Staff Profiles
Colin Kerrigan - Executive Director
Following undergraduate studies at Birmingham College of Art & Design, Colin Kerrigan worked as an assistant to the renowned sculptor Sir Anthony Caro. He went on to pursue a Rotary International Fellowship and postgraduate studies in sculpture at Bennington College, Vermont.
In a career spanning many years, Colin Kerrigan’s award-winning sculptures are included in a number of public and private collections around the world. He is inspired by unfolding narratives and the endless permutations and interactions between form and space. Recurring themes in both his large and small scale sculptures include points of transition and boundaries. Recently he has collaborated with various agencies on a series of public sculptures within urban environments.
Before founding ISCA a decade ago, Colin Kerrigan was the Deputy Director of International Development at the University of the Arts London (UAL) where he established portfolio academies in China, Korea, India and Europe to support aspiring artists and designers to gain entry to UAL's prestigious undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Robert Hunter - Head of School
Robert Hunter graduated from Bristol University with a degree in Hispanic Studies with Linguistics and went on to qualify first as an English language teacher and later as an education manager. After several years of teaching English to children and adults, he began to build up experience in managerial roles, first as the Director of Studies of a large language school in Turin, Italy before setting up a school of his own in Northern Italy.
Since 2001 he has worked in the international education sector in a variety of senior management roles including Vice-Principal at the International Sahaj Public School in Dharamshala, India and then Principal of the New Zealand School of Business & Technology in Auckland, New Zealand. Later he was General Manager of the Nirmala Devi World Foundation in Piedmont, Italy, a cultural foundation which highlights innovative approaches in the fields of education and wellbeing.
Lisa Stewart - Director of Studies
Lisa Stewart graduated from Central St Martins with a BA Hons in Fine Art and completed a PGCE in Art Education at Goldsmiths University, London. An experienced art educator, she has managed art departments in both the independent and state sectors. As a fine artist specialist and published author she has continued to explore creativity through writing, poetry and painting. Lisa Stewart has contributed to exhibitions in London, Oxford and throughout the UK. She describes her work as figurative with abstract elements and integrates mixed media assemblages using print and found materials with a passion for colour and surface.
Working primarily in Secondary Schools in West London and as Head of Art and Design at Preston Manor High School in Wembley, a large state Comprehensive and at St Margaret’s Bushey and an Independent school in Watford, Lisa Stewart has extensive experience in Art and Design education, developing curricula, schemes of learning and projects for students aged 11 – 18.
Silja Manninen - Fashion and Textiles Tutor
Silja Manninen graduated from the prestigious MA womenswear course at Central Saint Martins (UAL). She is a London-based womenswear designer who has been sponsored by major international brands including Swarovski to develop her own collection. She worked as head designer at Michiko Koshino, and as a consultant on start-up brands, as well as designing and selling printed textiles. Under her own label, she is currently designing a capsule collection of conceptual accessories, dresses as well as swimwear and has shown her work at London, New York and Berlin Fashion Weeks. Her work has been exhibited at the V&A Museum and featured in numerous publications including British Vogue.
Silja Manninen has teaching experience as Programme Leader of Fashion Business and Fashion Design pathways at LCCA (London College of Contemporary Arts), London Campus Course Leader MSc Fashion Design and Luxury Management at GGSB (Grenoble Graduate School of Business) Tutor and Digital print workshops at the V&A Museum London.
Evangelia Thomadakis - 3D Design Tutor
Evangelia Thomadakis completed postgraduate studies at Central Saint Martins (UAL) in Innovative Pattern Cutting following a masters in Fashion and undergraduate studies in Fashion Design at Surrey Institute of Art and Design. She has gone on to work with leading designers including Vivienne Westwood. With a strong background in pattern-cutting, Evangelia Thomadakis has worked as a design consultant in planning and launched the work of new designers during London Fashion Week. In 2009 she founded her own label of bridal and womenswear which has appeared in leading fashion magazines including British Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
Other teaching experiences include working at Ravensbourne University London as a visiting lecturer in pattern cutting, Guest Speaker for MA Fashion Promotion, MA Fashion Design and MA Fashion Styling at Birmingham City University. She also worked as Course Leader for MSc Fashion Technology (validated programme by University of Wales) at British Institute of Technology and E-commerce. Head of Fashion Design and Senior Lecturer at the London College of Contemporary Arts teaching HND Fashion Textiles and Fashion Business prior to working at ISCA.
Joseph Kerrigan - Critical and Contextual Studies Tutor
Joseph Kerrigan pursued postgraduate studies in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art (UAL) following undergraduate studies in Fine Art and History of Art at University of Reading. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the Institute of Education, University College London. With a background in Fine Art and Art History, Joseph Kerrigan has delivered a range of online programmes to international students both in the UK and abroad and has taught short courses and workshops in South East Asia on behalf of ISCA. Joseph specialises in developing practical skills with an understanding of contextual information and theoretical analysis.
Other teaching experiences include working at Reading University as a guest speaker for Fine Art futures and careers event. Joseph also worked as a Foundation and Level 3 Art & Design tutor at Kingston College prior to working at ISCA. His own creative practice revolves around mixed-media audio/visual installations, but also manifests ideas in prints and drawings, which have been exhibited both nationally and internationally. His work responds to both natural and urban environments, while adopting both a nocturnal aesthetic.
Katherine Macdonald - Art and Design Tutor
Katherine Macdonald completed her masters at Nottingham Trent University in Fashion and Textiles following undergraduate studies in Textile Design (specialising in constructed textiles). With a strong technical background in knitwear she has designed in-house for British and international fashion brands, including Karen Millen and Oasis. She has worked as a Concept Leader and Senior Knitwear Designer at Uniqlo. As a consultant she continues to work on knitwear projects with small brands and knitwear start-ups. Her own creative practice involves exploring texture and form through traditional constructed textile techniques.
Pantea Ghavidel - Art and Design Tutor
Since graduating with a BA in Graphic Communication from UAL Camberwell College of Arts, Pantea Ghavidel has worked as a freelance designer for several leading graphic design agencies. She works with a range of media including traditional and non-traditional materials and techniques, and embraces emerging technologies within her practice. She regularly collaborates on projects with Iranian Graphic Designers and often seeks to embed middle-eastern elements in her work, as can be seen in her online portfolio.
Home | Pantea Ghavidel (panteadezign.wixsite.com)
Patricia Andrianou-Green - Creative Arts Programme (Level 2) Tutor
After graduating with a BA Hons in Textiles & Fashion from Winchester School of Art, Patricia Andrianou-Green went on to complete a Masters in Contemporary Crafts Printed & Woven Textiles at The Surrey Institute of Art & Design and also a PGCE. She has taught to degree level at schools and universities across the UK and been involved in several arts projects for the National Trust and Cumbria Arts in Education.
Her work, which focuses on knitted, felted, printed textiles and surface pattern design, has been exhibited at numerous exhibitions and galleries in the UK and Europe. In 2004 she was the winner of the prestigious Royal Society of Arts Award in RSA Design Directions Textiles Innovation - Furnishing Textiles. As part of the prize she travelled to Melbourne Australia at the invitation of the Australian Wool Innovation Company. She has worked closely with the Crafts Council, London to assist artists in establishing their own practice.
Patricia Andrianou-Green has also worked as a Surface Pattern Designer for leading designer labels including Ralph Lauren and Oscar De La Renta.