To celebrate their artistic contributions, the following were granted honorary fellowships by our Institute of the Arts.

November 2006

Professor Conrad Atkinson OBE

(November 2006 Cumbria Institute of the Arts)

In recognition of his valuable contribution in the field of art and education in Cumbria and in the wider world.

Born in Cleator Moor in West Cumbria, Conrad Atkinson studied at the Brampton Road campus from 1957-1961 when it was known as Carlisle College of Art. He is today an artist of international standing. Conrad has been a distinguished visiting professor at many of the major arts schools and universities throughout the world. Professor Atkinson has exhibited at major galleries throughout Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia and Russia and is represented in many public and private collections throughout the world. Although Conrad splits his time between his studios in California, New York and Cumbria he has never distanced himself from his birthplace, Cumbria, its people and issues. 

http://www.conradatkinson.com/

November 2005

Bill Mackay

(November 2005 Cumbria Institute of the Arts)

In recognition of his significant contribution to Cumbria Institute of the Arts and service as Chair of Governors.

Deceased July 2009.

 

Ed Hill

(November 2005 Cumbria Institute of the Arts)

In recognition of his contribution to the development of Cumbria Institute of the Arts and service as Deputy Chair of Governors.

Ed started his working life in the Royal Navy then changed career to work as an architect and managing partner with the Building Design Partnership.  Ed served on the Board of Governors of Cumbria Institute of the Arts from 1990 until he retired in 2004 and played a key role in its development.  Ed worked closely with the senior management and other governors to establish the campus at Brampton Road with the best industry standard resources and inspiring workspaces.  Ed remains a key advocate and supporter of the University of Cumbria.

Deceased 2018.

 

Miss Mary Burkett OBE

(November 2005 Cumbria Institute of the Arts) (1924 - 12 November 2014)

In recognition of her valuable contribution in the field of art and education in Cumbria and in the wider world.

Mary Burkett is well known throughout Cumbria as an educator, aesthete, art historian and champion of the arts.  She has devoted her working life to raising investment, awareness and participation in the arts and has made a significant and lasting contribution to the arts in Cumbria.  From 1967 to 1986 Mary Burkett held the role of Director of Abbot Hall Art Gallery and the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry in Kendal.  Mary is an accomplished author of a large volume of important works of art history and has researched and published monographs on several, previously little known, local artists.  In 2012 Dear Mary, Love Percy, (the letters of Percy Kelly) written by Mary Burkett and David Cross, took joint first prize in the Cumbria and Lakeland Book of the Year award.

November 2004

John Fox MBE

In recognition of his significant contribution in the fields of media and culture in Cumbria and in the wider world (awarded November 2004, Cumbria Institute of the Arts).

World-wide reputation for creating celebratory participatory art with communities, site specific theatre and fire-shows. Artist, poet, lecturer, cultural provocateur and occasional musician. Founded legendary Welfare State International (WSI) with Sue Gill and others. WSI (1968-2006) raised the Titanic in Limehouse, moved the Trident Submarine Sheds in Barrow and championed Lanternhouse, a £2.4m Arts Centre in Ulverston, where in 1983 they originated the annual Lantern Parade, which continues and been copied around the world.

After archiving WSI in 2006 Fox and Gill started Dead Good Guides to create ecological sculpture trails, secular ceremonies and celebrant training for rites of passage. Recent work: “On The Edge Of A Rising Tide” a processional fable (with Sound Intervention). “Fishing Hut” a travelling exhibition (with Hannah Fox) and “Wildernest” a devotional garden by Morecambe Bay. The “Linocut Triptych” is a permanent installation in the Trinity Conference Centre in Barrow.

John Fox, Honorary Fellow of UCLan and Companion of LIPA, has gained numerous awards including an MBE in 2012. In 2017 he and Sue Gill received the Cumbria Life| Mary Burkett Award for their Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Cumbria. In 2021 the Wellcome Trust awarded the Theatre Collection at Bristol University £280,000 to preserve and catalogue their archive.

