Dr John Harrison
Head of School of Performing Arts - Manchester
John Harrison has worked in higher education for over 20 years and joined the University in 2022 as the Head of Education for BIMM Manchester. In July 2023, John was appointed to the role of Head of School for Performing Arts at the Institute for Contemporary Theatre, based at the iconic and historic Dancehouse Theatre on Oxford Road.
During his career, John has gained significant experience in academic leadership for subjects aligned to the creative industries, fulfilling roles such as module leader, personal tutor, course leader and head of department. John’s experience in higher education has been applied to key areas of higher education such as access and participation, assessment and moderation, learning and teaching, product development, quality and standards, and the student outcomes.
John’s experience in overseeing academic standards has led him to be appointed to several External Examiner roles, for institutions such as Manchester Metropolitan University, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Central Lancashire. In the area of apprenticeships, John has previously led the design of operational frameworks for higher and degree level apprenticeships, and successfully has achieved a Register of End Point Assessment Organisation (RoEPAO) application for integrated degree apprenticeship awards.
John’s academic specialism is photography in the documentary and socially engaged modes and he completed a practice-based PhD in this field, in 2022. John was awarded Senior Fellowship (SFHEA) of the Higher Education Academy in 2015 (establishing national and international knowledge exchange partnerships) and is a member of the Association for Photography in higher Education (APHE). John also has a strong interest in music and has played the guitar since his early teens, recently performing at the Greater Manchester Fringe composing music and performing live for contemporary theatre.
