Open to opportunities

Lynds Donly

@lyndsdonly

Message

Arts educator and researcher leading art and moving image learning.

United Kingdom

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead arts education with research-informed, museum-connected practice—building inclusive, intergenerational learning and curatorial outcomes. I want a role where strategy, partnership working, and community impact are genuinely valued.

I’m an arts educator, cultural practitioner, and researcher with more than twenty years’ experience across Northern Ireland’s cultural, community, and education sectors. I’m currently Head of Art & Design and Moving Image Arts at Campbell College, Belfast.

My practice blends teaching, curatorial work, and project leadership with advanced academic research. I hold an MA in Irish Visual Culture from Ulster University, and my dissertation explored the experiences of those who fall outside of the ‘two-communities’ model within the arts.

Across my career, I’ve built long-term partnerships with museums and intercultural programmes, with a strong focus on intergenerational arts practice. I co-curate exhibitions, coordinate Arts Council funded projects, and deliver arts based education and community initiatives—often using the Ulster Museum as a learning, research, and citizenship platform.

I lead departmental strategy and delivery, managing budgets, staff, and whole-school contribution while designing GCSE and A Level curricula integrating fine, applied, and screen based practice. I also direct and facilitate drama-based educational programmes, and I’ve guided award-recognised student filmmaking—turning creative energy into community impact.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Head of Art & Design

Current

Campbell College

Jan 2011 - Present (15 years 5 months)

Led and managed the Art & Design and Moving Image Arts departments, designing and delivering GCSE and A Level curricula that integrate fine, applied, and screen-based practice. Built school–museum partnerships and organised educational visits to the Ulster Museum and other institutions while managing departmental budgets and staff.

Curriculum Design GCSE A Level Delivery Moving Image Arts (MIA)School–Museum Partnerships Staff Management

Current

Community Arts & Freelance

Current

Freelance Artist

Jan 2005 - Present (21 years 5 months)

Designed and facilitated arts programmes for community and intergenerational groups, including work delivered alongside Craigavon Borough Council and Ards Arts Collective. Produced and exhibited projects locally and internationally.

Arts Programme Design Exhibition Planning Community Engagement exhibition planning

Art & Design Teacher

Ashfield Boys' High School

Jan 2012 - Jan 2015 (3 years)

Delivered Art & Design, Photography, Media Studies, and Moving Image Arts across KS3–KS5. Implemented the departmental VLE (Fronter) and led community outreach animation projects and after-school clubs, including curating student exhibitions and regional artist workshops.

Photography Instruction Media Studies Delivery Moving Image Arts (MIA)VLE (Fronter) Implementation Community Outreach Animation Workshops Student Exhibition Curation

Art & Moving Image Arts Teacher

Ulidia Integrated College

Jan 2011 - Jan 2012 (1 year)

Delivered GCSE/A Level Art and Moving Image Arts and supervised extracurricular production projects. Supported student delivery through structured after-school and production activity planning.

GCSE A Level Art Moving Image Arts (MIA)Extracurricular Production Supervision Integrated College Teaching

Director / Workshop Practitioner

Nor Nothin' Productions

Jan 2005 - Jan 2011 (6 years)

Directed drama-based educational programmes focused on community relations and social issues. Commissioned by PSNI and local councils, facilitated creative workshops across Northern Ireland.

Drama Education Social Issues Workshops Workshop Facilitation

Project Officer

Beth Johnson Foundation

Jan 2009 - Jan 2010 (1 year)

Served as Project Officer for Linking Generations NI, promoting intergenerational methodologies within cultural and statutory sectors. Allocated regional funding and delivered practitioner training.

Intergenerational Methodologies Cultural Sector Engagement

Arts Project Coordinator

Mandarin Speakers Association NI

Jan 2006 - Jan 2008 (2 years)

Co-curated touring exhibitions of Chinese cultural practice in Northern Ireland. Managed Arts Council funding, budgets, and outreach initiatives to support exhibition delivery.

Exhibition Curatorship Touring Exhibition Coordination Chinese Cultural Practice Interpretation Arts Council Funding Management Budget Management

Art & Design Teacher

Strangford Integrated College

Jan 2013 - Present (13 years 5 months)

Taught Art & Design across key stages and served as form teacher for sixth form. Facilitated art–community collaborations and provided after-school support.

Key Stage Curriculum Delivery Sixth Form Form Tutoring After School Support Integrated College Teaching Practice

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Ulster University

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Art & Design, Art & Design (Teaching)

PGCE in Art & Design with subsidiary studies in Drama and Media Studies.

Ulster University

Master of Arts (MA) in Irish Visual Culture, Irish Visual Culture

Activities and societies: Dissertation research on experiences of those outside the 'two-communities' model in the arts.

MA in Irish Visual Culture with a focus on curatorship, representation, identity, and cultural policy in post-conflict contexts. Dissertation examined experiences of those outside the 'two-communities' model within the arts.