UCA Alumni Magazine: creative update. Summer 12 by University for the Creative Arts

Farnham Reunion / Maidstone Memories / Radiohead Backing

creative / Summer 12

update

University for the Creative Arts Alumni Magazine

Issue 07.

Goldsmith Award / Peppa Pig / Sir Terence Conran

Cover image courtesy of Maidstone College of Art 1985.

Welcome

Please see page 20

Welcome to the seventh edition of Creative Update, the magazine of the UCA Alumni Association This edition, Issue 7, of Creative Update is coming to you a little later than usual, for which I offer no apology. Rather, it is because in the last couple of months we have held two landmark events at UCA which I very much wanted to report in this magazine.

news p3 features

profiles

p12

news feature

p16

development

p20

advice

p28

news in brief p38 obituaries

p43

In the last edition, the article by Keith Ribbons p39, we would like to credit the image to ‘The Mill’.

University for the Creative Arts | Contents | Creative Update

Over 200 alumni, former and current staff and students came along to our Maidstone Campus in May to relive old memories, remember some wonderful achievements and to wish a fond farewell to the old place. The campus will soon be handed over to MidKent College who have purchased the campus in order to expand. Whilst UCA will still have a presence there for a few years yet this event marked the end of an era and was a celebration of the future. The Maidstone alumni will not be forgotten and a Time Capsule is being put together for all to view in due course. In June we held the first Annual Alumni Reunion. It was held on the Farnham campus, where over 80 alumni and guests from all campuses, a wide range of courses and years had the opportunity to have a look around. They took part in some creative activities including metal casting and glass fusing and had a chance to explore the degree show. They also remembered their academic life, receiving a lecture on developments in animation. Bringing alumni from all campuses and disciplines together is one of our key targets over the next couple of years as the opportunities that they can bring to one another can be hugely beneficial, as well as good fun. Next year, the Annual Reunion will take place on one of our Kent campuses. In October the outgoing Chairman of UCA’s Board of Governors, Loyd Grossman OBE, will be giving a lecture in London, exclusively for UCA Alumni. More details will be made available very soon. These are just a few examples of the type of activities we intend to bring over the coming months, so keep an eye on our website to see what’s going on. We hope to see you at one of our events very soon. Matthew Horton Head of Development and Alumni Relations alumni@ucreative.ac.uk

News

Grant Orchard wins BAFTA

Grant speaking at the Shorts event - photo by Greg Harbaugh ©A.M.P.A.S.

Grant Orchard BA (Hons) Amimation Farnham Graduated 1995

Animation alumnus Grant Orchard recently won a BAFTA and Oscar nomination for his animated short film ‘A Morning Stroll’. Fresh from the Oscars he visited UCA to give a master class to our animation students and catch up with Creative Update.

and into a house. “I wanted to tell the story and I could not decide on the animation style, so I put together a three minute film with three styles, over three time periods and in chronological order. We did it just for fun and where it went and its success completely surprised me,” said Grant.

Grant started his career as a runner in London learning about the set-up of a large 2D animation studio.

“I thought it would take three months to make and two years later we were still doing it! Over time you become so involved in it and I did start questioning it and if it would work. I do still wonder if we should have kept it really short or longer, but the test came in a preview screening and we were really pleased to find that people liked it.

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He said: “It was a big production company. There were more staff than now, found in a studio. The work was hand-drawn on lightboxes and then cleaned up, quite an intensive process. When I started my first job, production companies were not seen as creative places. Advertising agencies would brief you on a project and you carried it out, but at Studio AKA, where I am still based today, they worked differently. You pitched for work and then came up with the creative brief and fulfilled the project. The first experience of this was for an ‘Orange’ campaign. I was so pleased when I saw the cats, dogs and birds I animated being broadcast. “I first started directing when the company pitched for a job for Compaq. I came up with some sketches, they really liked my work and as I was new to the industry, I co-directed the commercials,” he said. His latest film project ‘A Morning Stroll’ was inspired by a story about a chicken who walked down a New York street

“We sent it out to the festivals and it has done really well. We won a BAFTA and got nominated for an Oscar. The main thread of the film is chicken, it is the survivor, no matter what rigorous environment he is in, he will survive,” he said. Whether faced with a zombie or an apocalypse! “I love films, and I like also designing things. I have worked on a new cartoon series, where every character looks different using a different animation technique. I did the art directing, set dressing and some of the design including the titles in my spare time. It was a complex project but I really enjoyed it. It’s something I would like to do more of alongside my commercial work, until the next film idea comes along,” he said.

Grant Orchard | BAFTA award | Creative Update

News

Anthony Woodley

Following the success of his student film ‘Love Inc’ which won the regional RTS student award, alumnus Anthony Woodley has once again collaborated with fellow alumni Stefan Mitchell, Jack Attridge, Mike Pike to create a sci-fi thriller called Outpost 11. The film has been at the Cannes Film Festival and gave Anthony the opportunity to work with notable actor Bernard Hill. Here, Anthony shares with Creative Update his experiences making the film.

relationships that will hopefully last for the rest of my career. It also gave me the opportunity to make my own films, which is nice because when you get in to the industry you spend most of your time making other people’s dreams come true. “All of us involved in the film technically skipped 20 years off our careers by taking on roles as Outpost 11 Crew