Publications: “Eyes on Stalks” Methuen 2002, “Engineers of the Imagination” Methuen 1983/1990 and (with Sue Gill) “The Dead Good Guides”. Books of poetry: “Ground” 1998, “You Never Know” 2011. “The Rain Days” 2021 and forthcoming “Occasional Remedies” 2023. These books and “Foxy’s Song Book” 2021 are available via www.deadgoodguides.co.uk.

 

Sue Gill

(November 2004 Cumbria Institute of the Arts)

In recognition of her significant contribution in the fields of media and culture in Cumbria and in the wider world.

Sue Gill has a lifelong commitment to education and began her professional life in teaching as Headteacher in remote rural primary schools. Sue is co-founder of Welfare State International and co-ordinated its education and training programme, leading summer schools and workshops on Celebratory Theatre in the UK, Denmark, Portugal, Australia, Canada and the USA. She was Course Leader for the innovative MA in Cultural Performance in partnership with the University of Bristol Department of Theatre Studies for 7 years, concluding in 2006. Along with Gilly Adams she currently runs an annual UK programme of Rites of Passage residential workshops. Working independently, she also creates bespoke secular ceremonies – frequently in landscape - to mark birth, marriage and death. She is the co-author, with John Fox on the Dead Good Guides publications. Sue is writer, photographer and project manager for Wildernest – a durational arts and ecology work on the shoreline of Morecambe Bay.

http://www.deadgoodguides.com/

November 2003

Eric Wallace

(November 2003 Cumbria Institute of the Arts)

In recognition of his significant contribution to the work of the Institute and in the wider world in the fields of media and culture.

Deceased April 2004

 

Eric Robson OBE DL

(November 2003 Cumbria Institute of the Arts)

In recognition of his significant contribution to the work of the Institute and in the wider world in the fields of media and culture (awarded November 2003, Cumbria Institute of the Arts).

Eric Robson began his television career as a writer and broadcaster with Border Television in Carlisle. Eric has been freelance for more than forty years presenting, producing and directing programmes for all the major UK networks. Until 2019 Eric was chairman of BBC Radio 4’s “Gardeners’ Question Time”, a position he held for 30 years. His books include “Great Railway Journeys of the World” and “After Wainwright” - the journal of a 190-mile adventure through the mountains of remote Lakeland. He is President of Cumbria Tourism, Chairman of The Wainwright Society and a Deputy Lieutenant for Cumbria.

http://www.stridingedge.com/eric_robson/ 

November 2002

Peter Harman

(November 2002 Cumbria Institute of the Arts)

In recognition of his significant contribution to the development of Cumbria Institute of the Arts over a period of 28 years.

In 1979 there were only 127 full time FE students and myriad part time. Peter newly appointed and Principal Adrian Turner, established an excellent working partnership, quickly recognising what needed to be achieved if the college was to establish a national status as a College of Art and Design and establish a development plan.

Peter now Vice Principal, was well qualified to achieve this aim made significant impact on the growth of the FE programmes from National Diplomas and HND with support and the cooperation of the staff. We were very successful in obtaining all our new HNDs, which later enabled UCL to validate as our degree courses. This was further enhanced by a major grant for computer hardware and software and access to HEFC networks. At this time, we were funded as the leading member of European multimedia project which gave us a share two million pounds, with access to several EU countries for recruitment. Peter initially set this up staff student exchange with Urbino in Italy it proved very successful. Peters’ grand finale was overseeing the new building redevelopment over four phases 1998 to 2002. He was in charge of the planning, purchase of equipment and design liaison for a project that involved courses decanting between four sites. The importance of teamwork at all levels cannot be undervalued. With grants and discounts the costsFry were approximately 12 million. When Peter retired in August 2002 there were 1200 full time and part time degree students all making a significant impact to the local and national economy.

 

Adrian Turner

(November 2002 Cumbria Institute of the Arts)

In recognition of his contribution to the development of Cumbria College of Art and Design and the support he has given to the Institution since that time. (Principal 1976-1991)

Deceased October 2015.

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