Who's who
Barry Cooper
Lecturer
Barry started his career straight from school as a sports journalist in London. At weekends he would visit the first pop festivals such as Glastonbury at Pill farm and had many photographs of that era published in the emergent ‘underground’ press.
Success at the age of sixteen led to a vocational course in photography that raised serious doubts about the educational value of vocational courses. After finishing the course, Barry had work published in an international review of young photographers.
Following a short spell doing freelance commercial photography, Barry went on to work at the BBC, qualifying as an assistant editor through the BBC training scheme. As sound editor he worked on a wide range of documentaries but decided to develop programme ideas rather than edit, so he embarked on an Environmental Science degree at Plymouth.
On completing the degree, Barry’s first destination was a trial period at a conservation centre in Cornwall. At the time the centre was developing a conservation philosophy with elements drawn from anarchy, environmental education and conservation practice. It is these elements of innovative and alternative learning that have influenced much of Barry’s outlook on the development of theory and practice in education.
Environmental Science was rewarding in its own right but also relevant to the unfolding situation of the 1984 Miners Strike which coincided with graduation from the science course. From the conservation project Barry moved to South Wales, initially to freelance at the BBC in Cardiff as an assistant editor and researcher. Living in the midst of the Miners Strike led to contact with the Workers Education Association. Working through them and other local agencies, Barry set up and ran five video and photography workshops and courses dealing with representation and empowerment in the coalfields.
Moving to Plymouth, Barry taught various WEA classes and began to explore painting as practice. Barry went on to teach photography and cultural studies at the College of St Mark and St John and sociology at the local Further Education College while studying for the Certificate in Education. The Cert. Ed. offered an opportunity to study alternative and psychoanalytical approaches to learning and creativity, influences that are currently being developed through practice and reflection.
Since teaching at Falmouth, Barry has developed innovative approaches to teaching theory and practice. He has had an active interest in widening participation and the use of Objective One funding, examining this through subject development in terms of processes of representation in Cornwall. Barry also worked with a group of students and staff to produce a campaigning mental health documentary and continues to have an active interest in mental health issues and campaigns.
Research areas have included photography that disturbs the stereotypical representations of Cornwall, documentary research on social change in Penryn and shooting a short drama for the Cornish Film Festival.
Barry is currently working on a series of paintings, videos and photographs that will contribute towards a future exhibition.
E:
T:01326 370401
Copyright © 2011 University College Falmouth. All Rights Reserved.