The film is about the story of three soldiers, Albert, Mason and Graham, manning a remote listening post in the Arctic Circle. Anthony said: “One day the warning light unexpectedly goes off and their world is plunged into chaos. The soldiers have to fight isolation, madness and Arctic spiders. The idea for the film came from the 48 hour film challenge the team entered last year. “The film was inspired by ‘The Thing’, ‘How I Ended the Summer’ mixed with ‘Videodrome’. At the moment the steam punk style is popular and something we wanted to explore,” he said. “It was fantastic to work with Bernard Hill. I have learnt more about the paperwork side of the industry than I have anything else. I was always told that making a feature was some unobtainable goal and I actually found it quite straightforward. I think that was due to my obsessive preparation during preproduction. We didn’t have any major snags and we came in on budget and on time, which was nice. Bernard Hill was very good to us, he read the script and enjoyed it and was more than happy to lend his voice for the film,” he said. Anthony credits the smooth running and success of the film to working with his friends and alumni from UCA. UCA graduates Ewan Dunbar, Tom Whetmore, Joel Frakes, Alex Battershall, Doug Walshe, Sam Heasman, Dave Novis, Oli Goldthorpe, and Samantha Badgery worked on the film with him. Anthony said: “Going to UCA allowed me to work alongside like-minded people and create working

Anthony Woodley | Outpost 11 | Creative Update

heads of departments, especially Stefan Mitchell the director of photography, Jack Attridge the audio director and Mike Pike the editor. These guys walked into the most important roles on the film and absolutely smashed it. All the feedback we have had about the film so far praises how good it looks and sounds. Setting up the production company was actually very simple. We had some good advice from contacts in the industry. All of the main crew members have a point in the film and will share in its success and we hope to re-invest the rest of the money in our next one,” he said. Following the screening at the Cannes Festival the team have secured funding from the Enterprise Investment Scheme for another film called disappearance of Flight 86. “It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to go to Cannes with a film at the age of 25 and we are already looking forward to our next project together,” said Anthony. The team named their production company the Future Masters of Technology. You can find out more and see everyone who worked on the film on their website www.fmot.co.uk

Anthony Woodley BA (Hons) Film Production Graduated 2010

News

Radiohead help develop UCA graduate’s venture

MA Fine Art Alumnus Sebastian Edge, who graduated from UCA Maidstone in 2009, worked with Radiohead last year when he took the only publicity photograph for The King of Limbs album. The world-famous group have backed the print sale of the press image to support the North London Darkroom, a new specialist arts project created by Sebastian, which he has founded to safeguard traditional photography techniques. The North London Darkroom, which is based on Milmead Road, Tottenham Hale, houses specialist equipment and materials for those interested in hand-made photographic and printing techniques. The unique community helps its members with print sales, book art and exhibitions “The Darkroom is quite special, partly in its location, but also in what it boasts,” said Sebastian. “Equipment donations from the National Gallery and Kings College University, will give members the ability to make museum-grade prints with either analogue equipment or the very latest high-spec computer software.”

“The band were really excited about the photograph and got into the shoot. It was an interesting process as it soon became a conversation with the band, rather than just a few pictures. The nature of the long exposures means subjects willingly submit to my photographs, but for this one, you can see they moved their arms - it was an interesting response. “It was a privilege to work with Radiohead. They understood my process and methods and through working with them I have come to understand a little of theirs. I feel very lucky that they saw something in a few pictures on my website,” he said. Sebastian remains coy about future projects with the band. “Once the North London Darkroom is up and running, I hope to carry on with my work, but I will be visiting New York in March to meet with the band on their American tour, so watch this space. But right now I need a cup of tea.” www.londondarkroom.com

A few days before The King of Limbs album was announced, Sebastian spent several days at the Radiohead studio and in surrounding woodland to make the image. He said: “I’ve been experimenting with photographic methods for years and had made a large camera that I thought would be perfect for the shoot. It uses 19th Century processing technique which captures the image on glass and requires up to a three minute exposure.

Sebastian Edge MA Artists’ Film Video & Photography Graduated 2009

The King of Limbs publicity photo - by Sebastian Edge

Sebastian Edge | Radiohead | Creative Update

features

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One Of the wOrldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best knOwn designers has becOme an hOnOrary prOfessOr at the University fOr the creative arts.

Sir Terence | Services to Design | Creative Update

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Sir Terence Conran received the award for services to design, education and the creative arts at an emotional ceremony at UCA Farnham on 3 May 2012. Professor Sir Terence Conran said: “This award is a true honour to me because I have always passionately believed that creativity and education are of fundamental importance to the way we live our lives and to our economy. “UCA is an extraordinary university with a great heritage and reputation for innovative, forward thinking in nurturing talent and creativity. They have a big part to play in all our futures. “Being here today has been such a pleasure because you can feel the passion of the students and staff all around you and in everything they do,” he said. The founder of Habitat, Conran Holdings, Benchmark Furniture and the Design Museum, to name a few, will take up the honorary role with immediate effect.

Dr Simon Ofield-Kerr, ViceChancellor at UCA, said: “UCA is delighted to award Sir Terence Conran this honorary professorship. “He single-handedly changed this country’s understanding of design and has changed modern life through his products, shops and restaurants. “Sir Terence continues to provide us all with an education in design and is someone that staff and students look up to. “At a time when UCA is reaffirming its commitment to British design, craft and manufacturing through a new dedicated school, I am certain his association with this University will inspire this and the next generation of designers studying at UCA,” he said Sir Terence founded the Conran Design Studio in 1956 and the Habitat chain of home furnishings stores that revolutionised the UK High Street in the 1960s and 1970s by bringing intelligent, modern design within reach of the general population.

