University creatives explore the link between teaching and art

Published on 5, November, 2025

Artwork created by creative practitioners from the University of Sunderland has been featured in a collaborative exhibition that celebrates artist-teachers working across the education sector.

University Fine Art staff Natalie Gale, Hannah Gawne, and Dr Fiona Larkin form research collective Speaking in Tongues, which generates artwork through workshops and discussion to help inform teaching and learning.

Their work is now featured in Dead Dog Gallery’s latest exhibition - Process: A Dialogue Between Pedagogy and Practice, which explores the evolving role of artist teachers as both creative and teaching professionals.

The exhibition is made up of artwork from artist-teachers from across the country, showcasing how teaching can inform practice and, in turn, can transform the act of teaching.

Dr Fiona Larkin, Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at the University, said: “Speaking in Tongues is a collaborative research group set up to respond to the various ways we communicate our teaching, looking at the technical, academic, tacit language of making art.

“In the workshops, we attempt to harness the diaglossic nature of art practice through engaging with others. The Dead Dog Gallery has been a great opportunity to share these ideas and has opened up some incredibly fruitful discussions with artist teachers.”

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Natalie Gale, Lecturer in Fine Art at the University, said: “Speaking in Tongue’s piece, HOT, STICKY, HYPERBLANK 2025, is created through engaging artists, students, designers, teachers, technicians and creatives etc, to explore how they do/can talk about creative practice.

“The work begins with a table/game board with various materials and prompt cards provided where the creative activities take place; the ‘participants/players’ take part in a game of sorts prompted by activities whereby they are asked to explore their own practice/creative ideas via the materials provided, then write down a word describing the process, adding to the glossary.”

Hannah Gawne added: “Our project looks at empowering the tacit knowledge students develop during their time here and in their practice. For example, within traditional printmaking, there are techniques and skills which are easier to explain, actions that can be written in a book and instructions and measurements followed.

“However, there is so much knowledge that needs to be experienced, repeated and felt physically.  I feel like this project empowers students to see the tacit, hard-to-explain knowledge we all hold.”

The gallery and exhibition will be open Thursdays and Fridays, 9:30am - 3:30pm, until 12 December 2025 in line with school term times.

If you’re interested in studying Fine Art at the University of Sunderland, find out more here.