Katharine Nicholls

Senior Lecturer

With over a decade in the Animation industry in addition to her work as a freelance illustrator, artist and designer, Katharine brings a rich creative background to her role as Senior Lecturer on BA(Hons) Animation. 

It was by happy accident that she fell into the animation industry when an illustration job came in from her agent to paint a background on a title sequence. Through this she discovered the truly collaborative way of working that distinguishes an animation studio, and she loved it.  Katharine then went on to paint animation backgrounds on many TV favourites, including, ‘Father Christmas’, ‘The Tailor of Gloucester’, ‘‘The Wind in the Willows’ and the 2D series, 'Angelina Ballerina'. Alongside this she worked in studio art departments on the characters and backgrounds for many more commercials, films and series.

At Falmouth Katharine continues to contribute to films and other projects and has recently been a creative practitioner on the exciting interdisciplinary research project ATTUNE, which brings together creative-arts and health to investigate how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can affect adolescents' mental health.

All of Katharine's work is deeply rooted in visual storytelling, which permeates every aspect of her professional journey, her focus currently being on helping Animation students to collaborate and in doing so to realise their film-making ambitions.

External Links

kathy

Contact details

Telephone 01326 259082
Email katharine.nicholls@falmouth.ac.uk
Katharine Nicholls animation of a barge
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Katharine Nicholls animation of willows and lakeside
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Katharine Nicholls animation of a tunnel
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Katharine Nicholls animation of a river and boats
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Katharine Nicholls animation for a poster of a beach
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The Art of Animation poster
The Art of Animation

    Qualifications

    Qualifications

    Year Qualification Awarding body
    2019 MA Falmouth University
    2017 PGDip Falmouth University
    2015 PGCHE Falmouth University

    Honors and awards

    Year Description
    2017

    Staff excellence award in the category of best international collaboration for work on the Cross Channel Film Lab

    Membership of external committees

    HEA Fellow

    Research Interests

    Research interests and expertise

    Katharine is currently one of the creative practitioners on the exciting new interdisciplinary project ATTUNE, which brings together diverse creative-arts, digital and health experts to investigate how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can affect adolescents' mental health. 

    In tandem with a panel of young people, ATTUNE will explore how creative practices such as music, art, dance and storytelling can play a role in tackling trauma and multiple adversity. The study hopes to spark a change in the way mental health is understood and then addressed by community services. 

    Through a series of Animation workshops, Katharine's role will be to help young people tell their stories and outline their preferences for treatment, leading to them co-designing new ways of providing help and care.

    Research Topics

    • Practice based Research

    Research Outputs

    Publications and research outputs

    • Nicholls, Katharine, Derek, Hayes, Mulraney, Rosa, Aardman Animations, Lupus Films, Tiger Aspect, The Illuminated Film Company, Magic Light Pictures, Beryl Productions, Ozzie Parker, A Productions, Luis Cook, Elaine Pamphillon and Becky Blair

      (2022), The Art of Animation Exhibition, Falmouth Art Gallery

    • Nicholls, Katharine and Hayes, Derek

      (2021), Case studies from the Live Briefs on BA(Hons) Animation at Falmouth University CILECT, In: CILECT CONGRESS 2021-10-12 Audiovisual Education: Impact & Relevance, ZOOM, in partnership with Kristiania University, Oslo, Norway, 14 - 16 October 2021, Online, Item availability may be restricted.

    • Nicholls, Katharine

      (2016), ‘The Cross Channel Film Lab’ case study., In: HEA Conference Inspire – sharing great practice in Arts and Humanities teaching and learning, Thursday, 3 March, 2016, The Waterfront Hotel, Brighton, BN1 2GS, Item availability may be restricted.

    • Nicholls, Katharine

      (2015), ‘The Cross Channel Film Lab’ case study., In: Society of Animation Studies, Beyond the Frame, Canterbury, 2015, 13th - 16th July 2015, Canterbury, (Unpublished)

    • Nicholls, Katharine

      (2014), Deep Presentation, In: Creative Animation Knowledge Exchange - C.A.K.E., 14th - 18th July 2014, Edge hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP, (Unpublished), Item availability may be restricted.

    Events

    2018

    BA Drawing Forum 2018, presentation on the use of VR to aid spatial awareness in drawing.

    Events

    2017

    Cilect Congress, 'Step across the Border: Transmedia Strategies & Interdisciplinary Approaches'. Zurich

    Events

    2016

    The Cross Channel Film Lab workshops, Brittany, France and Falmouth, Cornwall.

    Events

    2016

    HEA conference, Brighton

    Teaching

    Areas of teaching

    • digital painting
    • Drawing for animation
    • Life drawing
    • production design and film supervision

    Courses taught

    • BA(Hons) Animation

    Business Engagement

    Business engagement case studies

    Worked with The Cross Channel Film Lab, 2014 - 2016.

    Professional Engagement

    Independent professional practice

    Visiting practitioner at the 'Outback Film-making Bootcamp', in Queensland, Australia, 2018.

    Social, community and cultural engagement

    Co-curator of 'The Art of Animation',  29 January to 26 March 2022

    From Scribble to Screen: an exhibition hosted by Falmouth Art Gallery, curated by staff from the animation department of Falmouth University. During the exhibition, guests, as well as schoolchildren were able to get involved in animation workshops and learned how to make their own animated film. They also got to view some previously unseen footage from the companies behind The Gruffalo and The Tiger Who Came to Tea!

    Publicity:

    Engagement with professional associations and societies

    External examiner for BDes Animation at Duncan of Jordanstone, also for BA Visual Media at The Irish School of Animation, Dublin on behalf of The University of Dundee.

    CILECT conference: ‘Training the Trainers’: GEECT Symposium in Norway. 
    CILECT conference: 'Transmedia and Interdisciplinary approaches' Zurich
    Staff mobility to UTAD University in Madrid to generate an Erasmus partnership.
    Organised Animator in Residence programme with the director, Luis Cook. 
    Attended the VR World Congress 2017 in Bristol.
    Currently involved in a Film collaboration with FAMU in the Czech Republic and the National Maritime Museum, Cornwall.
     

    Professional esteem indicators

    Year Description
    2019

    Received a staff excellence award in the category of ‘Best International Collaboration’ for our work as a team with The Cross Channel Film Lab. And newly nominated for 2019 Staff excellence in the category of collaboration...