Education Leaders Program / Phil Beards
Phil Beards
Poole, UK
School affiliations
"Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true."
After graduating from Wolverhampton Polytechnic in 1978 with a BA (Hons), Phil Beards worked for Computeach International as a graphic designer. In 1982 he took up a lecturing position in graphic design and worked with the first network of Macintosh computers in the UK, teaching desktop publishing and image manipulation before retraining in video production. This led to a period of freelance video work and corporate video production and a commitment to the delivery of high-quality media education. He also became involved in the recording and production of world and ethnic music, resulting in a number of awards.
In 1997 he completed an MA in Electronic Graphics at Coventry University, bringing together skills in design, video, audio, and desktop computing. In January 2000 Phil joined the Arts University College at Bournemouth as course leader in the Interactive Media program. The course has strong links to industry and a commitment to live projects and innovation. In 2008 the course was renamed Digital Media Production to reflect changes in the media industry and to work more closely with digital video, performance video, and post-production techniques.
His commitment to developing a quality learning experience has allowed Beards to utilize many of his technical skills, and in 2009 he was awarded a Teaching and Learning award to disseminate good practice using web logs as a multimedia resource for students. He continues to be active in research. in March 2009 he curated the successful exhibition "From Here To There," a celebration of photographic alumni from the Arts Institute. This included 26 practicing photographers including Wolfgang Tilmans, Nick Knight, Philip Townsend, Francois Gillet, and Lester Lee who all submitted some Bournemouth student work in juxtaposition with a contemporary piece of work. The exhibition will undertake a national tour later in the year.