In the 1980s Habitat was expanded. Following a series of acquisitions, it evolved into Storehouse plc, the Chairmanship from which Sir Terence retired in 1990. Since then, he has built another group of companies involved in design, retailing, restaurants and hotels, working on projects all over the world. Sir Terence has always been a great supporter of education in design and founded the Design Museum in London in 1989.

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Creativity and education are of fundamental importance to the way we live our lives and to our economy

”

Sir Terence | Services to Design | Creative Update

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PePPa Pig Creator

Mark Baker

ark has been nominated for several awards including three Oscars and a number of BAFTA winning animations such as ‘Peppa Pig’, ‘Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom’ and ‘The Hill Farm.’ Creative Update spoke to Mark about his experience as an animation student at Farnham, and his successful life after college. Here is what Mark had to say.

Can you tell us what it was like studying in Farnham and what you learned? I started at Farnham in September 1979. When I revisited Farnham last year to do a lecture, I was pleased to see that mostly nothing had physically

Mark Baker | Peppa Pig | Creative Update

changed - even the cash machine I used as a student in Farnham High Street was still there. The big difference is that when I was at Farnham it was one of the very few art colleges in the UK that had a dedicated animation course (other colleges had graphic courses that included animation, but Farnham was just about the only one that had a pure “animation” course). Now there are lots of colleges that offer animation.

Peppa Pig creator Mark Baker has been animating colourful characters since he graduated from UCA Farnham in 1982

So, in 1979 I didn’t have a lot of options if I wanted to study animation. Everyone kept telling me that Farnham was the place to be. So I applied and luckily I got in. In those days the course was tiny. There were four students a year. This meant that, being a three year course, at any one time there were only 12 animation students in the whole college. And of course this was the golden age of student grants. We not only got our living expenses and college fees paid for us but we

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were even given budgets to make our films - £250 paid by Surrey County Council. Even in 1982, which was my final year at Farnham, this was a tiny budget but it still allowed us to live and make our films without getting loans of any sort.

Mark Baker Animation Farnham Graduated 1982

Being such a tiny group at the college made the animators a very close-knit group. The difference between the animation skills of the third years and us, the first years, was truly enormous. But the third years were happy to exchange animation knowhow for free labour from us on their graduation films. This was the mechanism that filtered down animation skills from individual to individual. Are there any practical tips that you still use? Yes. Six frames is the minimum “hold” for an expression. It is impossible to turn your head without closing your eyes - therefore characters have to blink during a head turn. A walk cycle can be as quick as four frames - two frames up and two frames down. No days spent planning a film are ever wasted. Sound is just about as important as visuals. Scripts evolve over drafts so, not to worry if the first draft is not so good.

Mark, Nev and Phil at the BAFTAs last November where Peppa won Best Preschool Animation

Are there any memories of your time studying that stand out? I think it was in the very first term, in 1979, that the animation students went to the Cambridge Animation Festival. I just soaked up the films. Everything seemed exiting and important. I had not the slightest doubt that being a Farnham animation student was the best thing to be in the world. And this feeling carried me through the three years. I was sad when it came to an end and I had to enter the real world. Where did your inspiration for your first film ‘The Hill Farm’ come from? The first thing I thought of was the scene where the farmer is feeding the chickens and other animals, with the animals always manically asking for more food. This led to the idea that the farmers would never have a moment of rest from sunrise to sunset. I could see this working in animation with sound effects and no dialogue. Then I started to wonder who might visit the farm. The script went through many versions until I settled on the group of tourists and the group of hunters being the visitors. At first I sketched my ideas down visually. >

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The big difference is that when I was at Farnham it was one of the very few art colleges in the UK that had a dedicated animation course

”

Mark Baker | Pepper Pig | Creative Update

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Six frames is the minimum hold for an expression. It is impossible to turn your head without closing your eyes

Then I combined these visuals with a typewritten script, making much use of the photocopier to combine and reorder the sequences. Finally I made a storyboard of the whole film, which I divided into self-contained sequences. The first sequence I animated was the one that had started it all out - the farmer feeding the chickens. You have been nominated for and won some prestigious awards. What does it feel like to be part of those events? It is great to receive an award - it is a real boost. But it is also lovely to see an audience react positively to something I have made. I think all filmmakers try to make the kind of film that they would like to watch themselves but doesn’t yet exist. So, it is reassuring to find out that others like it too. Awards are also good when it comes to trying to get future commissions as they reassure the money people.

Mark Baker | Peppa Pig | Creative Update

From your short films, how did the transition from this to children’s programme animation come about? I had always wanted to make an animation series. As a child I loved The Magic Roundabout. But at the time I left college there wasn’t much demand for short five-minute episodes. Also, the traditional animation techniques I was using were very time consuming and expensive and British TV budgets were very low. But then a few things came together. Neville Astley and I, in our tiny Astley Baker Studio, had been using computers for line-testing our traditional pencil animation which led to us playing with simple computer animation techniques. We quickly realised that the computer was the key to making low-cost but high-quality animation if we were prepared to learn and invent new techniques. We made a short trailer for a proposed series “The Big Knights” using our Amiga computer and an application called DPaint. We sent this off to the BBC and this led to a commission for 13, 10-minute

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Ben & Holly’s

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Little Kingdom

episodes. The series was aimed at children and adults. We thought this was a great feature of the programme but it turned out to be (as far as the commissioners were concerned) its biggest problem. It is so hard to schedule a short programme aimed at “everyone” rather than one that is aimed at a specific audience. So, The Big Knights was made, won awards and then forgotten. And we were left a bit high and dry wondering what to do next. For our second attempt at a series we decided to make something for small children, but we still wanted to have enough subtle humour that parents could enjoy watching too. This was the starting point for Peppa Pig. Where did the idea for Peppa Pig and Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom come from? Peppa Pig started from the idea of doing stories about a family of some sort of animal. Neville and I ended up making Peppa a pig because of the grunting sounds pigs make and the fact that pigs like muddy puddles which, it seems, all small children like.

Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom began when we animated a sequence in the first series of Peppa, where Peppa was pretending to be a fairy princess. Although Peppa uses animals as characters, it is very grounded in the real world. So, it was fun to think of a show that would use magic and fantastical elements. From the start we wanted Little Kingdom to be for slightly older children - and ourselves of course! Were you surprised by the success of Peppa Pig? Yes. Although when we’re in production as a studio we are always trying to make the programmes as good as we possibly can. But because The Big Knights had been a financial disaster we weren’t counting on anything. And seeing your creation replicated in so many places? That is really strange in a nice way. Why do you think Peppa Pig and Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom have done so well?

In our first trailer, Peppa was voiced by an adult. About a year after making the trailer we re-voiced it with four-year-old Lily Snowden Fine as Peppa. Suddenly the whole thing came to life.

I think it is because, as a studio, we really do put everything we can into every episode and treat each episode as a short film. There is no formula or standard story.

The idea of using real children’s voices, rather than adults pretending to be children was inspired by the Peanuts TV Series.

What do you have planned for the future? Next is The Big Knights feature film. We haven’t forgotten the characters that started our studio and a feature film seems the perfect format for their return. Script writing starts early July. Would you go back to making short films? Yes. It has been a long time since I made a one-off short film and I am certainly planning on making more in the future. Over the next year, it looks like I will actually be able to do this. You can see more creations made by Neville Astley, Mark Baker and Phil Davies at Astley Baker Davies Ltd on their website. www.astleybakerdavies.com

Sir Boris and Sir Morris, The Big Knights Mark Baker | Pepper Pig | Creative Update

Persona with a yellow nose

Profile

traSH UP

KAri PrestgAArd TRASH UP is an environmental art project created by former international UCA student Kari Prestgaard.

With local artist Astor Andersen, Kari uses mixed media to make surreal and playful figures out of miscellaneous plastic bits gathered from local beaches. “Our goal is to create awareness about plastic pollution in our oceans through the creation of fun, positive art. We believe there is powerful motivation for change in an uplifting, hopeful message, offering an alternative perspective to the dire facts put forth by marine biologists and scientists around the world,” said Kari.

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In spring 2011 the Whaling Museum offered Kari a studio space, making her an artist in residence. In return, she ran a series of workshops for children on site. “TRASH UP gives kids an enjoyable experience with the materials and will hopefully change the way they look at plastic in nature,” she said. The same year TRASH UP held its first exhibition in Sandefjord’s Art Gallery. Neighbouring town Larvik took notice of the work and requested that the duo produce a mascot for their recycling

department. The result was Larry Vik, a child-size figure that will adorn the town’s rubbish trucks later this year. The pair spend hours at the beach collecting plastic pieces in all shapes and sizes, before bringing them back to the studio to be cleaned and sorted into piles according to dimension and quality. When they assemble the figures, it is very important to them that the pieces fit together naturally. “I like to think that the figures evolve on their own out of the hoards of plastic debris.” said Kari. “We do not use glue, staple guns or screws, and avoid non-trash materials whenever possible. Building the sculptures in this way makes the process feel very organic or even indigenous. It also forces me to get creative and develop my own fastening techniques, using tattered rope from fishing nets and fishing line to tie things together.”

Kari Prestgaard BA (Hons) Fine Art Canterbury Graduated 2009

TRASH UP has been featured in KUNST, Scandinavia’s biggest and longest running art magazine. The pair also give talks and perform workshops for children at various venues in their region.

Astor Andersen and Kari Prestgaard Photo: Flemming Hofmann Tveitan

Waiter

Profile

Q&A with

Florence & the Machine ‘Rabbit Heart’

Will Bex ........................................ Creative Update caught up with Director of Photography Will Bex to hear about his days at UCA Farnham and shooting A-list celebrities. What do you remember of your time at UCA? I remember during my first year 16mm film project, I underexposed the entire film can. When it was projected at the screening you could see shapes but it was my first official disaster. I reasoned that it was an abstract piece but it was then I thought, I better learn the science of the camera a little better rather than the ‘point, press and hope’ that I relied on so much. My fondest memory was our graduation film. We took it very seriously at the time. In fact it was the most serious shoot I have ever been on. Mostly, I guess, because none of us were that confident in our abilities and the final edit didn’t really live up to our expectations. However, I made good friends who I still work with professionally and when we get together it’s our favourite collective memory. I also co-produced our year’s graduation show where all the grad films were screened at an Odeon cinema in London. I got into trouble with some parents of young children because they hadn’t banked on there being lots of swearing, nudity and general debauchery in student films. Can you give a brief history of your career and major projects from graduation to date? I shot and edited wedding videos for the summer after graduation and then after bandying my CV around Soho in London I got a break as a runner in a production company. Though I was mostly useless as a runner, I was able to hide that fact long enough to get an opportunity to shoot some of my own stuff with friends. This led to other breaks which slowly

allowed me to build a small showreel which I then used to get hired. Eventually, over time, one project led to another and I was lucky enough to work with directors who invited me to shoot the likes of Kylie Minogue, Florence and the Machine and Britney Spears.

