Angus Bafta-winning photographer and film-maker Professor Paul Harris has been appointed to a prestigious north-east arts post.
Professor Paul Harris, who has lived in Kirriemuir for almost 20 years, is the new head of Robert Gordon University’s Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen.
He joins from from Abertay University in Dundee, where he was creative director of the Institute of Arts, Media and Computer Games.
Professor Harris said, “Gray’s School of Art produces a steady stream of talented professionals who drive the region’s creative and cultural economy.
“I hope to lead the school in its vision to become a leading art and design school for northern Europe whilst continuing to develop new talent in not only modern communication forms such as graphic design and digital media but in traditional crafts and fine arts including painting, printmaking and ceramics.”
During his Dundee tenure, he attracted over £9 million in funding to support Scotland’s creative industries and also established the National Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education.
Following a career in television, working for Channel 4, Central Television and the BBC, Professor Harris began teaching media production and was head of film and television at Edinburgh College of Art from 1996 to 2002.
His industry background and passion for cultivating the next generation of artists has been recognised with numerous national and international awards as a director, script advisor and executive producer of student work including two Royal Television Society Awards, a Scottish BAFTA for best new documentary talent and a British Academy Award for best short film.
He has also served on and chaired a number of panels and boards including BBC Scotland’s Music, Arts and Entertainment Independent Review Panel, the Scottish Screen Investment Panel, the Centre for Excellence in Media Practice, Scottish Enterprise’s Digital Media Industry Advisory Group and Angus Digital Media Centre.