Artist-Teacher Identity (Trans)Formation in Adult Community Learning (ACL) - Abbie Cairns

I am an artist-teacher working in ACL. An artist-teacher, for me and many others, means that I am an individual who practises making art and teaching art and is dedicated to both activities as a practitioner (Thornton, 2013). I am currently completing my PhD, researching the artist-teacher identity (trans)formation in ACL, exploring what effects the different qualities of ACL have on artist-teachers working in this sector, how the experience of teaching in ACL contexts influence professional identity formation of artist-teachers and how the role of the artist-teacher might contribute to teaching and learning within the ACL sector.

My research includes participant involvement including online surveys with artist-teachers, managers of artist-teachers and learners of artist-teachers in ACL to how each group perceives and understand the role of the artist-teacher. Later my research will go on to include interviews with participants which will examine their narrative accounts (McAdams, 2012), looking at the moments in which they became artists, teachers and artist-teachers within ACL.

The research will explore topics such as access to subject specific continued professional development activities (Fejes and Köpsén, 2014., Clews and Clews, 2010) and access to communities of practice (Lave and Wenger, 1991), for those artist-teachers working in ACL. The role of the workplace will also be considered, as published research highlights that the support or lack of it can make or break the artist-teachers view of themselves (Thornton, 2013., Vella, 2016). The research will also address issues relating to low status (Vella, 2016), insecure contracts (Parliament TV, 2021) and low pay (Augar Review, 2019) and how these affect the artist-teacher identity.

My work also takes an autoethnographic approach (Ellis, 2004) to explore my own identity (trans)formation to artist-teacher in ACL. In trying to gain an understanding of my identity as an artist-teacher in ACL I have seen my art practice and my research practice merge, and my identity transform from artist-teacher to artist-teacher-researcher-student. My art practice employs the use of text and language, including the practice of automatic writing – writing without conscious thought, I found parallels here with writing reflectively for research.

The images below illustrates my thought process while exploring my identity of an artist-teacher in ACL, as well as highlighting salient themes that are emerging, which will later be triangulated with the published literature and participant research.

Figure 2 Abbie Cairns, explore and make use of knowledge produced in either context, Watercolour Paint, Thread, Calico, 2021

Figure 3 Abbie Cairns, time, Watercolour Paint, Calico, 2021

Figure 4 Abbie Cairns, juggling I think puts more pressure on you to create, Ready Mixed Paint, Calico, 2021

With this research I hope to implement changes in the sector regarding specific CPD and access to communities of practice for artist-teachers in ACL to benefit artist-teacher identity formation. But also to increase conversations around both ACL and artist-teachers.

You can read more about my PhD research here: Abbie Cairns - Norwich University of the Arts (nua.ac.uk)

If you would like to find out more, or participate in the research please contact me on abbie.cairns@student.nua.ac.uk

References

Augar Review. (2019) Independent panel report to the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding May 2019. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/805127/Review_of_post_18_education_and_funding.pdf. (Accessed 23 February 2021).

Clews, A. and Clews, D. (2010) “And I also teach: The professional development of teaching creatives”, Journal of Arts & Communities, 1(3), pp. 265–278. doi: 10.1386/jaac.1.3.265_1.

Ellis, C. (2004) The ethnographic I: a methodological novel about autoethnography. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.

Fejes, A. and Köpsén, S. (2012) “Vocational teachers’ identity formation through boundary crossing”, Journal of Education and Work, 27(3): 265-283.

Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge University Press.

McAdams, D. P. (2012) Exploring psychological themes through life narrative accounts. In J. A. Holstein, & J. F. Gubrium (Eds.), Varieties of narrative analysis (pp.15-32). Sage.

Parliament TV. (2021) Westminster Hall debate: Third Report of the Education Committee, A plan for an adult skills and lifelong learning revolution, HC 278. 15 April 2021, 1,30pm. Available at: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/f3d210ee-0aab-4050-9fe5-e8b09e5f4ed2. (Accessed 15 April 2021).

Thornton, A. (2013) Artist, Researcher, Teacher: A Study of Professional Identity in Art and Education. University of Chicago Press.

Vella, R. (2016) Artist-Teachers in Context: International Dialogues. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Brill | Sense (Doing Arts Thinking: Arts Practice, Research and Education).