Cheryl Cole ‘Parachute’

What is the most rewarding video project you have worked on? I enjoy working with actors. It really elevates the experience of film making to have great performances in front of the camera. You really have to raise your game. I recently had the opportunity to work with Helena Bonham Carter and she was just fantastic. Music videos are always hard work but can be the most rewarding because you get to experiment and shoot more spontaneously.

Robbie Williams ‘You Know Me’

Do you have advice/tips for alumni? Just keep shooting. Keep up the practice no matter what the project. Also, learn all the technical stuff the best you can then throw it all away. That’s what I was taught on my first professional film set and I’ve worked that way ever since. I worried too much about what the camera was doing rather than what was happening in front. In my experience the more you shoot, the more mistakes you make and that’s where you really learn and quite often those mistakes become some of your best work. Like anything creative you become much more confident in taking risks because you rely more on your judgment than pure luck. That said when you have dozens of people paying for it all watching a monitor on the other side of the studio, you’d better not mess up.

Taio Cruz feat Kylie ‘Higher’

James Morrison feat Jessie J ‘Up’

You can see the talent of Will Bex on www.willbex.com

Will Bex | Q&A | Creative Update

Calvin Cervoni BA (Hons) Fashion Epsom Graduated 2010

Profile

CALVIN CErVONI

student Calvin is currently balancing his education with running his own fashion label. Following a foundation and degree at UCA Epsom, he took the decision to return to UCA last year to complete a masters. He told Creative Update how his educationhas helped him peruse his dream job. Growing up, Calvin was surrounded by fashion. His grandmother was a designer and owned her own boutique, so it was natural for him to go into design. He started his career in fashion working for Matches, progressing from the shop floor to visual merchandiser. He said:”I have always been around fashion and design. I started designing the costumes for my theatre studies class. It was when I was working at Matches in 2005 that I found my talent for design. I asked my nan to make me a t-shirt I had designed. Whilst wearing it around London, people kept coming up to me and asking me where I bought it. I started to collect orders for this one design, this led to me designing a whole collection and putting it on MySpace. I received some great press for my first menswear collection featuring tops and vests. The guitarist from The Zutons wore three of my designs including for the video for ‘Oh Stacey what have you done?’. I also gained coverage in Paris-based Ninja Magazine and was rated top three new t-shirt brand by Red Magazine.

Following the success of his emerging brand, Calvin joined UCA and started studying for a foundation course followed by a degree in fashion design. He said: “Alongside studying for my foundation degree I launched a women’s line. I developed a new website that could incorporate online ordering. By the time I started my degree I decided to put the label on the back-burner in order to fully justify my place within the course. In the second year I took the enterprise pathway. I learnt to fully develop my design ideas for a number of different labels and was shortlisted for a competition to design a collection for River Island. I gained the basics of marketing and how this integrated with the design side of fashion.” After completing his degree, Calvin took a year off to create a new collection and put into practice some of his newly-found skills and has recently returned to UCA to complete a Masters in Brand Management and Innovation. ”The main factor in returning to UCA was to learn more about the business aspect of design not just the fashion world. So far I have learned how to understand the communication process between brands and their consumers and this has been invaluable for my own label,” he said.

“I have recently secured funding for the next collection which will be released later this year and will be a more complete collection, incorporating, alongside the t-shirt and vests, tailoring and denim.

“This will be a challenge as it will have to be financially viable whilst keeping to the limited edition nature of my brand. “I am actively looking to recruit students and alumni from UCA to get involved in the label. I am working with a fashion journalism student on a new blog. We are looking for as many young talented and inspiring individuals from fields of design, graphics, and journalism to get involved and showcase their talent with us on this platform. We realise how hard it is now becoming to find a job in this environment, but I have found what you put in, you really do get out at the end,” said Calvin.

Calvin Ceroni | Fashion | Creative Update

News Feature

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Brian Hill, the highly regarded and respected course leader of the Silversmithing, Goldsmithing and Jewellery programme retired last year. Creative Update visited him at the prestigious Goldsmiths’ Hall to hear some of his memories from a 40-year teaching career at UCA Rochester and what ‘retirement’ holds for him.

After graduating Brian went into jewellery manufacture in London. After only a couple of years he was encouraged to come back to Rochester to teach. Brian said: “At the age of 21 this was a big decision for me. I decided to move away from the industry when I was just beginning to enjoy myself and starting to feel confident in my work and abilities.

Brian Hill | 40 Years | Creative Update

“My main starting point was in teaching and instructing manufacturing techniques, and the course ethos was very much about hands-on teaching and helping students to really produce their work to high standards.

Brian attributes a lot of the student success to the core teaching of the subject, providing a professional working environment and establishing a strong liaison and association with the precious metals profession.

“I’ve seen the course change from preparing students for manufacture and workshop positions when jobs were in plentiful supply, to an increasing need to assist students towards the designer maker community, and more recently the rapidly growing demand of technology, particularly in computer-aided design and rapid prototyping,” he said.

“Fairs, events, galleries and exhibitions, like the one currently running at Goldsmiths Hall, give excellent exposure and opportunities to young designers. At a recent Goldsmiths’ Hall event I attended there were apprentices with their masters and some of these were former students with us at Rochester, a great personal and rewarding feeling for me to see the learning process come full circle.

