Craig Thomas

e: crthomas@cardiffmet.ac.uk
t: 029 2034 0905 (Foundation at Bridgend College)
w: www.csrthomas.com

Specialist Subject Areas

Interior Architecture: Senior Designer specialising in the interpretation and translation of high profile design briefs into innovative, imaginative and award-winning design solutions.

Art: Practicing artist specializing in the creation of multi-sensory, immersive, site responsive artworks.

Through this cross-disciplinary approach Craig endeavors to merge and blur the boundaries between art, architecture, cinema and theatre.

Qualifications

- Postgraduate Certificate Professional & Research Skills: Art & Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Feb 2012
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) Jun 2010
- MA in Fine Art (Merit) at Uwic, Sept 2009
- First class BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture at Uwic 1993-1996
- PADI qualified Rescue Scuba Diver at Ban’s Diving Centre, Thailand, June 2003
- Qualified Primary & Secondary CPR / AED First Aid, Thailand, June 2003
- PADI qualified Advanced Scuba Diver at Quicksilver Diving, Australia, April 2003
- PADI qualified Open Water Scuba Diver at Utila Dive Centre, Honduras, Oct 2002
- HNC Construction (part time) to become Architectural Technician at Uwic 1992-1993
- ONC Construction (part time) at Cardiff Institute of Higher Education 1991-1992

Biography

A multi-award winning Interior Architect with first-class BA(Hon) and eighteen years experience designing, running and administering the contracts of large-scale, prestigious design projects such as the Millennium Dome. Specialising in the interpretation and translation of high profile design briefs into innovative, imaginative and award-winning design solutions. His last project, ‘Energy – Fuelling the Future’ at the Science Museum, London received four D&AD awards and the Design Week award for ‘Best Exhibition Design’.

Craig completed a Masters in Fine Art, specializing in the creation of multi-sensory, immersive, site responsive artworks that explore the exchange, relay and interrelationship between the participant and their environment. Constructing environments, from carefully defined stimuli, that phenomenologically reinforce our bodily contact with the world and make conscious our intertwining with the flesh of the world. He has recently exhibited artworks nationally at venues including; Chapter Arts, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Tactile Bosch and Wales Millennium Centre.

He is the founding member of Social Club, a Cardiff-based collective of creative’s that include: designers, architects, artists, makers, musicians, poets, actors/actresses, etc. Each SocialCLUB collaboration looks to create unique and distinct environments that occupy the territory somewhere between architecture, art, cinema and theatre.

From 2004 to 2011 he was employed as a Senior Lecturer (0.7) teaching 2nd and 3rd year students on the highly regarded, multi-award winning BA(Hons) Interior Architecture course at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff. The course had won many awards including; Winner of the ‘Welsh Graduate Design Award’ at the Cardiff Design Festival 2010, Top Prize in the ‘Spatial Design’ category at London’s New Designers Show in 2008 and 2009, and has won the ‘FormZ Joint Study Award’ for CAD in Interior Design in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Craig is a Cardiff Met panel member on the ‘Unfair Practices Committee of Enquires’ and the ‘Week One Welcome Group’, and he became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in June 2010. Until recently he held the University of Wales post of Moderator to the validated Interior Design course at Limerick Senior College, where it was his responsibility to oversee the courses development over time. Principally, ensuring the University of Wales procedures, protocols and best practice was upheld with regards: learning and teaching methods, course feedback, assessment procedures, examination process, while also overseeing the development of course timetabling, curriculum and project briefs.

Current research

I am involved in three exciting research projects at Cardiff Metropolitan University that develop my art / design practice:

‘Vision-Space’: Led by Prof Rob Pepperell, Prof Steve Gill and John Jupe, the project explores our perceptual structure of vision to recreate the immersiveness of experiential reality.

‘Multi-Coloured Musical Magic’ and ‘Somantics’: Led by Wendy Keay-Bright, the project aims to develop experimental technology applications that enable autistic children to explore their environment as a medium for relaxation and to maximise on their physical and sensory interests as triggers for expressive communication.

Research Degree: Craig is currently working on his practiced-based PhD entitled, ‘How can artworks make us conscious of our presence in the world?

