BEYOND ISSUE 16
SUMMER 2014
THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF NORWICH UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS
CONTENTS VICE-CHANCELLOR’S WELCOME
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N170 NEWS
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GRADUATE INTERVIEW: SOPHIA GEORGE
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NUA NEWS
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VICTORIA LUCAS: INTERRUPTIONS
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ALUMNI NEWS
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NUA NEWS
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ABOUT LIFE EXHIBITION
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ARTS AND DESIGN NEWS
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MEDIA NEWS
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GALA FASHION SHOW 2014
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BRAINCHILD 2014
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IDEASFACTORY@NUA
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THE MUNNINGS COLLECTION
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GRADUATE INTERVIEW: JENNY HAND
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AFTERYEARS EXHIBITION
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Written contributions from: Stuart Anderson, Laura Dennis, Louisa Milsome, Amanda Monfrooe and Sarah Steed.
INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
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Designed by Emma Bailey.
ALUMNI NETWORK
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Proofreading by Joanna Peios at WORDetc.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO
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EVENTS@NUA
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Copyright © Norwich University of the Arts 2014.
Editor: Caroline Bailey.
All rights reserved. Under no circumstances can any part of this magazine be reproduced or copied in any form without the prior permission of the copyright owners. All information is understood to be correct at the time of going to print. The University cannot be held responsible for any errors, inaccuracies or omissions in the information provided.
Front cover image: The Norwich School of Art 1982-4 (detail) John Wonnacott © Tate, London 2014
For more information on the Alumni and Development Office please visit: www.nua.ac.uk/alumni or contact the Alumni and Development Officer at: alumni@nua.ac.uk or development@nua.ac.uk
VICE-CHANCELLOR’S WELCOME WELCOME TO THE SUMMER EDITION OF BEYOND, FULL OF NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS TAKING PLACE AT THE UNIVERSITY AND RECENT GRADUATE SUCCESSES. In January, we officially announced our plans for our 170th anniversary, which will commence this November. Throughout the year, we will be celebrating our history and embracing the University’s future with an exciting programme of events and special exhibitions, including an open submission alumni show as well as developing the campus and adding new courses to our portfolio. Our 170th programme will commence with a new exhibition at the Gallery featuring work by artists John Wonnacott and John Lessore, who, as many of you may remember, taught at NUA in the mid 1970s-80s. This is a collaborative project with Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, which is also exhibiting Wonnacott and Lessore over the same period – their return to Norwich is eagerly awaited. Our aim is to become the best specialist university for art, design and media in Europe and to achieve this we need to invest in our future to continue to attract the best creative and talented students to study at NUA. This is why we have launched the N170 Fund to support scholarships for future students, the Gallery and the overall student experience. We hope you will consider supporting us, in any way you can. I am always interested to read of graduates’ achievements since leaving NUA. I was particularly impressed to read the interviews with Sophia George (page 6) and Jenny Hand (page 25) who are both working in museum interpretation but with very different audiences. Their stories highlight the diversity of careers students with a creative degree can pursue after graduation. Sir Alfred Munnings was one of our earliest and most significant former students and a respected painter of his time so we are delighted to establish a relationship with The Munnings Collection. We look forward to welcoming our graduates and friends to NUA during this summer’s Degree Shows as well as at events throughout the N170 year. With best wishes PROFESSOR JOHN LAST NUA VICE-CHANCELLOR
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OPEN SUBMISSION ALUMNI SHOW
NUA LAUNCHES 170TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS Norwich University of the Arts officially launched its 170th anniversary celebrations with a special reception held at NUA in January 2014. The anniversary campaign, known as N170, will commence in November 2014 and run throughout 2015. The year commemorates 170 years of specialist art, design and media education in Norwich since the first School of Design was established in 1845. At the event, NUA Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Last, announced some of the University’s plans for the future including a new undergraduate programme in VFX to add to our existing course portfolio. Investment in the campus will continue with the opening of two new buildings during the N170 celebrations. 4
New acquisition Boardman House, a Grade II listed building on Redwell Street, will become a new home for the School of Architecture and following a ÂŁ200k grant from Creative Skillset, the building will also house extra resources for media students. A refurbished Cavendish House will re-open as an incubator hub for digital businesses and the Gallery will move into a new contemporary space on the ground floor. A short film starring NUA Chancellor, John Hurt CBE, and students past and present, discussing what NUA means to them, was premiered at the event. You can watch the film online at: www.nua.ac.uk/visit/n170
A programme of special events is being planned and will include a series of lectures, symposiums, an alumni reunion weekend and an open submission alumni exhibition that will be shown in London in autumn 2015 before transferring to Norwich. More details on the exhibition and a call for submissions will be announced in November 2014. To keep up-to-date with news of the N170 and special events, please visit: www.nua.ac.uk/visit/n170
or follow us:
What does NUA mean to you? We would love to hear your stories, memories and how NUA has helped you in your own career so please get in touch: Email us at: alumni@nua.ac.uk Follow us: @NUAnews #N170 Like our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/nuaalumninetwork
N170 NEWS
170 YEARS OF CREATIVITY. AND COUNTING... To coincide with the 170th anniversary, NUA has launched a new fundraising appeal to support future students and the long-term sustainability of the University. The N170 Fund aims to raise money for three key areas: student scholarships and bursaries, the Gallery at NUA and the student experience, which will support resources and facilities for students where needed most. The University has kick-started the campaign with a donation of ÂŁ170,000 to the fund to buy new equipment across campus, which includes a laser cutter, lighting and camera kits as well as N170 scholarships for international and postgraduate study. During the 170th year, the University will be calling on alumni, friends and other supporters to contribute to the future of the University. We need to ensure the best creative students have the opportunity to study at NUA and fulfil their creative potential. A call campaign will start in autumn 2014, supported by online media as well as applications to trusts and foundations which could support creative students, the University and what we are trying
to achieve at NUA in the short and long term. We are also seeking donations for named scholarships for students studying programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate and research level. A named scholarship not only offers a student greater financial support but also gives confidence to the student and increased motivation to ensure they succeed in their studies. If you would like to support the next generation of creative practitioners at NUA, you can now make a donation to the N170 Fund online. Making a donation is quick, secure and if we can claim Gift Aid on your donation, your gift will go further at no extra cost to you. Donate online now at: www.nua.ac.uk/supportingnua
For an informal discussion about sponsoring a named scholarship or other form of support, please contact Caroline Bailey, Alumni Relations and Development Officer at: c.bailey@nua.ac.uk or call 01603 756288.