“I have lots of fond memories and many great successes that we have achieved at Rochester but first and foremost, this has all been made possible by having excellent staff and a great team who share a common belief and inner passion to educate students in meaningful and useful ways for the health and welfare of our students. It would take too long to name all those involved over the last four decades but John Cruse, my long term colleague and friend, worked with me so well, and in tandem over the last 19 years, and also with Bob May before this who started everything off in the 1960s. “This helped to create a strong work ethos and professional environment that simply encouraged students to get involved and become hooked on designing and making to then exploit the opportunities

available. No one could do this on their own, and our considerable successes are really attributed to the excellent team spirit and operation that we created. This is something we are very proud of,” he said. Brian is enjoying an active retirement from teaching and is writing a book on silversmithing in partnership with colleague and past UCA Rochester student, Andrew Putland of Padgham & Putland. After serving as a member and past Chairman of the Goldsmiths Craft & Design Council for over 20 years he is soon to take up the post of consultant secretary to the GCDC. Brian is also serving on the Goldsmiths’ Centre Craft and Industry Committee that works in support of the programmes and initiatives at the recently opened Goldsmiths’ Centre in London.

“Right now I am just delighted that I continue to be involved with the industry and consider it an honour and privilege to be able to use my skills, experience and knowledge since leaving a fulfilling and wonderful career of teaching, leading course programmes and working closely with the industry over my time in education. I feel that I still have much to give in my work and take such pleasure with my continuing involvement in the profession that I so dearly love,” he said.

Brian Hill | 40 Years | Creative Update

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UCA

Wins

GOldsmiTh AWARd

Charligâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pourers photo by Bill Burnett & GCDC

UCA | Goldsmith Award | Creative Update

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The Goldsmiths’ Design and Craft Council has awarded the prestigious College Trophy Award to the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) for the 19th time in 20 years. The presentation was made during the annual Craftsmanship and Design Awards at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London on 5 March 2012 where UCA Rochester BA (Hons) Silversmithing, Goldsmithing and Jewellery students took home six other awards. Course leader Robert Birch said: “It is a huge honour to win the College Trophy Award once again. It is fantastic that the Goldsmiths’ Design and Craft Council values and appreciates our focus on creativity and employment within the precious metal industry, alongside the training and skills that we also provide. “Having only recently taken over the reins of the degree, this award is shared with my predecessors Brian Hill, John Cruse and Bob May who have made the course what it is today” After a Gold and Silver win last year, third year student Charlig Bouedo took home two Silver Awards in the Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Junior Modelmaking categories for his set of oil and soy pourers.

Charlig, 23 and from Venezuela, said: “Winning anything in a competition where there are over 600 entries makes me very happy. “It’s also thrilling that my skills as a designer and craftsman are appreciated by the very best in the silversmithing & jewellery industry – hopefully having these awards on my CV will help me get a job when I graduate. “When I was back in Venezuela and looking for a place to study crafts, I only applied to UCA because I knew it had the best course in all of Europe,” he said.

“The Jacques Cartier award is given at the discretion of the Council for exceptional and outstanding craftsmanship, so Gavin’s extraordinary achievement illustrates the possibilities following a good craftsmanship and design education at UCA Rochester,” said Robert. The Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council was founded in 1908 and still carries forward its original remit to encourage, stimulate and promote the pursuit of excellence in craftsmanship and design amongst all those in the United Kingdom engaged in silversmithing, goldsmithing, jewellery and allied crafts.

The other UCA winners include: Sanni Falkenberg, who received the Gem-A Diamond Scholarship Award for her Silver Monster Ring and a Silver Award for her set of carved agate rings; Clair Simms (Medal) and Chris Castillo (flower vase) who took home Silver Awards. The Jacques Cartier Memorial Award, considered to be the industry’s premier award and the biggest prize of the night, was presented to UCA Silversmithing, Goldsmithing and Jewellery graduate Gavin Haselup.

Sanni Falkenberg’s ring - photo by Bill Burnett & GCDC

UCA | Goldsmith Award | Creative Update

Photo by JW Photography

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On Saturday 19 May over 200 alumni, current and former Maidstone campus staff and students came to the campus to celebrate all that has been marvellous about Maidstone College of Art, Kent Institute of Art and Design and the University for the Creative Arts in Maidstone.

These institutions have produced an impressive creative arts legacy and have nurtured many artistic talents, so there was much to celebrate. Over the next two years UCA will be withdrawing from its Maidstone campus following the UCA Board of Governorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; decision in July 2011 to accept a formal offer from MidKent College to purchase the UCA campus at Oakwood Park, so this event was a chance to mark the contribution that the Maidstone campus has made. Guests were able to catch up with old friends, snoop around their old stomping ground with tours of the building and enjoy a hog roast and drinks in the quad. There was also a Memories of Maidstone talk hosted by UCA Vice-Chancellor Simon Ofield-Kerr at which guests speakers shared their memories of working and studying at Maidstone with an enthusiastic audience.

Maidstone | Reunion Event | Creative Update

The guest speakers included Prof David Buss who not only studied at Maidstone but later went on to become one of the first members of staff to teach in the newly-constructed Oakwood Park building. He later became Deputy Director of the Kent Institute of Art and Design.

for Forensic Mental Health where she manages a team of Arts Therapist and works in the Specialist Learning Disabilities Unit. Kate is also a visiting lecturer on the MA Art Therapy programmes at University of Hertfordshire, Derby, Roehampton and Goldsmiths.

