The NewSPAper MARCH, 2017
PRODUCED BY BATH SPA UNIVERSITY CREATE LAB
Authors: Gemma Nicholls, Mieke Blaushild and Derron Gayle
STUDENTS’ VOICE THE TYPICAL student at Bath Spa University knows about the Students’ Union, however many are unaware of the impact it has on the university experience. The new President of the SU, Ryan Lucas and Welfare Officer, Joe Simmonds believe that without representatives like themselves, students wouldn’t have a chance to voice their opinions and be heard. Simmonds states that ‘the SU is run for and by the students – all that occurs in the SU is in the best interest of the students.’ Lucas believes that the Students’ Union has a great deal of impact. He describes himself as the ‘middle man’ between the governing body and the students. Lucas hopes to make the SU more approachable by highlighting the Union’s efforts and services. From the buddy system to the the new SU app, both Lucas and Simmonds have high hopes for what they can bring to students in the coming year. ‘It’s just about collating student opinions, and the SU is the way to do that.’ Simmonds says that his main focuses as Welfare Officer are mental health, river safety and housing. He goes to numerous meetings a week to make sure that all student problems and questions are put first. In regards to mental health, there is a new advice centre with a specialist counsellor three times a week in the SU, and he intends to expand the Nightline service. Simmonds also wants to implement a taxi service where students can give taxi drivers their ID and they can pay the fare back at a later date through the SU.
SIMMONDS (LEFT) AND LUCAS (RIGHT) Photo: Derron Gayle
CROCHET WORKSHOP AT SION HILL ∙ Authors: Honey Debney-Succoia, Jessie Parker and Hollie McKellar ∙ Photo: Emma Curtis
AWARD-WINNING TEXTILES TALENT Bath Spa student defies odds with wallpaper prize win in first year LUCINDA Rogers is a first-year Textiles student at Bath Spa University, who recently won the national Lewis and Wood Wide Width Wallpaper competition. Rogers studies at the Sion Hill campus where, as a first year, she is currently experimenting with many different forms of textiles. While we were chatting to Rogers, she was taking part in a crochet workshop, though her studies vary from digital embroidery to fabric dying to print. In early December, students nationwide received a brief from Lewis and Wood, a prestigious textile and wallpaper company, to create a wallpaper design. The competition is aimed at, and dominated by, third-year and MA students, but Rogers, a first year, didn’t let this intimidate her. Out of the 79 entries, only seven achieved the half-drop pattern repeat technique
the company was looking for. The works were judged by Deborah Barker, editor of Homes & Gardens; Adam Calkin, decorative artist; and Andrew Davidson, wood block engraver. Rogers was one of the seven and was shortlisted, before finding out her design had won. The traditional British landscapes that Rogers grew up around are a perfect match for Lewis and Wood’s nature-based style. Lucinda commented on the inspiration for her design: ‘It was inspired by home, in the Cotswolds. You know, like a typical English garden, with lots of roses and lavender. I took elements from lot of different things and then combined it together to make the final design.’ The process of creating the design had to be relatively quick, with the students being informed about the competition just before Christmas and the winning design announced in February. Rogers says that she gathered ideas over the Christmas break ready to begin creating when she returned
to University. She spent her first four weeks of term painting the design. She says: ‘It took forever to paint because it was massive, it’s huge! It had to be drawn out first as well before it could be painted, so it took a long time.’ Thankfully, she seemed to escape hiccups during the design process. She tells us: ‘I did a few sketches – rough drawings – and then I went for it and put it together and then it grew from there… literally!’ Rogers was in Paris on a University trip when she found out that she had won the competition. Her course leader announced the news to everyone, evidently proud of her student. Rogers commented that receiving the news was ‘a good end to the trip’. This left her with around a month to discuss further details with Lewis and Wood, such as the name for her design, Cinda’s Roses. Lucinda Rogers was invited to attend the launch of her wallpaper design on Monday 13 March, held at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre in Stroud. ‘It was
really amazing. The experience was kind of surreal because I’ve never really done anything like that.’ She was given a bouquet of flowers and praised by the judges for her ‘notable drawing and colouring skills’, as well as for attempting such a complex half-drop repeat design. There are three other colourways for her design, in addition to the original navy pattern. Rogers’ winning designs were hung in the London showroom as part of London Design Week’s ‘Access All Areas’ programme, where a Wide Width Wallpaper demonstration took place, run by master decorator Stewart Lewis. Following her early success, Rogers plans to continue making a name for herself in the textile industry. When asked about her current plans, she told us: ‘I’m a first year, so we’re still doing different modules, we haven’t specified what we want to do. Though I definitely want to go into print.’ Rogers’ determination shows promise for a long and rewarding career.