Are arts and science technicians really so different? I’m not so sure.
Generic job descriptions were first introduced for technicians at Plymouth University in 2012 by the Faculty of Science & Engineering. Last year these were adapted for wider use and rolled out to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. At the outset this was expected to pose quite a challenge. In practice the project proved to be surprisingly simple. The main adaptation required the need to reference support for studios in addition to just labs and workshops. In short the similarities between arts and science technicians completely outweigh the differences.
If you are unconvinced by this argument then consider an initiative in the States. Rhode Island School of Design has championed the concept of placing art and design at the centre of research policy with full integration into the STEM curriculum. This really provokes ideas of what a fully integrated technical support infrastructure can look like.
Throughout this period there has been a national debate about professional registration for technicians. Those supporting STEM subjects are able to register through the Science Council and are well supported by organisations like the Institute of Science & Technology (IST). However, whenever the subject has been raised at technical conferences, the cry went up: “What about the arts”?
In the next few months, registered science technicians will be joined by registered arts technicians - and the organisation facilitating and sponsoring this, is none other than the IST. Now that’s what I call visionary.