Sally King, a BA (Hons) Illustration student who graduated in 2009, was also on the panel. After leaving UCA Sally decided to pursue a career in the film & television industry and is now working as Art Director on EastEnders, ITV’s “The Chase”, Jason Byrne’s “Cirque du Byrne” Tiger Aspect’s “The Manor”. The final panelist was Kate Rothwell who graduated in 1983 from the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course. Kate is a State Registered Art Psychotherapist, supervisor, private practitioner, Consultant, author and illustrator. She is currently Head of Arts Therapies at The John Howard Centre

To ensure that the legacy of Maidstone is preserved, UCA will be producing a digital time capsule that will include images of artwork, the campus and students and other items that will illustrate the contribution Maidstone campus and its staff and students have made. Guests were asked to bring with them their own memories of Maidstone and many brought photos, cuttings and other items that will be added to the time capsule which is now being assembled by the library.

Maidstone | Reunion Event | Creative Update

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memories of

Maidstone The University has had a presence in Maidstone for many years and the campus has produced an impressive legacy for the creative arts, nurturing many artistic talents.

In July 2011 the UCA Board of Governors accepted a formal offer from MidKent College to purchase the UCA campus at Oakwood Park. Over the next two years, UCA will be withdrawing from its Oakwood Park Campus and will become a four campus University. UCA will still maintain a presence in Maidstone through its successful collaboration with Maidstone Studios. Prompted by a class reunion last year, a group of friends contacted Creative Update to share their memories and photos of their time studying in the 1980s. Kate Rothwell (or formerly Cathryn Johns Illustration graduate/now Head of Arts Therapies at East London NHS Foundation Trust). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Twenty six years ago a group of budding illustrators and designers took up undergraduate places at the Maidstone College of Art and Design. A humble college surrounded by tall trees and fields, we were installed in light, well resourced studios on the second floor. In 1983 there were no computers or technology beyond

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the PMT machine, a photocopier, light boxes and Letraset. Everything was done by hand and eye. Even our essays were either typed or hand written, having been researched in a well stocked library. I studied amongst a small number of other students. The course felt intimate and we got to know each other well. Some students lived within travelling distance of the campus and could go home at the weekend but many of us who came from further afield lived in Maidstone. It could be a lonely place and there were no halls of residence, other than one shared student house near the town centre, where many of us congregated. Entertainment in the first year was provided by whoever was happy to cook a meal for a small gathering. After a new refectory was built on campus there were plenty of Student Union events culminating in themed evenings, dancing to a range of usually post punk/ska and new age bands. Our graduation ceremony was held on campus with a marquee for the celebrations. Our degree shows were also on site initially whilst work was adjudicated then moved to a gallery off Covent Garden. Here, potential agents and employers could view the work and many of us received our first commissions from then on. Many graduates went onto masters courses at the Royal College, or took up their first positions as designers, illustrators and advertisers. Some of us even became famous names including, Tracy Emin, Nick Sharrak (Tracy Beaker), Martin Hanford (Where’s Wally?), to name but a few. The college seemed such an out the way un-glamorous and unlikely place, and yet with expert tutoring and little to distract us from our work it became a hothouse of talent. It is often easy to feel nostalgic now and to idolise the past, yet the proof of Maidstone’s reputation seemed apparent in the longevity of practitioners who reunited in November 2011 to share their careers and news with old friends. I was struck by how very few of us had verged onto

other paths. Virtually everyone was still making a decent living from the careers they set out on back in 1985. Despite the evolving and changing technology that has played a part in all our careers, the basic need to be able to design and illustrate from scratch, to be able to draw, visualise, craft and conceive ideas in real time had served everyone well and provided a solid grounding from which to develop.”

Although Maidstone was my local town, I came to value it and my time there. For me Maidstone was where I grew confident in my abilities to build a career in graphic design and develop a lifelong love of the creative arts.”

Alison Young “Arriving at Maidstone I was ready to learn and open my eyes to what was happening in art and design. I have always had a love of print, colour, pattern and type design. I admired the newer layouts in the Face and iD and bold styling in art direction, I didn’t really pursue these ideas in my time at college, but my teaching at Maidstone gave me confidence to grow and develop once I started working. I valued the excellent staff who taught the more academic side of the course - Juliet Steyn and Judith Williamson in particular. They inspired and encouraged critical thinking in me and consolidated a lifelong interest in the study of social and cultural history.

I remember the campus being all bare brick inside. We had just one Apple Mac which seemed to only be able to create basic geometric shapes that could be filled in with colour, very much like the kid’s ‘Paint’ programme today. I was totally unimpressed, and thought it would never catch on! The boys all seemed to find it quite exciting though. We also used a PMT (photo mechanical transfer) machine/camera for creating black and white images and enlarging our drawings. We had to learn to hand render type, even down to 12pt, and we learnt the characteristics of lots of fonts intimately. Not like today where you can scroll through them and choose. We had a ferocious typography teacher, who would often rip up work that had taken us hours, telling us it looked like it had been drawn on toilet paper!

In our time at college, there was only one computer which we all shared. As students we relied on us having a fair degree of practical ability with a pencil and a scalpel blade and my favourite book was the Pantone swatch book. I was never neat enough in my mind, or precise enough to cope with type scales, spray mount and all that tracing buried under the hood of a grant enlarger. My desk was always covered in scraps of Pantone film and smelt of lighter fuel. I was first in the queue to work on Apple Macs in my career but I truly appreciate the skills we were taught in traditional type, composition and doing everything by hand.