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WINNING A BAFTA ONE TO WATCH GAMES AWARD WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND CHANGED MY LIFE.
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Photography by Matt Writtle 6
GRADUATE INTERVIEW
SOPHIA GEORGE (BA GAMES ART AND DESIGN 2011) SINCE GRADUATING FROM NUA IN 2011, SOPHIA GEORGE HAS WON A BAFTA GAMES ONE TO WATCH AWARD, BEEN APPOINTED AS THE V&A’S FIRST GAMES DESIGNER IN RESIDENCE, NOMINATED AS ONE OF THE TOP 100 WOMEN IN GAMES AND BECOME AN ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN WORKING IN THE GAMES INDUSTRY.
We met up with Sophia to ask more about her incredible journey so far. Things started happening for you as soon as you graduated from NUA, can you tell us more? During my final year I entered Dare to be Digital, a video games development competition, along with NUA games students, Kristian Francis and Rosie Ball, and a programmer and sound designer from Abertay University, Dundee. We formed Swallowtail Games and created Tick Tock Toys, a simple puzzle game aimed at children. We won the competition and were entered for a BAFTA Games Award in the 2012 Ones to Watch category, which we also won! To pick up the award in front of all the amazing
people who make the games I love was a great experience and changed my life. Winning the BAFTA gave me great exposure. How did you develop the game after winning the BAFTA? There was a lot of interest in the game, including from publishers, so we felt we had something good enough to release. We applied for the Abertay Prototype Fund and received £25,000 to fully polish it up and take it from a student game to a professional one. Tick Tock Toys was released in February 2013 and featured on the App Store in 40 countries. With over 100,000 downloads of the game in the first week, it reached the Top 20 in the charts. 7
Strawberry Thief (detail) William Morris 1883 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2014
In October 2013 I was selected for the BAFTA Breakthrough Brits mentoring scheme, which has been amazing. I have received mentoring from games professionals and been invited to a lot of the BAFTA Games events, including the awards ceremony, so it has been a really exciting year. What attracted you to the role of Games Designer in Residence at the V&A? When I heard that the V&A were advertising for a Games Designer in Residence I knew it had to be me. I have always liked the V&A and often visited as a child and student. I am really interested in people and the Museum is a history of art and design with a focus on people’s lives. Being so early in my career I didn’t think I would be offered the post but they were impressed with my application and especially my ideas for audience engagement – a big part of the role. The interview for the V&A was the same week as Tick Tock Toys was released – so quite a stressful time!
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Were you given a set brief for your game or allowed to develop your own ideas? I was given a lot of freedom. The only brief was that it had to be based on the British Galleries, a collection of British Art and Design from 1500-1900. There were lots of objects to choose from which was a bit daunting but luckily I was given a tour of the collection with a curator who told me more about the collection and which were the most popular pieces with visitors. To be able to walk around the galleries looking for ideas was extremely inspiring. Each gallery is designed to last 25 years so I was also interested to learn how they incorporate new technology and keep it up to date. What is the concept of the game? The game is a basic arcade game, based on William Morris’ Strawberry Thief fabric pattern. I could see straight away that the bird could be the character and the pattern could be continually scrolling in the background. You control the bird to collect strawberries whilst avoiding thistles and bad strawberries that lose you points. There are some initial sketches of the pattern in one of the museum’s cabinets and I liked the idea of the little
GRADUATE INTERVIEW Tick Tock Toys
bird bringing colour to the sketches and the background to life. I hope the game will appeal to all audiences, the older visitor who may not have played a game before as well as children and families. Do you see games as being a new way for museums to interpret their collections in the future? Definitely. We all have mini computers in our phones and use them to manage all aspects of our lives. How museums apply this technology to their galleries is really exciting. What were the main challenges of your residency? Running the workshops and open studios was a challenge as I had not done this type of thing before. Using a prototype of the game I gathered feedback from these workshops. It was interesting to see how children approach and interact with a new game. Their enthusiasm and responses to it were great. Changing attitudes towards games, how they can be fun and an artistic medium just as entertaining as a film or piece of art can be, was rewarding. From my workshops I think visitors realised how much work is involved in creating a game – the level of skill required, the many components and processes and the time it takes – the computer doesn’t do it all for us! During my residency Martin Roth, Director of the V&A, invited me to speak at a DLD (Digital-LifeDesign) event in Munich. There were representatives from big companies such as Yahoo and Tumblr, and I sat next to someone from Angry Birds. It was quite surreal and I thought, ‘I am just a games designer, what am I doing here?’, but it was an opportunity to make some great contacts.
You have become an advocate for women working in games, was this intentional? Gender representation in the games industry is something I have always been very aware of and I wrote my dissertation on the subject. The industry has noticed there are so few women working in games and is actively trying to change it. The Women in Games annual conference, which I attended last year, supports women working in games and also aims to encourage more, younger women to get into the games industry. While I am happy to be an advocate and a role model, I’d rather be known as a great games designer than a great female games designer. What is next for you? Over the summer I hope to work with The Royal Scottish National Orchestra on the game’s soundtrack and finish it for release in the autumn. Since leaving NUA things have been happening constantly and the residency at the V&A has given me some freedom to think about what I want to do now and which direction I want to go in. It has been a great learning curve and I am excited to see what happens next. Sophia’s blog about her residency at the V&A can be read at: www.sophiageorge.com
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NUA NEWS
NUA TO HOST BRITISH ART SHOW 8
Curator at the Bronx Museum of the Arts in New York. She received the Emily Hall Tremaine Exhibition Award in 2006.
