Dr Abbie Cairns

It is a great way to uncover the natural embedding of these key themes and to appreciate the many creative ways we already weave them into our practice as educators.

One feature I always enjoy exploring is how Copilot can help map the embedding of English, maths, safeguarding, and British values, as well as the sustainability goals, more recently.

I have had a lot of fun this afternoon putting together some AI training for my ACL Essex colleagues.

I am sad that I cannot join the team meeting tomorrow, as I will be teaching, but I hope they enjoy watching the videos and exploring Copilot!

Wait

#Studio #ArtStudio #Watercolour #Orange #Paint #Paper #WorkInProgress #MixedMedia #Tape #BTS #Wait #Collaboration

#CreativeColchester #ColchesterArtist #EssexArt #AbbieCairns

Not long now until the UCET Annual Conference, and my first time attending!

I will be delivering a workshop titled: Becoming an Inquiring Professional in FE: Mapping Identity, Practice and Purpose.

If you are local, do pop in and take a look!

It is wonderful to see my art finding its place within this beautiful and historic setting.

It was such a joy to pop into The Minories today and see 'hi' in its new home.

'hi' has been part of the Victor Batte-Lay Foundation Collection for a while, and it is now on display, welcoming visitors to The Minories for the foreseeable future.

Having a play in the studio and things got creepy quickly 🎃

Think broken bones and fallen heads.

#Sculpture #Bones #Body #Figure #Halloween #HalloweenArt #DIYart #3D

#CreativeColchester ##ColchesterArtist #EssexArtist #AbbieCairns

Seeing it now in libraries feels like a real milestone after the journey from idea to finished work.

If it is not in a library near you, you can order your copy here: www.routledge.com/Exploring-yo...

I was so excited to see my book in the Colchester Institute library today. There is something special about seeing your work out in the wild!

This book is designed to help teachers and trainers in further education explore and develop professional identity.

I am looking forward to engaging with colleagues in thinking about the intersections of pedagogy, creativity, and ecological thinking in art and design education.

I will be presenting ‘Practices of Sustenance: Artist-Teachers and the Quiet Ecologies of Adult Community Learning’, exploring how sustenance, the quiet, relational practices that support both teachers and learners, acts as an ecological intervention.

This year’s theme, ‘Ecologies’, is particularly inspiring. Artists work at the messy frontier of relations between humans and nonhumans, across disciplines, media, geographies, and the senses. These relations are ecological, and so is the work of artist-teachers.

I am excited to be preparing for the 14th iJADE Conference, which will take place online on Thursday, 6 November, and in person on Saturday, 8 November, at Arnolfini & UWE Bristol. This is the first iJADE conference I will be able to attend in person, and I am really looking forward to it!

I had the pleasure of facilitating our SPACE: Peer-to-Peer session online yesterday evening.

We will be back in November, both online and in person, I hope you can join us! Keep an eye out for dates or join our mailing list!

I have been busy preparing for the 4th Artist-Teacher in Adult Community Learning Conference, taking place online on 21st March 2026.

This year’s theme, Making Space!

Abstract submissions open Monday, 17th November 2025!

@nsead.bsky.social

Here’s to the next half term. New ideas, new research, and more creative teaching ahead!

I am really looking forward to what is next, including the return to teaching adult art courses with WEA - Adult Learning, Within Reach, my first subject, and still one of my greatest joys! And some exciting work with the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD)!

Outside of teaching and research, I have also been busy in the art studio, preparing for upcoming exhibitions and working on a collaborative project with Tina Bullen.

Research and publications are ongoing as always:
Exploring your FE Teacher Identity
Exploring your FE Teacher Identity: An Introduction, College of West Anglia & LSRN Research and Innovation Forum
Lend me an EAR, AD (NSAEAD)
The Use of the Likert Scale for Dual Identities in Lifelong Learning BERA

I have made time for some fantastic professional development since September, including sessions with Education Training Foundation, LSRN, Freelands Foundation, BERA, SRA, AmplifyFE exploring everything from AI and neurodiversity to sustainability, creative research methods, and adaptive teaching.

This half term has also marked a new chapter as I stepped into my role as LSRN Learning and Skills Research Network Co-Convener. I have helped to set up and facilitate our first two Thinking Together sessions, and had the privilege of chairing sessions at the Virtual Health and Well-Being Summit.

I can not believe the first half term is already over.

It has been a busy and fulfilling start to the year. I am enjoying my new ITE role at University Centre Colchester, dipping my toe into the world of MA Education, and watching my trainee teachers achieve so much in just five weeks.

I have had a great Sustainability Day at Colchester Institute today!

I am looking forward to delving into the UN Sustainable Development Goals with my trainee teachers after the October half-term, exploring how these can be meaningfully embedded across the curriculum and in everyday practice.

I am starting to consider what items represent my identity.

A cup of tea is high on the list.

#ArtExhibition #CreativeProcess #Patch #PatchColchester #DigitalArt #BehindTheScenes #InProgress #Drawing #LineDrawing #Tea #CupOfTea

#CreativeColchester #ColchesterArtist #EssexArt #AbbieCairns

This was followed by Freelands Foundation: Make Online – Journeys, which asked: What does it mean to ‘be an artist’ while also balancing so many other things, not least being a teacher?

I had to carry this message with me today, and had the perfect bag to do so!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending two online sessions.

I started with “Unlocking Potential with AI: How We Empowered Our Educators and Learners” hosted by Juliana Valadares Saili with SET and Education Training Foundation.

It has been a brilliant first half-term here at University Centre Colchester and it has flown by!

I am so proud of the progress, creativity, and collaboration I have seen from everyone. I can not wait to see what’s next after the October break!

What a day!

Seven hours, ten dedicated trainee teachers, ten fantastic micro-teaching sessions, twenty rounds of thoughtful peer feedback, many gold stars — and one very proud teacher-educator!

I spoke about moving from practitioner to researcher, how reflexivity and creativity inform my work, and why research should be seen as a conversation with ourselves and the world.