BA (Hons) Interior Design & Styling (Jan 2025 Start)

Jason is an artist, writer and educator with an interest in the detritus, flotsam and jetsam of the everyday. Other areas of interest include landscape, walking, critical writing, comics, Actor Network Theory, poetry and performative practices. Since 2001 he has been walking, collecting and archiving the city of Plymouth; this work has been realised in a number of ways, including published texts, performances (locally, nationally and internationally), installations, and public talks. Jason studied Performance Writing at Dartington College of Arts followed by a Masters by Research in Landscape at the University of Plymouth, and he is currently a doctoral candidate at the Institute of Education, where his research involves speculations on the future of the art school and communities of practice. As one half of Driftingspace and a founding member of the art and architecture group Interchange, Jason explores the possibilities of place, space and critical education as a conduit for transformational learning. He also runs theopenartschool, which includes the ongoing microlecture series #5minutecontext, hosted on his Instagram account @JasonHirons. For years Jason led and coordinated the Contextual Studies modules at Arts University Plymouth, and he currently teaches on the BA (Hons) Illustration, Masters in Art, Masters in Photography, and MFA programmes, and is the Course Leader for Distance Learning at Arts University Plymouth.

Ally studied BA (Hons) Interior & Spatial Design at Falmouth University from 2003-2006. At the end of her degree, she exhibited at New Designers, and from that got a job at an interior design company called Agile Space, based in Clerkenwell, London. Working on commercial interior design projects for household name brands including the BBC, Pret A Manger and Itsu, Ally also designed for London Council and lots of independent cafes and restaurants all over the UK. In 2011, Ally moved to the South West and continued to design interiors for both commercial and residential clients, from Pizza Express to high end homes for private clients. Setting up her own practice, Ally went on to work with a range of clients, from designing visitor centres, restaurants and retail spaces for the National Trust, to creating student accommodation interiors for UAL (University of the Arts London). In 2011, Ally also began lecturing in Interior Design at the University of Plymouth, joining the Interior Design and Styling academic team at Plymouth College of Art in 2017. Alongside teaching on our BA (Hons) Interior Design and Styling degree, Ally is conducting research into how live briefs and student projects impact learning and teaching in a positive way. As part of her action-based local research projects, Ally has worked with Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support on a socially valuable project which has raised £6,000 in fundraising money, which will be used to help refurbish the charity’s space.

Amy began her career in 2016 in the sports industry as a graphic designer for the Exeter Chiefs rugby club and Sandy Park Stadium. While at the Chiefs, she led rebranding efforts for parts of Sandy Park stadium and developed a new visual brand for the 2019/20 season. Her work has been showcased to audiences of over 250,000 people through features on BT Sport, and she has also created artwork for England Rugby and the city of Exeter. Additionally, she gained valuable experience collaborating with other well-known sporting brands such as RedBull. Following her successful industry work, Amy pursued a Master of Arts degree in Visual Communication at Arts University Plymouth, graduating with Distinction in November 2021. She then joined Arts University Plymouth in February 2022 as a lecturer for the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course, Distance Learning programs, and as the specialist tutor for MA Visual Communication. Amy has also launched her own project, The Play Method, and is currently working towards a PhD focused on play theory and creative practice.