NUA has been selected as the lead partner by the Hayward Touring Programme when the British Art Show 8 (BAS8) tours to Norwich during summer 2016. The biggest touring exhibition of contemporary art in the UK will be shown in key venues across the city, including NUA’s campus, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery and Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.
co-founder and co-director of Open School East, Associate Curator at Fondation Galeries Lafayette in Paris and has curated exhibitions and projects worldwide. Lydia Yee is Curator at Barbican Art Gallery and previously Senior
The show, organised by Hayward Gallery, occurs every five years and is widely recognised as the most ambitious and influential exhibition of contemporary British Art. This will be the first time that the show tours the eastern region. BAS8 will be curated by Anna Colin and Lydia Yee. Anna Colin is a curator and writer based in London. She is Lydia Yee and Anna Colin 10
Neil Powell, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Student Experience) at NUA commented: “NUA is privileged to be the lead partner for Hayward Touring and hosting this event represents a fantastic opportunity for students at the University to gain an insight into hosting a major national exhibition of contemporary art.” British Art Show 8 will also be touring to Leeds, Edinburgh and Southampton during 2016. www.southbankcentre.co.uk
ŠHudson Architects
NUA NEWS
DIGITAL CREATIVE INCUBATION CENTRE TO OPEN AT NUA
GUNTONS ATRIUM RE-OPENS
A new centre to support digital creative start-ups by graduates and other local creatives is set to open at NUA in July 2015. The NUA Digital Creative Incubation Facility in Cavendish House will be able to accommodate 47 people and will occupy four floors, including an open plan hatchery and a top floor penthouse meeting room/ creative space.
The entrance to Guntons opened in March 2014 to reveal a new state-of-the-art atrium and staircase completing an extensive refurbishment programme of the building. The facade of the former Gunton and Havers Factory has been retained and a new entrance on St Georges Street has allowed easier access into the building. Visitors to the Degree Shows this summer will be able to see for themselves, the results of the refurbishment and the new design studios.
The centre will be integrated within the University’s existing employment and business engagement strategy and will encourage graduates to stay and open their businesses in Norwich.
The hub will provide a professional but creative environment where occupants can work comfortably and collaboratively. Services will include superfast 100MB internet connection, flexible tenancy agreements depending on the size and stage of their business, printing and photocopying facilities and a dedicated reception during office hours. More details on how graduates can apply for space within the facility will be available shortly. www.nua.ac.uk/ideasfactory
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VICTORIA LUCAS
VICTORIA LUCAS:
INTERRUPTIONS ARTIST VICTORIA LUCAS (BA FINE ART 2004) WAS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN A GROUP EXHIBITION FOR PROJECT LALO, AN INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE BETWEEN ARTIST-RUN SPACES IN LONDON AND LA. What’s Your Favourite Idea? at Bolsky Gallery, Los Angeles, was the second exchange between Short House in LA and Institute of Jamais Vu, London. Victoria’s photographic series Interruptions (2013) was featured in the project. The work archives unpopulated staircases situated in underground train stations on the U8 line in Berlin, an interest that started when Victoria lived in the city during an artist residency. Dr Matthew Gregory, Lecturer in Contemporary Art History and Theory at the University of Central Lancashire 12
commented: “Themes of absence and silence play an important role in Victoria’s work as is her focus on the built environment. Each staircase is depicted in moments of apparent stillness, unpopulated yet acutely defined by traces wof human activity.” In her solo show at Grizzly Grizzly, Philadelphia in April 2014, images from the U8 Series were juxtaposed with new work documenting stations on the Market-Frankford line in Philadelphia, drawing on the similarities and differences between the two cultures.
Victoria also recently curated Deadpan Exchange VIII held in Mexico City in March 2014. The Deadpan Exchange is a series of international exhibitions that began in Denmark and Berlin in 2007. The shows are an interaction between artists communicating in a deadpan manner – a form of classic comedy, and follow the deadpan strategies first employed by artists including: Yoko Ono, Martha Rosler, Bas Jan Ader and Vito Acconci in the 1970s. Since graduating from NUA, Victoria has exhibited extensively in both solo and group exhibitions, her work is in the Tate Archive and the V&A Collection, and she is a Lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Central Lancashire. www.victorialucas.co.uk
ALUMNI NEWS
GRADUATE DESIGN AGENCY SCOOPS AWARDS
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Willie’s Cacao Badger Ales John Ramskill
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Design agency Brand Opus, co-founded by NUA graduate John Ramskill (BA Graphic Design 2000) has had a flying start to 2014, winning a number of high profile design awards. These include three prizes at the Mobius Awards, two at the Brand Impact Awards and five at the Design Effectiveness Awards. Organised by the Design Business Association, The Design Effectiveness Awards are the only awards which use commercial data as key judging criteria, making them one of the most respected accolades in the design industry. Their work for Badger Ales and Willie’s Cacao won silver Awards in the Brand Identity category, whilst Twinings Infusions won bronze and Twinings Silky
Pyramids Green Tea ranges won silver in the Branded Drink Packaging category. John, who is Creative Director, started the agency in 2006 along with his former colleague at JKR, Paul Taylor. Brand Opus is now one of the top three packaging agencies in the UK and in 2012 opened a studio in Melbourne, Australia. John now leads the creative team working with a range of clients from household brand names to small luxury goods, specialising in creating brand identities, brand architecture and packaging. Nine NUA graduates can be found working in the studio and John has retained close links with the Graphics course at NUA. Each year Brand Opus
gives a lecture on its work and sets a live brief to Year 2 BA Graphic Design students to work on in teams, with the winning team offered internships at their London studio. John also enjoys visiting the annual Degree Shows to spot the latest talent emerging from the course. John commented: “The hard work ethic built up during my time at NUA was undoubtedly fundamental to the opportunity I was offered to build Brand Opus, especially so soon after graduation. NUA teaches ideas as a core principle and gives you the skills to be a working designer. I know NUA students will be prepared for agency life and will hit the ground at a brisk walk, if not running!” www.brandopus.com
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NUA NEWS
Andrew McDonnell and Harry Elvin
STUDENT JOINS CREW FOR FORTHCOMING FEATURE FILM
ANIMATORS CREATE STINGS FOR DIGITAL CHANNEL
Year 2 BA Film and Moving Image Production student, Harry Elvin, has gained valuable work experience by joining the cast and crew of new film 45 Years, shot on location in Norfolk.
