Mr Chris Mearing

Chris Mearing joined the Department of Drama in September 1999 as a Trainee Technical Assistant. Over the past 25 years, he has progressively developed his role and now serves as the Technical Services Manager for the Department of Communications, Drama and Film (CDF). In this capacity, he oversees the day-to-day management, maintenance, and strategic development of the department’s technical infrastructure.

Drawing on extensive experience across all three creative disciplines—Communications, Drama, and Film—Chris works closely with academic staff and students to deliver expert technical and creative support for teaching and research activities. His role encompasses both front-line assistance and strategic consultation, ensuring that technical solutions align with pedagogical and artistic goals.

Chris provides tailored one-to-one and group training sessions on CDF’s specialist hardware and software platforms, media production equipment, and internet-based collaborative tools. He advises on and supports a wide range of systems including computing environments, audio-visual setups, media production workflows, and collaborative technologies. He also contributes to the development of departmental policies and procedures related to technical operations.

He actively collaborates with academic colleagues on international research and creative projects, offering innovative technical and creative input that contributes to their success.

Chris is also responsible for managing and maintaining The Exeter Digital Archives, CDF’s extensive online multimedia repository. This archive contains thousands of hours of Drama and Theatre content spanning four decades, all digitised and available for on-demand streaming via Drama’s servers. The archive is currently being migrated to Vimeo to broaden accessibility and engagement with wider audiences.

A passionate advocate for Creative Technologies, Chris continually drives innovation within the department, ensuring that CDF’s technical resources remain at the forefront of possibility and performance.

Based at the CDF Technical Office in Thornlea, Chris leads a team that operates an open-door policy. Staff and students are encouraged to approach the Technical Team with any queries or issues, which are addressed promptly and professionally. The team takes great pride in delivering responsive, high-quality support to its academic community.