Principal Publications and/or Exhibitions

Artworks:
- ‘BLOWBACK’ group show at Tactile Bosch Art Space, Oct 2012
- ‘WIRAD GRADE’, Howard Gardens Gallery, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Jun 2012.
- ‘MOIST [install-latio+]’ group show at Tactile Bosch Art Space, Oct 2011
- ‘Shadow Play: Alchemy, Redolence & Enchantment’, Illustration Symposium at Chapter Arts Cardiff, Nov 2010.
- ‘Tenure: 10 years of Tactile Bosch’ Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, Oct 2010
- ‘Sonic Artists in Wales (SAW) Electroacoustic Symposium’ at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff, Mar 2010
- ‘Auxesis: Through the Lens Media’ group show at Tactile Bosch Art Space, Jan 2010

Interior Architecture:
- ‘Trading Areas’, Cabinet War Rooms, Imperial War Museum, London: Casson Mann Designers, Dec 2004
- ‘Energy: Fuelling the Future’ gallery, Science Museum: Casson Mann Designers, Aug 2004
- ‘Energy: Fuelling the Future Ring’, Science Museum: Casson Mann Designers, Aug 2004
- ‘Gallery of Craft and Design Gallery’, Manchester Art Gallery: Casson Mann Designers, July 2002
‘Manchester Gallery’, Manchester Art Gallery: Casson Mann Designers, May 2002
- ‘Matrix Chambers’, London (Reception and offices): Casson Mann Designers, April 2000
- ‘Shared Ground Zone’, Millennium Dome, London: Work Design, Dec 2000
- ‘Ruskin: Sheffield Millennium Galleries’, Sheffield Museum: Jasper Jacob Associates, Aug 1999
- ‘Sheffield Steel: Sheffield Millennium Galleries’, Sheffield Museum: Jasper Jacob Associates, Aug 1999
- ‘Gallery of Craft and Design Gallery’ at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Museum: Jasper Jacob Associates, July 1999
- ‘Vinopolis – City of Wine’, London: Jasper Jacob Associates, July 1999
- ‘Steam: Museum of the Great Western Railway’, Swindon: Jasper Jacob Associates, June 1999
- National Maritime Museum Neptune Court Project, Greenwich, London: Jasper Jacob Associates, Mar 1999
- ‘Centenary Gallery’, Horniman Museum, London: Jasper Jacob Associates, Feb 1999
- ‘African Worlds’ gallery, Horniman Museum, London: Jasper Jacob Associates, Jan 1999
- ‘Ideal Home Exhibition’, London: Jasper Jacob Associates, Sept 1997
- ‘Kaleidoscope of Life’ travelling exhibition for the British Council, Museum of Sydney and London: Jasper Jacob Associates, June 1997
- ‘Brighton Museum and Art Gallery’, Brighton: Jasper Jacob Associates, May 1997

Symposia and Conference Papers / Presentations
- ‘WIRAD GRADE’, Howard Gardens Gallery, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Jun 2012.
- ‘WIRAD Symposium for Emerging Art & Design Researchers’, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, Mar 2012.
- ‘Academic Associate Poster Symposium’, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Mar 2012.

Awards

- D&AD Annual award 2005 (‘Energy: Fuelling the Future’ gallery, Science Museum, London).
- D&AD Silver Nomination for Outstanding Achievement 2005 (‘Energy: Fuelling the Future’ gallery, Science Museum, London).
- Design Week winning award for Best Exhibition Design 2005 (‘Energy: Fuelling the Future’ gallery, Science Museum, London).
- International Visual Communications Awards IVCA Gold Award 2005 (‘Energy: Fuelling the Future’ gallery, Science Museum, London).
- D&AD Annual award 2005 (‘Energy Ring’ at the Science Museum, London).
- D&AD Silver Nomination for Outstanding Achievement 2005 (‘Energy Ring’ at the Science Museum, London).
- Nominated for a BAFTA Interactive Award 2005 (‘Energy Ring’ at the Science Museum, London).
- D&AD Highly commended award 1999 (‘Centenary Gallery’, Horniman Museum, London).
- D&AD Highly commended award 1999 (‘African Worlds’ gallery, Horniman Museum, London).