Year 2 BA Animation students have made a series of short animations for new regional digital channel Mustard TV.
The film, directed by rising star Andrew Haigh (Looking, Weekend) stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay and is an adaptation from a short story by the poet David Constantine. Harry is part of the Creative Skillset Trainee Finder Service. During the six-week shoot his main role was as a Trainee to the Assistant Director. However, the small cast and crew meant he 14
was also required to pitch in. Harry was joined on set by film graduate Andrew McDonnell (2010) and Katie Utting (Diploma in Foundation Studies 2003). Harry commented: “My course leader encouraged me to do the placement and it has been a great experience. Working in a small team has made me aware of how important the finer details are and how imperative it is that everything is in place and on time when in pre-production. It will definitely change how I direct my own short films and I have made some great contacts for after I have graduated.”
The channel, which is available on Freeview Channel 8, commissioned students to create the stings based on Mustard’s logo. Students were invited to pitch their ideas to the company who then selected the best ideas to broadcast. Dan Gray, who worked on the project commented: “Working on this brief was a great experience and seeing my work on Mustard TV has given me a real sense of achievement.”
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ABOUT LIFE:
JOHN WONNACOTT AND JOHN LESSORE A NEW COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BETWEEN NORWICH CASTLE MUSEUM AND NORWICH UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS OFFERS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH BRITISH PAINTING AND DRAWING WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF NORWICH AND THE ART SCHOOL.
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The Norwich School of Art 1982-4 (detail) John Wonnacott © Tate, London 2014
ABOUT LIFE EXHIBITION
Two exhibitions featuring the work of artists John Wonnacott and John Lessore, curated by Professor Lynda Morris, will be shown consecutively at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, and the Gallery at NUA opening in autumn 2014. Many former students will have been influenced by Wonnacott and Lessore who taught at Norwich School of Art from 1978-1986. In that time they made a distinguished set of drawings and paintings of the City and their teaching. The paintings were bought by Tate, the Arts Council Collection, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery and private collectors. Since then the reputation of Wonnacott and Lessore has grown internationally. Wonnacott and Lessore were asked to develop the Life Room at Norwich School of Art by Edward Middleditch (RA), then Head of Fine Art, in response to a perceived de-skilling in art education in the 1960s that resulted from the enthusiasm for Abstract Art. Middleditch was one of four painters associated with the ‘Kitchen Sink School’, who were all shown by the Beaux Arts Gallery. Norwich became an influential contributor to the development of the practice of drawing and painting in a dedicated life room in the early 1980s.
First year students were all trained in basic drawing from observation. The important idea of ‘sight size’ that Walter Sickert had deduced from Old Master Drawings and subsequently developed by Henry Tonks and William Coldstream at the Slade, was taught. Lessore also organised lectures in anatomy for artists with the Demonstrator in Anatomy at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, Dr Philip Evans. Wonnacott and Lessore, although stylistically different, both used painting to explore memory, anatomy, perspective, drawing and lens-based technologies and share an interest in the traditions of European art since Giotto. Their work has an important relationship to impressionism through Sickert, and his links to James Abbott McNeil Whistler and Edgar Degas. John Wonnacott was commissioned to paint the centenary portrait of the Royal Family for the 100th birthday of the Queen Mother by the National Portrait Gallery and his portrait of Sir Edwin Manton hangs in the Manton entrance to Tate Britain. John Lessore was commissioned to paint six members of the British Paralympic team in 2004. Other commissions include portraits of
the architects of the Ondaatje Extension for the National Portrait Gallery, Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones. He was a Trustee of the National Gallery from 2003-2011. The exhibitions will be accompanied by a large range of events including a symposium, lectures, workshops and a walking tour of Norwich and the NUA campus as it is today. To receive updates on news and events surrounding these exhibitions, please visit: www.nua.ac.uk/thegallery or follow @nuagallery
The Life Room and the City: John Wonnacott and John Lessore Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery 4 October 2014 – 4 January 2015 About Life: John Wonnacott and John Lessore The Gallery at NUA 4 November 2014 – 10 January 2015
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ARTS AND DESIGN NEWS
Lucy Kent
STUDENT SUCCESSES AT TEXTILE AWARDS NUA Textiles students have been successful at the Bradford Textile Society Design Competition 2014. Five students were announced winners, collecting six awards between them. Year 3 student Lucy Kent was awarded first prize and received £400 in the Clothworkers’ Foundation Award for a material construction for either a fashion or interiors product created by a non-conventional means. Her winning material is made by embedding acrylic into a thick
felt using a geometric pattern to engineer varying fluidity within the material when handled. Other prizes in the Clothworkers’ Foundation Award included second place and a commendation for Year 3 student Rosalyn Crosthwaite and Year 2 student Lisa Wells and Year 3 student Michael Bartley were both awarded commendations. Finally, Year 1 student Emily Phipps won third prize in the Holland and Sherry Award. www.bradfordtextilesociety.org.uk
New professorships have been awarded to two members of academic staff at NUA. Dean of Arts and Design, Dr Hilary Carlisle, has been awarded a Chair in Design for her innovative and sustained work as a scholar in Textile Design, supported by her national contribution to the development of specialist design education. Film Director and Lecturer, Suri Krishnamma, has been awarded a Chair in Film in recognition of his 25 year career as a film and television director. He has received three BAFTA nominations and collected awards at Raindance UK, Yubari and Chicago. His latest film Thrice (2014) is due to be released later this year. 18
Photography by Laura Carmona
PROFESSORSHIPS AWARDED
Dr Hilary Carlisle
Sean Perkins
Curator Nichola Johnson and Designer Sean Perkins have both been appointed as Visiting Professors at NUA. Nichola Johnson joins the academic team as Visiting Professor in Curation. Her distinguished career as a Curator and Museology educator, most recently at Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, is supported by significant engagement at national
and international level. Sean Perkins, from design agency North, has been appointed Visiting Professor in Design. Sean has had an extensive professional career in design, which has included creating innovative designs for clients including RAC, HSBC, First Direct, Barbican and Royal Mint.
