David Quin

David Quin is a retired Irish animator, director, and academic formerly based at IADT. He lectured in Animation at IADT from 1999 until his retirement, where he served as Chair of both the DL832 undergraduate Animation programme and the DL931 Masters in Animation study programme. Throughout his academic career, David led modules in media projects, research, concept development, and client-based animation work, focusing on preparing students for industry and professional practice.

During his time at IADT, David was a longstanding member of the Academic Council and the Teaching and Learning Committee, contributing significantly to curriculum development and institutional policy. He completed a postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning at IADT and was part of a team recognized with a DELTA Award from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning for their disciplinary excellence.

David participated in several international higher education projects, including serving as IADT coordinator for TEMPUS ALIGN and DESTIN, EU-funded initiatives designed to align academic programmes with national and international quality frameworks. His work took him extensively to Armenia and Ukraine, and he also served on programme validation and review panels for higher education agencies in Lithuania, Slovenia, and Croatia.

David began his animation career in the late 1970s at Quin Films, a family-run studio, where he worked on stop-motion animation for RTÉ children’s programming, including segments for "Bosco," and series such as "Bailebeag" and "Long Long Ago." In the 1990s, he joined Brown Bag Films as their first CGI animator and later became Technical Director, contributing to projects including "Give Up Your Auld Sins."

Alongside his industry work, David focused his research on experimental animation and the intersection of digital and non-digital techniques, a process he termed “de-digitisation.” He completed a Masters by Research in the Creative Arts at IADT in 2016, investigating the impact of digital technologies on Irish animation filmmaking.

He has produced a variety of creative works, including the web series "cutbacks" and the short film "Mister Heaney, a wee portrait," which have been screened at film festivals both in Ireland and internationally.

David Quin’s distinguished career spans animation production, academic research, programme leadership, and international collaboration in higher education.