R+D

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Sylvia’s commissions and educational programming are inter-dependent, informing and developing one another. She has held a number of arts lecturer positions at institutions internationally, such as the University of Salford (UK), Queens University Belfast, Krems University (Austria), University of British Columbia, and Emily Carr University of Art and Design (Vancouver), among others. 

The past year has seen Sylvia develop and implement curriculum for the launch of the new digital photography and media arts programme at the University of Salford in Manchester. This position complements and follows on from her guest lectureship as MA convener in Photography and MA-PhD leader for the Picture-Text programme at the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland. During her period at Queen’s University, Sylvia’s teaching excellence was acknowledged for her re-COLLECT-ing project, addressing exhibition practice, development and research. In addition, she also holds the position of a summer mentor at the University of Stirling, Scotland, and leads their photography programme.

In these UK positions, Sylvia has supervised programs focusing on digital media skills acquisition, research practices, and exhibition delivery. Her teaching philosophy built from her prior role as an Assistant Professor at Emily Carr University. She remains keem in her teaching practice to present a balance of history, theory and direct application so that students will be able to position themselves confidently in relation to contemporary and historical aesthetics. Within a context of examining past and current practices, her students were often encouraged to experiment and explore new techniques, alongside new ways of assessing media, criticality and self-reflection. The attainment of information (conceptual content, theoretical frameworks, and exercises) and technique (process) are balanced and equal in accomplishing a successful learning outcome (e.g. art production). Similarly, Sylvia encouraged the dialogue between student and teacher, emphasizing that it should always be reciprocal in order to achieve the maximum benefit.