MEDIA NEWS
Still from the game design pitch video for Kuria by team Insert Imagination
Leigh Evans
STUDENTS REACH 2014 DARE TO BE DIGITAL FINALS
NUA TECHNICIAN’S AWARD SUCCESS
For the fourth year running, final year students on the BA Games Art and Design course at NUA have reached the finals of Dare to be Digital, the top video games development competition for university students and recent graduates.
Digital 3D Technician Leigh Evans has been named as Media Technician of the Year 2014 by the Higher Education Academy. The national award recognises his significant contribution to the student experience at NUA in developing resources and supporting students.
NUA games designers teamed up with programmers from Abertay University, Oxford Brooks and the University of Malta and each team created a pitch video, which included a demonstration of the game’s concept, to present to the Dare to be Digital judging panel. The final 15 teams were selected from over 160 entries worldwide (including the USA and India) and three of those are from NUA.
The 15 teams will go to Scotland over the summer to develop prototypes of their games with industry mentors. The games will be exhibited and judged at the ProtoPlay event in August 2014. The winners will be entered for a BAFTA Ones to Watch at next year’s Games Awards. The three teams selected are: Insert Imagination for their game Kuria, Desk Jockeys for their game Reshuffle and A Fox What I Drew for their game Baum. Good luck to all our finalists. You can read how they got on in the next issue. www.daretobedigital.com
The judges were particularly impressed by the new online app developed by Leigh, which enables students to remotely locate and reserve free computers on campus. This not only improved the system for students but solved a challenging and complex issue for the University at the same time. 19
Photography by Roxi-Lola McCormick-Thompson
GALA FASHION SHOW 2014
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“ THE STANDARD OF WORK WAS EXTREMELY HIGH. CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE.” FASHION ICON AND JOURNALIST HILARY ALEXANDER OBE
GALA FASHION SHOW 2014 Graduating students on BA Fashion headed to London in May to show at Graduate Fashion Week after wowing audiences in Norwich with their final collections at a Gala Fashion Show. The Fashion course at NUA goes from strength to strength and continues to produce graduates whose final collections show couture levels of craftsmanship, innovative design and refined technical skills. Before her final collection was even finished, an outfit from Chloe Fuller was 20
selected as one of the top 12 best fashion student works in the UK by the UK Fashion and Textiles Association. Chloe’s outfit was recognised for its innovative use of bonding fabrics to create impressions on the surface. Her work was previewed at two high profile events attended by leading figures in the Fashion industry, including a Graduate Fashion Week preview at the Houses of Parliament.
show their collections to fashion icons, designer Betty Jackson CBE, and fashion journalist Hilary Alexander OBE, who selected the best collections to be featured in NUA’s catwalk show at Graduate Fashion Week. Hilary Alexander commented: “Overall, the standard of work was extremely high and I’m looking forward to seeing Norwich on the catwalk at Graduate Fashion Week. Congratulations to everyone.”
Prior to the Norwich show, students had the opportunity to
Two awards were given at the Norwich event. BA Fashion
Student of the Year 2014, sponsored by Howes Percival LLP, was presented to Chloe Fuller for her continual developed approach to both design and technical skills over her three years of study. Nicolas Marcs was awarded the Gallery Haircutters Creative Cut Award 2014 for his pattern cutting techniques. www.nua.ac.uk/bafashion
I Grace Dugdale II Chloe Fuller III Nicolas Marcs
Photography by Beth Morton
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BRAINCHILD 2014
ETHICAL CLOTHING BRAND WINS STUDENT ENTERPRISE COMPETITION II
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Albert Clegg, Year 3 BA Illustration, has the opportunity to develop his own ethical illustrated clothing brand after winning the Brainchild Business Idea Competition 2014. The annual student enterprise competition encourages students and recent graduates to develop their business ideas and a series of Business Lectures supports the competition, offering advice and practical tips covering all aspects of business start-up. Bean Clothing, a screen printing company, which uses Albert’s own limited edition designs on Fairtrade sourced garments.He plans to develop the business after graduation and its ethical values are core 22
to his business’ vision. Albert explained: “My ultimate aim is to go and source my own clothing in India to create a real connection between the grower, transporter, manufacturer and customer. I want to have a personal relationship with these people and create a closed system of production that would allow for a real sincerity of product, which is something that I think has been lost.” Second place was awarded to MA Textile Design student Vanessa Norris for her giant floor cushion designs. Year 3 BA Textiles student Amber Stefani was awarded third place with her table lighting inspired by stained glass windows and beehives.
I Albert Clegg II Vanessa Norns III Amber Stefani
Albert’s prize is one-to-one mentoring from the competition’s sponsors and a year’s free membership to Norfolk Network. The two runners-up will also receive an individual package of mentoring. The competition is run through ideasfactory@NUA, and is supported by a panel of business mentors. www.nua.ac.uk/ideasfactory
IDEASFACTORY@NUA
NORFOLK MUSEUMS SERVICE REBRAND THREE DESIGN STUDENTS AT NUA JOINED THE TEAM AT THE IDEASFACTORY@NUA TO CREATE A NEW CORPORATE IDENTITY FOR NORFOLK MUSEUMS SERVICE. The Norfolk Museums Service has a new fresh contemporary logo thanks to a design project commissioned by the Service through the ideasfactory@NUA. Students were set a brief to design a new logo, which would play a crucial role in the Service’s rebranding strategy taking place over the next five years. Their 10 properties across Norfolk are opening their doors for more commercial use such as events, weddings, conferences and other educational experiences, so needed a new logo that modernised the Service’s image to compete with other venues in the sector. After visiting Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery for inspiration, seven creative concepts were presented to the client before they chose the work by Stephen Lister (BA Graphic Design 2013) to develop further. Stephen’s idea was inspired by the distinctive shape of the ‘Bigod’ arch, part of the distinct Norman architecture on the first floor
of the Castle Keep. Applying a simple, easy to read typeface, the 10 segments of the arch represent the 10 different venues within the Museums Service. Jo Warr, Programme Manager at the Service commented: “We’re delighted with our new branding and have received very positive feedback from our stakeholders and staff.” The ideasfactory@NUA allows students and graduates the opportunity to work on live client briefs with both external clients and staff at NUA. Other recent projects include a brand identity, logo and packaging for Ikaros suncream and a commission to create a replica scene of a Somme Battlefield for this summer’s WW1 exhibition at Holkham Hall, Norfolk. To commission a project, please contact Sarah Steed, Business Director at: ideafactory@nua.ac.uk or call 01603 610561.
