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PhD Research Assistant nominated in the Nexus Education Awards 2022

Abbie Cairns, who is currently completing her PhD at Norwich University of the Arts, has been nominated in the NQT/ECT Inspiration Award category for her work around ‘The role of the artist-teacher’.

Held annually, the Nexus Education Award recognises standout individuals making a significant contribution to improving and inspiring the education community, taking place in North Wales on 3 June 2022.  

Founded by school governors in 2017, Nexus Education is a community enterprise and network of over 11,000 nationwide industry leaders and educators sharing research, funding, training and advice with the education sector. 

This year, Research Assistant and MA and BA (Fine Art) graduate Abbie Cairns has been nominated for the NQT/ECT Inspiration award for her exploration into ‘Artist-Teacher-Researcher-Student’; in which she discusses the identity (trans)formation of artist-teachers in adult community learning.

“The use of autoethnographic writing in my research has allowed me to start unpacking the different aspects of my professional identity and see how I have developed the identity that I have today. I invite you to explore the many parts of your professional identity too.”

Abbie Cairnes, PhD, from her work ‘Artist-Teacher-Researcher-Student’

Her research was motivated by her own lived experience of being an artist-teacher and wanting to connect with others living the same experience.

Explore our research degrees at NUA