegraph) says that the successful candidates will benefit from an “attractive salary, pension reward scheme and financial assistance with relocation”.
For more information visit www. ulster.ac.uk or follow Twitter @ ulsteruni