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Ikaros logo Somme Battlefield replica scene
www.nua.ac.uk/ideasfactory
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THE MUNNINGS COLLECTION
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THE ALFRED MUNNINGS COLLECTION SIR ALFRED MUNNINGS STUDIED AT NORWICH SCHOOL OF ART IN THE EVENINGS FROM 1893-1898 DURING HIS APPRENTICESHIP AS A POSTER ARTIST WITH NORWICH LITHOGRAPHERS PAGE BROTHERS.
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Sir Alfred later became a prolific painter of landscapes and his love for horses, particularly racehorses, features in many of his paintings. In 1944, he received a knighthood and was elected President of the Royal Academy (1944-1949).
After Sir Alfred’s death in 1959 Lady Munnings established the Castle House Trust and, honouring his wishes for his life’s work to be seen by the nation, opened The Munnings Collection in 1965. I Under Starter’s Orders II Study for the Start III Jenny Hand 24
Photography by Denisa Ilie
His works are held in the collections of Tate, Royal Academy, The Royal Collection, National Portrait Gallery and Denver Art Museum, USA as well as in many private collections worldwide.
GRADUATE INTERVIEW
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JENNY HAND (BA CREATIVE AND CULTURAL STUDIES 1995) JENNY HAND IS DIRECTOR OF THE MUNNINGS COLLECTION AT CASTLE HOUSE, SIR ALFRED’S FORMER RESIDENCE. WE VISITED THE HOUSE TO MEET JENNY AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MUNNINGS COLLECTION AND HER OWN CAREER. Firstly, how was your own experience of studying at NUA? My course was a combination of theory and practice, which seemed to tap into all of the things I was interested in at the time. When I met Course Leader Ian Starsmore at my interview he was very enthusiastic and creative and I immediately fell in love with the University and Norwich. The mix of different students and their experiences added to the diversity of the course and made for an enriching experience. We had great tutors including George MacLennan and George Szirtes, whose career I still follow. I feel very privileged to have been taught by such exceptional and talented tutors at NUA and honoured to have followed in Sir Alfred’s footsteps.
How do you think Norwich prepared you for starting your career after graduation? I did some volunteer work at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery when I was a student, so I think I was already subconsciously thinking of museum work. I have always been fascinated by museum and gallery collections and telling the story of an object or painting. I remember walking through a castle door marked ‘Private’ and liking the feeling of being behind the scenes and seeing what goes on. The combination of practice and theory on my course definitely helped me in my early career and prepared me for my Masters, which I did a few years later. 25
GRADUATE INTERVIEW
I French Soldier 1917 II My wife, My horse and Myself 1925 III and IV Sketchbooks and personal items from a day at the races All images Š The Alfred Munnings Collection, 2014 I
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Much of your career has involved documenting museum collections, what appeals to you about this role?
the Renaissance in the Regions government initiative, which involved recording, storage and digitisation of their other collections.
After my Masters I worked at Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery documenting their Natural History Collection, this is where my interest in the documentation of collections began. To me, it is where the real storytelling is – where an object/painting has come from, who has collected it and why? I then joined Brighton Pavilion as Assistant Curator of Decorative Art, to digitise their Decorative Art Collection, deemed to be of national importance.
I was also implementing changes in technology and setting up social media platforms. Technology has been a phenomenal revolution for museums and galleries and how they can interpret and engage an audience with their collections, but I think it is important to encourage people to experience the actual physical object for themselves.
I documented the collection, taking photographs and creating a website, which was quite ground breaking for a museum at the time. This led to a series of larger projects, funded by
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During my time at Brighton I did a Museum Leadership programme, this gave me the confidence to go for a more senior role, and I joined Northampton Museum and Art Gallery as Collections and Information Access Officer in 2011. Working with an art collection again reinvigorated my
love of art from the Victorian, early 20th century period which led me to my position here at Castle House. Tell us more about the Sir Alfred Munnings Collection The house was bought by Munnings a year before he married his second wife and now houses 650 of his oil paintings, plus works on paper and photographs in the archive. We try to theme the rooms to reflect the style of the paintings on the walls and to focus on various aspects of his life story. At present, we have two special exhibitions. As a commissioned war artist, Munnings produced a large number of drawings and paintings during the last months of World War I, which are exhibited in AJ Munnings: Sketches from France, 1918. The second exhibition: Violet:
GRADUATE INTERVIEW
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The Artist’s Wife is inspired by Violet McBride who he married in 1920. They lived together at Castle House until his death. We are continually trying to rotate the collection to reflect various aspects of his painting career and personal life. Visiting Castle House is a very personal experience, is this intentional? Yes. We often receive feedback from visitors that Castle House still feels like a home and we try to build on this by exhibiting furniture and the other artefacts Munnings collected which were personal to him. Visitors tend to be interested in Munnings work already and make a special journey to come here. You can get very close to the artworks, see each brush stroke on a painting and experience the views of
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the surrounding Dedham Vale landscape, which inspired so many of his paintings.
the house and land and to make them more appealing for families.
How do you plan to take the collection forward?
We have a very committed board of Trustees and a fantastic team of volunteers who have lots of ideas. We continue to discover new facts about Munnings’ work and life, and so the story continues.
One of the Trust’s main objectives is to continue to raise Sir Alfred’s profile through engaging people with his paintings and to encourage more academic work to secure his rightful place in Art History. I would like to commission a piece of academic writing examining Munnings work in more detail. He should be remembered and thought of in the same way as other, particularly contemporary, artists – especially amongst a younger audience.
The Munnings Collection is open for the summer until 31st October 2014 Wednesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays 2pm – 5pm (11am to 5pm in August) www.siralfredmunnings.co.uk
There are lots of opportunities here. We are continually looking at new ways for the visitor to interact with and experience
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AFTERYEARS EXHIBITION
I Nan Reid Fish and Chip Shop in Chelsea, 1952 Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © the artist’s estate II Prunella Clough Lowestoft Harbour 1951 Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © Estate of Prunella Clough 2014. All Rights Reserved DACS.
