Our staff

Lara Furniss

Lecturer in Performance Design

With a BA (Hons) degree in Interior Design from Manchester Metropolitan University, and a Master of Fine Arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Lara has 20 years' professional experience working across many art and design disciplines throughout the UK, Europe and the USA, including sculpture, installation,...

Robert Gibb

Course Director MA Visual Communication

Robert's academic education was at Edinburgh College of Art, where he studied photography at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. His world education was on the streets, in the clubs and talking to strangers. Upon graduating he immersed himself in the commercial world of photography.

Jonathan Griffiths

Lecturer in Graphic Communication. Video and Motion Graphic – Designer, Director.

Jonathan Griffiths is a Video and Motion Graphic Designer, Director, company owner, and Lecturer at Birmingham City University. Over 15 years creative and digital agency experience working for national and international creative studios and brands underpins his work today. Within 2 years his company has received direct...

Carla Hamer

Lecturer in Language and Culture

Carla is a full-time lecturer in Language and Culture and a part-time PhD researcher originally from Argentina. With over twenty years’ experience of teaching and lecturing, Carla has worked with a wide range of students in UK and overseas. Carla gained a First Class Honours degree in Fine Art and Art History before...

George Hart

Senior Lecturer in Illustration

George has worked for a wide range of companies, including Channel 4, The Sunday Times and Conde Nast. His style blends together painting, drawing and digital processes.

Dr John Hillman

Associate Professor and Head of Photography

Dr John Hillman is an educator, photographic practitioner, academic and writer. He currently runs the BA (Hons) Photography degree at BCU. He has wide-ranging educational experience and having held various teaching positions at Ravensbourne University, Falmouth University and Plymouth College of Art. He has also been a...

Becky Howson

Lecturer

Becky is an experienced educator with 17 years of teaching in design. Printing, Typography and traditional Graphic Design techniques and processes are explored through practice, research practice and teaching inform one another. New work for exhibitions are developed and exhibited nationally and internationally, several times...

Joanna Jarvis

Lecturer in Performance Design

Joanna graduated from the City of Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University) with a degree in Theatre Design. Her first design job was with a Theatre in Education group run by the National Trust. They toured the country creating experiential shows for primary school children in NT properties. For the show to...

Colette Jeffrey

Associate Professor - Wayfinding and Inclusive Design

Colette is an Associate Professor in Wayfinding and Inclusive Design. Before joining Birmingham City University in 2009, she worked for 15 years as a wayfinding consultant, inclusive design director and information designer. She researched and co-wrote the NHS official guidance on wayfinding in hospitals, published in 1999 and...

Naomi Kent

Printmaking Technician