Susan Egan

Where You Live: Brighton
Company: City College Brighton and Hove
Job Title: Lecturer in Art and Design and a practising Digital Media Artist

Describe your job/role?
I've been working at City College for about 15 years. When I started, I was teaching Sculpture, Three-Dimensional Design and Visual Studies. Since 2001, I have been involved in developing the curriculum for the foundation course in Art and Design in relation to visual digital media. I also teach in the college's Visual and Performing Arts and Adult Education departments.
I am doing a postgraduate diploma in Digital Media Art at the University of Brighton which will lead to a masters degree.

What is the best thing about your job?
I really enjoy teaching people. Over the last five years, I've been involved in developing the curriculum and so I'm actually challenging the students. It's great to see how they respond and develop.

What attracted you to it?
When I was doing my Fine Art Sculpture degree at Chelsea School of Art, there were a number of artists who were also teaching. I got a lot out of them teaching me and I could see it could be a rewarding career. I could also see I could teach part-time and continue to practise art.

What schools did you go to and what subjects did you take?
I went to a grammar school and took my O-levels. I left school at 16 and had a gap year before I continued with further education when I took a foundation course in Art and Design. At the same time, I did A-level Art and History of Art.

What was your favourite subject and why?
Um, well that would be Art! I loved it because I could always just get completely immersed in it.

Did you go to University / College and if so what did you study?
Yes. I did a degree in Fine Art Sculpture at Chelsea School of Art.

What was your first job?
My first job was working as an occasional visiting lecturer at various art colleges like Central School of Art, Stourbridge School of Art and Portsmouth College.

What does your career path look like?
I've always had a dual career path in teaching and practising art. I am very lucky to have been able to teach part-time.
I would say that one of the significant developments in my career as an artist was when I went to Amsterdam about five years ago and saw an exhibition of Bill Viola's video installations. That inspired me to start making my own video work. I had to then learn how to use a computer and how to edit and so on. I've never looked back.

Which women have inspired and influenced your career?
Lots of women have but I have been particularly inspired by the sculptor Barbara Hepworth.

What would you say is your strongest attribute/s?
My creativity, my enquiring mind and my tenacity. I love to visit other countries and see the architecture and arts and crafts. I recently went on a trip to Java where I saw the Buddhist Stupa, Borobudur. I also find the skyscrapers in New York City are awe-inspiring.

What do you think is the most exciting/interesting thing about working in the digital media industry?
I think it's very interesting how art and design are coming together very closely with technology. Now you have to think about the technology as well as what something is going to look like. I also find the fast pace at which it is developing is interesting in itself.
The internet gives artists a way in which to showcase their work to a huge audience, which they've never had before. There are new forms of art emerging, like net art and new form of interactivity, which give artists the chance to showcase their work in entirely new media.

What advice would you give to people who consider entering the digital media industry?
As an educator, I would say get as qualified as you can as it's a very competitive world. Go on to further education and a degree if you can. Make sure you do something you really enjoy doing because that will support you when the going gets tough.
I would also tell people that if they are on a course, they should take up any work experience they can. When I was at Chelsea, I helped to set up and run a seminar at the ICA as part of the New Contemporaries exhibition. When I was doing my dissertation on the artist Miro, I had the opportunity to meet Sir Roland Penrose at his home in Lewes and see his collection of Miro works.
I would also say don't wait until you've left college, get yourself a good CV, write letters of application and network. Keep up to date with digital media opportunities. Get with it!