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AFTERYEARS: REFLECTIONS ON BRITISH ART 1946-52 A NEW EXHIBITION IS SET TO REVEAL SOME OF THE FORGOTTEN CONCERNS IN POSTWAR ART This major new show is devised by students on the MA Curation course at NUA and will open at the Gallery at NUA in August 2014. Working with the Arts Council Collection, students were able to personally select works for the exhibition that include some of the very first pieces collected by the Arts Council after the end of World War II. Prints and paintings by some of the most significant artists of the period – Prunella Clough, Barbara Hepworth, Patrick Heron, Victor Pasmore and Nan Reid will be on display, as well as revealing the forgotten
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contribution of younger and less familiar names to the artistic debates of the time. Afteryears will examine a range of artists’ concerns set against the backdrop of the significant social and political changes of this postwar era. Did artistic practice straightforwardly reflect the growing sense of optimism and renewal as symbolised by the formation of the Welfare State and the Festival of Britain in 1951, or did the aftermath of war leave an altogether different legacy? Everyday life in the original ‘age of austerity’ will be shown through images that reflect a time of full employment and the birth of the NHS, as well as both romanticised and realistic depictions of domesticity. Works will also reflect how rural life and the landscape were idealised by artists, the subject offering both a conceptual
and physical escape from the difficulties of the time. The period also witnessed progressively heated debates around abstraction and figuration, culminating in a public outcry over the works created for the Festival of Britain. While this historical period is generally viewed under the twin concerns of austerity and regeneration, the exhibition reveals that the era was in fact characterised by a more complex set of conflicting ideas and interests. Afteryears: Reflections on British Art 1946-52, The Gallery at NUA, 12 August – 13 September 2014
INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
GRADUATES PROMOTE NUA AROUND THE WORLD
COULD YOU BE AN INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR?
The International Office at NUA promotes the University to potential partner institutions, arts organisations and prospective students overseas. Head of the International Office, Professor Richard Berry, has travelled to education fairs and exhibitions in Scandinavia and the Far East and has visits to more countries planned for later in 2014 and during 2015.
We look forward to connecting with more of our graduates living overseas as the University expands into new territories and deepens our presence in countries already familiar with NUA’s reputation. If you are a graduate living outside of the UK and would like to become an International Ambassador and speak to students in your country about your experience at NUA, please contact Caroline Bailey, Alumni Relations and Development Officer at:
The number, diversity and quality of international applicants for courses at NUA has increased and we will welcome our largest cohort of international students in September 2014. Part of this success is due to the participation and contribution of our international alumni who speak to potential students of their first-hand experience of living in Norwich and studying at the University.
NUA graduates who have attended exhibitions, fairs and events to promote NUA’s profile in the East Asia region include Yoshiko Hashimoto (FdA Graphic Design 2006), Lucas Yeung (MA Communication Design 2013) and Gabriel Loy (BA Fine Art 2013). While students at NUA they were powerful advocates for the University. Since returning to their home countries, they have used their personal experience of studying at NUA to enlighten prospective students about the benefits of a specialist education, the benefits of living in Norwich, and the success they’ve enjoyed following graduation.
alumni@nua.ac.uk
www.nua.ac.uk/international
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ALUMNI NETWORK
As a graduate of NUA you are a member of our alumni network of creative professionals worldwide. Please keep in touch and tell us your news, we always love to hear from you. As a member of the Alumni Network you can receive the following benefits and services:
ALUMNI CARD
CAREERS SERVICE @NUA
SIGN UP KEEP IN FOR OUR TOUCH E-NEWSLETTER
All graduates from NUA and our previous institutions can apply for an Alumni Card. The card is valid for three years, costs £25 and allows access to: • The Library for reference use only • NUA Careers Service • The University Shop • To the computer facilities in the Library
If you graduated within the last three years or have an Alumni Card, you can continue to access the Careers Service and book one-to-one appointments with the Careers Adviser. Services available include one-to-one careers guidance, skills audit, help on finding the right MA course, funding opportunities and advice on taking the next step in your career.
To receive the latest news and invites to events please register for our e-newsletter. The bulletin is also an opportunity for graduates to promote their own events and exhibitions. If you have an event to advertise please email the details two months prior to the event to:
• Limited access to the intranet and online Library resources
• Reduced membership to Cinema City, Norwich To book an appointment in person, • Reduced membership to the Sainsbury Centre by phone or Skype, for Visual Arts, Norwich, contact Richard Peat, Careers Adviser at: for you and a friend. r.peat@nua.ac.uk or For more details and to call 01603 751471 download an application form, please visit: www.nua.ac/uk/alumni
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alumni@nua.ac.uk
NUA JOB SHOP The latest creative job opportunities are posted on to the NUA Job Shop page. To receive job alerts directly into your inbox, please register at: www.nua.prospects.ac.uk
Don’t forget to let us know if you move house, change your email address or switch jobs. Email your new details to: alumni@nua.ac.uk or register online at: www.nua.ac.uk/alumni/register
JOIN US ONLINE Become a member of our online communities at: www.facebook.com/ nuaalumninetwork Norwich University of the Arts Alumni @NUAAlumni
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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO
PETER CAMPBELL
THOMAS JOYNES
ANITA CLIPSTON
(BA GRAPHIC DESIGN 1981)
(BA VISUAL STUDIES 2005)
(BA GRAPHIC DESIGN (ANIMATION) 1988)
After graduation, I worked my way up and was a Design Director for many years and collected a few awards along the way. 12 years ago I became the founder and ‘Chief Enthusiast’ of Chaos – an integrated agency which has grown to become a top 50 creative agency with offices in London and Guildford. As well as running the business, I still retain my passion for good typography, great design and can’t help but stay involved one way or another. My favourite saying is: “If nothing ever changed there’d be no butterflies”.
I am one of 10 artists selected for the National Broomhill Sculpture Prize 2014. All 10 sculptures will be exhibited at Broomhill Sculpture Park, Devon during the summer and will be open to the public. The entries will be judged in the autumn 2014 and the winners announced. My latest sculpture, Change in Time, was commissioned by Chelmer Housing Partnership of Chelmsford, Essex for a new housing development. The sundial is made from a mix of brushed and polished steel and Rockpanel Chameleon, which due to a unique crystal layer allows it to change colour depending on the angle of the sunlight.
