Mr Cameron Craddock
| Biography | Cameron is a Principal Lecturer and the Communication Design Department Lead at Gray’s School of Art. He is also a Co-founder, Creative Lead and Research Coordinator for Streetsport / Denis Law Legacy Trust – Scottish Charity Number SC 043169 Cameron’s academic activities have explored the application of communication design processes and methods to develop solutions and interventions that aim to address a range of societal issues and in particular support marginalised groups. Through collective partnership working with various stakeholders (including Police Scotland, Aberdeen City Council, Foundation 92 and the Johan Cruyff Foundation), he has used creativity and play to actively promote health and wellbeing and help eliminate barriers for ‘hard to reach’ youths by widening participation to a range of free to access activities, facilities and resources that unite people and help foster a sense of social value, belonging and responsibility within communities. In particular he has developed several social inclusion and diversionary tactics initiatives and projects that have attracted and diverted disaffected youths from the pressures and often challenging circumstances within their communities thereby effecting reductions in crime and anti-social behaviour. As an example, he developed the Denis Law Legacy Trust’s Streetsport programme which deploys temporary mobile activity arenas into a number of locations throughout Aberdeen City, taking activities directly to youths within their own communities. The locations often fall within seven priority neighbourhoods reported by the Scottish Government as being in the 15% most deprived areas of Scotland (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation). The Denis Law Legacy Trust’s impact is demonstrated by its ability to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour and crime; improve prospects for employability through skills development pathways and widen levels of inclusion and participation for disadvantaged young people. Their collaborative partnership model brings together multiple stakeholders and volunteers resulting in activities that react and respond to local community needs and issues. Programmes currently exceed 20,000 active participations annually and, in some instances, have helped reduce complaints of anti-social behaviour by over 90%. The Denis Law Legacy Trust has 10 Goals (aims and objectives) and their work and activities have been recognised both locally and nationally with a number of nominations and awards. |
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| Research Interests | Communication Design Advertising Campaigns & Strategies Creativity & Play Sports Brands Design Interventions & Designing out Crime Community Engagement & Diversionary Tactics Social Innovation & Inclusion Health & Wellbeing |
| Teaching and Learning | Cameron's teaching & learning interests centre around brand communications and the design and development of strategies, initiatives and interventions that often explore the role of the designer in reducing crime and anti-social behaviour whilst encouraging wellness, health promotion, inclusivity, and social integration. Through the application of design methods and processes he has been looking at ways in which Communication Design students can apply their skills within the above contexts for the benefit of local communities and wider society. |