As part of our appeal for former staff and students of DMU and predecessors to share their memories with us, we’ve recently hosted former lecturer in knitwear Helen Dunn. Helen studied at Leicester Polytechnic and returned a few years later to take up a teaching post.
It was wonderful to have Helen look through some materials from the archive with us. She remembered so many of her students and was able to explain the set-up of the courses, how they changed over time and what was required of the students, particularly on the BA Hons Fashion Design (Knitwear). It was especially interesting to hear about connections with industry and how many students had the opportunity to design for big-name fashion retail companies.
If you have any memories or archive materials you would like to share please get in touch!
About Katharine Short
When I was 13 every careers questionnaire I did at school suggested I become an archivist. In rebellion I studied History of Art at Cambridge and the Courtauld Institute before giving in to the inevitable and undertaking a qualification in Archives Administration at Aberystwyth University. I worked at King’s College London Archives and the London Metropolitan Archives before becoming the Archivist here at DMU in January 2013. My role is hugely varied: answering enquiries and assisting researchers, sorting, cataloguing, cleaning and packaging archival material, managing our environmentally controlled storage areas, giving seminars, talks and tours, researching aspects of University history, liaising with potential donors and advocating for the importance of archives within the organisation. I am one of those incredibly fortunate people who can say ‘I love my job’ and really mean it.
