Overview
Jennifer Anyan joined AUB in June 2024 as the inaugural Director of the University's new School of Arts, Media, and Creative Industries Management.
Jennifer joins from Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, where she was Programme Leader for Fashion Marketing with Management and Chair of the WSA Education Group.
She began her tertiary academic career in 2007 at Solent University, where she set up the first-ever BA (Hons) course in Fashion Styling. Jennifer later developed several undergraduate and postgraduate courses alongside her art research practice and became Head of Postgraduate Provision across Art and Design and Associate Professor.
Contact:
Qualifications
Qualifications
- MA Fine Art (Central Saint Martins)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Art and Design Education (University of Central England)
- BA (Hons) Fine Art (Winchester School of Art)
Teaching Qualification
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education
Teaching
The courses Jennifer oversees in the School of Arts, Media and Creative Industries Management are designed to help students shape their future worlds. She is passionate about creating an inclusive and dynamic environment where we build confidence and help creatives from all backgrounds thrive.
Jennifer's pedagogic research has focused on supporting students in developing their skills in self-efficacy and collaboration. She developed a pilot at Winchester School of Art that used Action Learning Sets to develop students’ confidence and skills in giving peer feedback and support. She's enthusiastic about continuing to develop and apply the learning from this pilot at AUB, noting that self-confidence and communication skills are areas that the COVID-19 generation needs support in nurturing to flourish in the creative industries.
Research
Research Interests and Projects
Jennifer's art research practice explores the impact and experience of fashioning the body, drawing upon sociological theory and ethnographic research methods.
"I work in an interdisciplinary way. I draw, collage, photograph, and film. I work with voices, I work with garments, mostly on bodies. My work explores how we fashion the body, how we understand ourselves, our sense of self, and how we navigate the world around us."
Jennifer's recent project, Fashioning the Voice, in collaboration with Dr Yvon Bonenfant of University College Cork, and funded by the Arts Council England, developed an art experience using a tech-enabled trenchcoat that sings in response to the wearer’s movement.
"Fashioning the Voice creates the opportunity for deep engagement with the subject of self-identity," Jennifer explains, "How we construct it and how others perceive it. This is extremely pertinent in today’s social media-driven world."
Research insights from the project will be published by Routledge next year.
The Other Mother Project is an ongoing art research project that has surveyed over 80 mothers from all over the world who have felt othered or deviant from social norms. The first three medium format collaborative portraits and a sound piece using edited sections of the interview work was exhibited at Gods House Tower in Southampton from January – March 2023.
More details of Jennifer's practice, exhibitions and publications are available on her website.
Research Supervision
I would welcome PhD applications in the area of fashion, dress, identity, embodiment and affect.
My Research Gallery
Professional Engagement
Professional Engagement Links
Memberships
Advance HE Membership
- Fellow (FHEA)