My first job after graduation was working for Aardman Animations as a prop and set builder for the animation film Chicken Run (2000).
www.chaosdesign.com
www.joy-pad.co.uk www.broomhillart.co.uk
I later retrained as a digital artist, in order to translate my traditional art skills into computer graphics. This led me to working on films including the final two Harry Potter films and Disney’s John Carter (2012) as a compositing artist. In 2012, I moved to Vancouver, Canada, and worked as a Digital Paint Artist, combining my traditional paint skills with the latest digital technology. I now have my dream job at Industrial Light & Magic. I am a Senior Paint Artist and I have worked on Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim (2013), and my current project is Brad Bird’s new retro-sci-fi film Tomorrowland (2014) www.ilm.com
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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO
STEVE KIRBY
VICTORIA MARKS
MICHAEL ELPHICK
(DIPLOMA IN FOUNDATION STUDIES 1994)
(BA GRAPHIC DESIGN 2008)
(BA GAMES ART AND DESIGN 2013)
After my Foundation course at NUA I continued my studies at Central St. Martins, and briefly worked at the Lisson Gallery. My work gravitated towards moving image just as ‘desktop video’ became a reality in the late 1990s. It was then I realised that I found design commissions more fulfilling than working alone in the studio, so I changed direction and became a motion designer.
After graduating in 2008 with a Graphic Design (Design for Publishing) degree, I returned to my home town in Devon and was lucky enough to get a job at local publishers, David and Charles. Now known as F&W Media International, I have been with the company for five years and started as a design assistant before becoming Senior Designer. I have worked on a vast range of illustrated books, on subjects such as trains, chickens, ghosts, cake-making and quilting! I enjoy the variety. If you would like to get in touch, please contact me at the email address below.
Since graduating last year, I have been involved in game projects with teams across the web. These include Miscreated, a multiplayer, post-apocalyptic, survival-based sandbox game, which reached 5th place on the Steam Greenlight website in May 2014.
victoria.marks@hotmail.com
I am now in the early stages of pre-production on my own indie game, Broken Journey for Playstation, mobile and iOS.
I now have my own studio, Kirby and Clare. We design and animate a lot of graphics for television, corporate and advertising clients. Drawing and questioning why things are the way they are, are the two most invaluable things I learnt throughout my art education and I still do both every day. www.kirbyandclare.com
www.fwmedia.co.uk
Through the Creative Skillset Trainee Finder Service, I was offered a six-month contract with Pixel Toys and this has just been extended. We released our second mobile game Gunfinger at the end of May 2014 and it is now available to download on iOS and shortly for Windows Android.
www.michaelelphickart.com @michaelelphick michaelelphick@live.com 33
EVENTS@NUA THE GALLERY
OTHER EVENTS
AFTERYEARS: REFLECTIONS ON BRITISH ART 1946-1952
BISHOP’S ART PRIZE 2014
MA OPEN DAY
12 August – 13 September 2014
17 – 28 June 2014
17 July 2014
An exhibition of selected works from final year students at NUA responding to the theme set by the Bishop of Norwich. This year’s theme is Seasons of the Spirit. The Hostry, Norwich Cathedral, Tombland, Norwich Open daily: 9.30am – 4.30pm except Sunday 12 noon – 3pm. Closed 21 June 2014
Open: 5.30pm-7.30pm
UG DEGREE SHOWS
NUA Campus
2 – 8 July 2014
MA OPEN DAY
Open: 10am – 7pm except for Saturday 5 July 10am – 6pm, Sunday 6 July 11am – 4pm and Tuesday 8 July 10am – 4pm. NUA campus
8 September 2014 3pm – 5pm
A selection of works dating from the decade immediately following the end of the Second World War. A MACHINE AESTHETIC 30 September – 25 October 2014 An exploration of the various manifestations, uses and influences of mechanisation within the practice of a diverse range of contemporary artists. ABOUT LIFE: JOHN WONNACOTT AND JOHN LESSORE 4 November – 10 January 2015 A welcome return to the University of the renowned artists who taught and inspired many students at NUA from 1978-1986. In association with the Norfolk Museums Service. For more information about exhibitions at The Gallery, please visit: www.nua.ac.uk/thegallery
Concurrent with the exhibition to be held at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery: The Norwich Life Room and the City: John Wonnacott and John Lessore 4 October 2014 – 4 January 2015 Admission charge payable 34
ALUMNI DRINKS RECEPTION 1 July 2014 5.30pm – 8pm The Garth, St Georges Street, Norwich ANNUAL TEACHERS DAY 4 July 2014 This event is designed to support teachers advising students applying for art, media and design undergraduate degrees. Free to attend but must book in advance. To reserve a place, please contact Lou Chiu at: l.chiu@nua.ac.uk or call 01603 756252.
To book a place, please visit: www.nua.ac.uk/opendays MA DEGREE SHOW 5 – 10 September 2014 Open: 11am – 7pm except for Saturday 6 September 11am – 6pm Sunday 7 September 11am – 4pm
Drop-in session, no booking required. www.nua.ac.uk/opendays
HERITAGE OPEN DAYS 12 – 13 September 2014 NUA will be opening its doors and giving tours of the new Guntons atrium, East Garth Photography Studio and Media Lab at: 11am, 1pm and 3pm both days. Free to attend. Meet at the entrance to Guntons, St Georges Street. No need to book, just turn up on the day.
This edition was printed using Explorer Offset, an FSC速 accredited paper, produced from sustainably managed forests, using vegetable based inks. The plastic wrapping used to mail the magazine is degradable polythene. If you would prefer to read the magazine online, each edition is added to our webpage at: www.nua.ac.uk/alumni
WWW.NUA.AC.UK
Contact us
Call
01603 756288
alumni@nua.ac.uk
Visit
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Norwich University of the Arts Alumni
Write to us Alumni and Development Office Francis House, 3-7 Redwell Street Norwich, Norfolk NR2 4SN
@NUAAlumni