Iona Jackson is Course Leader for BA (Hons) 3D Design and Craft at Leeds Arts University. She is a multidisciplinary designer-maker and educator whose career spans craft practice, enterprise and international cultural collaboration.

Trained in Fine Art: Sculpture at Norwich School of Art & Design and later completing an MA in Book Arts at Camberwell College of Arts (UAL), Iona’s foundation lies in rigorous 3D making and material investigation. Her practice spans sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, book arts and metalwork, underpinned by a long-standing interest in material culture — how objects carry meaning, memory and social value.

Iona’s professional journey has been deliberately expansive. She began as an apprentice in a bronze foundry, developing advanced casting skills and an understanding of production, finish and professional standards. Since then, her portfolio career has included roles as designer-maker, art director, curator, interior designer, public art commissioner and Head of Art for a national property company, commissioning and installing site-specific work across corporate and public contexts.

Living and working in Japan and China profoundly shaped her outlook. She was a founding member and later Director of the Beijing Academy of Creative Arts (BACA), establishing and leading accredited art and design programmes in partnership with UK awarding bodies. This role involved curriculum design, accreditation processes, staff leadership and the development of international academic standards. Alongside this, she founded Bunker Press and collaborated with craftspeople and manufacturers, developing product-based work that combined pattern design, textiles and small-batch production. These experiences strengthened her understanding of branding, production, pricing, sustainability and the realities of building a creative practice.

Iona often speaks about the value of a portfolio career — recognising that transferable skills, creative thinking and entrepreneurial agility are as important as disciplinary expertise. She is passionate about supporting students to see the breadth of opportunity within 3D design and craft: from studio practice and exhibition to commission, collaboration, enterprise and social impact.

Iona remains committed to teaching and mentorship. She holds a PGCHE and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her pedagogic interests include student transition from FE to HE, confidence-building, and helping emerging creatives identify their strengths, connect ideas across disciplines, and build sustainable, adaptable careers.