Christy joined the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (now Centre for Collaborative Learning) in May 2017. She has a particular interest in Widening Participation, underpinned by her own experience of coming into HE, as a mature student, via a varied and interesting route, from a non-traditional background. Christy is a qualified Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) Supervisor, through the North European Centre for Supplemental Instruction in Sweden. Qualifications: PGCE in Further and Higher Education, 2016 MA Fine Art (Site and Place), University of Central Lancashire, 2008
Christy spent many years working as a community artist, immediately after studying Art, at Mid Cheshire College of Art. Having often found herself running workshops for people older and wiser than herself, Christy developed techniques in creating communities, through shared interests, allowing people to learn from and with each other. She built on this experience, when first coming to work for the University of Central Lancashire, by setting up many small community projects, whilst running the Millennium Volunteers programme for the university, focusing around arts and personal development. This allowed disengaged young people to get involved in projects that boosted their confidence and helped them to find secure work, or to return to education. Many of those young people went on to become students at the University of Central Lancashire. Her MA in Fine Art focused on socially engaged practice, culminating in a piece that built a community through walking, breeding a culture of respect and appreciation, built by the opportunity to express oneself. It is this interest that has been a common thread throughout all her work, and continues today, within her work for CCL, where she encourages staff on CPPD courses to work together as a learning community, based on shared experiences, mutual respect and understanding.
