Canterbury College - Meet the Art & Design Professionals
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Meet the Art & Design Professionals

Our Art & Design students are supported and inspired by professional tutors who understand the industry, with backgrounds in their trade and knowledge of how the art industry works.

Ben Kidger, Head of Department

Ben is a talented and established artist, sculptor and gallery curator. He holds an extensive portfolio of sculptures and completes commission work for clients. He has worked internationally, most notably in the Middle East on a projects with refugees.

Rob Black, Programme Director

Rob, who has previously exhibited work at the world-renowned Turner Contemporary, is a specialist in graphic design. He has a vast experience working in the graphic design and publishing industries and is an expert at digital design.

Nikita Adams, Programme Director

Nikita is a specialist in digital film arts and regularly holds photography courses to share her extensive knowledge of the industry. She is an exhibitor at the Harvey Gallery in Guildford.

Danny Whitcher, Photography

Danny is a photography specialist, who has been exhibiting work at local galleries for over 10 years. He also collaborates with artists and private clients on their projects.

 

Denise Knights-Toomer, Industry Liaison Officer

Denise is the department's Industry Liaison Officer. Her main role is to ensure that students get the work experience that prepares them for a career in the arts. She is an industry professional herself, having been the Interior Designer and Managing Director of Hamiltons International for over 30 years. She has designed and furnished homes of the rich and famous over the world. She is also a business advisor to SME and worked with the Prince's Trust as a 'talent match' mentor. 

Gemma Vincent, Skills Practitioner

Gemma has worked in costume for theatre and film for the past 15 years. She owns her own clothing brand and teaches sewing evening courses at the College. She has worked on many West End shows as a maker, alteration specialist and supervisor. She collaborates with top designers and clients for large-scale shows and events.

Luke Godfrey, Programme Director

Luke is a specialist in ceramics and sculpture and has exhibited his work across the UK. He is part of the art collective Ceramic Art Dover, which aims to encourage the local and wider community of Dover to engage with clay workshops. He has worked in the industry alongside studying an MA at the Royal College Art.

Kirsty Ralfs, Skills Practitioner

Kirsty works as a professional photographer and works in digital retouching too. She specialises in family portrait and wedding photography and runs her own workshops in Herne Bay. Kirsty has exhibited her work locally and internationally. 

Sarah Knowler, Lecturer

Sarah has been teaching art in schools and colleges in Kent and London for over 15 years. She has worked at the Royal Academy of Arts, giving her a firm grounding in education for exhibitions and art history. More recently she has been teaching creative workshops in 'Rock Paper Scissors' in Canterbury. She regularly exhibits her own work and has a BA and MA in Textiles from Goldsmiths College, University of London. She is currently teaching Level 3 Graphics and Foundation Learning alongside her roles as a skills practitioner in Print.

Clive Soord, Lecturer

Clive is an award-winning artist, modeller and painter. He has been commissioned to produce work for the film industry on various projects and his art is exhibited across the world, including Bali and America.

Find out more about our Art & Design courses