Director – Art and Design / Salford School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology
Paul says “In my first year as Director of Art and Design, it was a tremendous privilege to be part of the selection panel for this award. Create Student Awards is more than recognition of achievement, it places creativity at the heart of everything our students represent. The level of ambition and innovation was breath-taking. I have to say this was unsurprising given the commitment and drive typical of Salford students I have seen in the short time I have been Director.
“All of the students nominated by staff and peers were creatives representative of the very human need to connect, to be part of a community and for this to be inspired and resolved through creativity. At this time in our collective history, we have faced challenges that have been both social and cultural. As students you have proved with ingenuity and vision the need for the creative arts is stronger than ever. Well done to all of our nominees, congratulations, I hope you all enjoy this very well deserved accolade!”
Paul Vivian was born in Middlesex and brought up in North Devon. He studied at Chelsea College of Art and Design and Norwich School of Art and Design. Paul has worked in Higher Education as a Programme Leader/Director, Curriculum Manager, Deputy Head of School and Director across a number of institutions in the last 20 years. Paul is also a practising artist who has shown his work nationally and internationally. He took part in an early iteration of the Tulca Visual Arts festival in Galway; has been shortlisted for the Jerwood Drawing Prize and won the Wells Art Contemporary in 2017. Paul has also published on subjects as diverse as Collage and trauma and Performative Pedagogy. He has work held in private and public collections and presented solo exhibitions at Exeter Phoenix Art Centre, Brixton Gallery, London and ASpace Southampton. He will be showing new work with artist Laura Eldret at Gods House Tower Southampton in a show entitled ‘Those who look out and Those who look back’ opening in July 2021.