Theodora Philcox “I studied Information and Editorial Design BA, I’m now a senior lecturer in contextual studies at Warwickshire.

For the graduate shows, staff and students used to dress up in themed dress and photograph themselves for the invitations. At the graduation ceremony we wheeled a piano out to play on the grass. Before the ceremony Melvyn Bragg came and gave out all the degree certificates. Paintings by Tracey Emin were all over the walls in the coffee room alongside the work of Billy Childish. We had fantastic tutors and support staff at Maidstone and memories I will not forget.”

I also liked that Maidstone had all the disciplines and as students we could learn and be inspired by each other. I enjoyed visiting printmaking and fine art students, to see what they were working on.

Maidstone | Memories of Maidstone | Creative Update

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annUal alUMni ReUniOn The first Annual Alumni Reunion commenced on Friday night with a drinks reception attended by alumni from Farnham, Canterbury, Rochester, Epsom and Maidstone, and their guests. The reunion was timed to coincide with the UCA’s degree show, offering the chance to meet friends and engage with current students who were showcasing their work. On a sunny Saturday, June 9th, alumni new and old, gathered in the Students’ Union for morning coffee and tea. After catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, the activities began with a lecture on animation. Phil Gomm, Senior lecturer

- BA Hons CG Arts & Animation, gave a lecture entitled ‘From pop culture to spectacular science’ which outlined current developments in animation and showcased some cutting edge work produced by current UCA students. Guests were kept busy with guided campus tours, exploring the new facilities and equipment now on site. Creative workshops in glass fusing and metal casting offered a chance to try something different and even take home their unique creations as a souvenir of the day. A delicious, specially prepared lunch was served giving time for alumni to chat about their experiences with the UCA and what they have been up to in recent years. It was a wonderful day, brimming with activity and topped off with giant scones, dollops of fresh cream and jam. This, the first Annual Alumni Reunion was thoroughly enjoyable and UCA hopes to welcome many more alumni next year in Kent.

Life after college I applied for art college when I lived in the Highlands for a couple of years (trumping Paris, where I lived before that).

Sue Metham BA (Hons) Fine Art Graduated 1987

After Foundation(1983-4), I moved up to the main UCA building to do my Honours Degree in Fine Art, Painting. This included History of Art and modules in other departments (for me printmaking and textiles). Stephen Farthing was Head of Painting – inspirational, full of enthusiasm and energy. Stephen recommended me for the Courtauld Institute, but instead, I found a studio in the idyllic setting of an old mill. I was also doing freelance editing (I’d worked in publishing for Macmillan before art college),

Farnham | Reuinion Event | Creative Update

working in a print gallery, an estate agents and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. All a bit schizophrenic, so I decided to take a job in The Hague at the Institute of Social Studies. I’d go most evenings (on my bike of course) to the Freie Akademie – the local art academy (recommended by a Colombian poet friend). The students at the ISS and art academy were international, so I had a wonderful time! Returning to the UK after three years, I worked for John Makepeace, the designer, at Parnham, doing Press, PR and setting up exhibitions and seminars - fantastic! At another time, I was offered the job of Assistant to Anthony d’Offay which I turned down!

I’ve also done a lot of set painting and lighting for theatre groups. I am an avid photographer (currently 60,000+ photos!) and do a life-drawing workshop. I’ve also done courses in horticulture and garden design - I’m often in Kew Gardens with camera and notebook, at their lectures on a Monday night or growing vegetables and fruit at home, when not playing the piano (badly) or cooking (very well)!. So, although I’d prefer a day jobin the arts (I work in the consumer field), there is creative life after college – it just isn’t necessarily straightforward!

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Creative Activity

Creative Activity - Metal Casting

Glass Fusing

Trip down memory lane? Wallowing in Nostalgia? Well no, not really. For me, the reunion day was more about trying a couple of new things in the workshops that were organised. The whole day ran smoothly – a good programme of creative treats. We went off to the first workshop glass-fusing. Steve, the tutor, had set it up brilliantly. We each took a piece of ‘float’ glass (the stuff they use for windows – in this case, recycled panes taken out of the building during work on the UCA.) We were shown how to add bits of ‘confetti’ (delicate flakes of glass), ‘frit’ (glass granules that range down in size to a fine powder) and ‘stringers’ (like long, fine glass spaghetti).

The glass comes in all sorts of colours and, intriguingly, the pale gold stuff turns red when it’s fired in the kiln overnight. Because it’s such an extremely fragile material, you have to be careful how you handle it and avoid placing the bits of stringer on the float first, as they tend to roll around. Finally, Steve showed us how to put our masterpieces carefully on the kiln bed ready for firing that evening. Although the materials can be tricky and fiddly, it was also fun, and processes that involve metamorphosis (the overnight firing that fuses the glass and transforms some of the colours) are always intriguing. Certainly, the variety of designs that people produced showed that limitations can also be positive in terms of forcing you to think more creatively.

In the afternoon we did the second workshop, on metal casting. We’d all brought a small object to use, like a coin or small brooch. After scraping out the old Delft sand from the containers and putting new sand in, we firmed this down with a hammer and pressed in our objects. Then, John and his technician Tom took over with the molten metal, blowtorch and trays of moulds (acting like a crucible). They let those cool down and put them gently into a pail of water, then turned out the final pieces for us. It’s a simple enough process, but, again, requires the knowledge, equipment and a lot of care and attention to safety. Thanks to the UCA for a good day – it was fun – and good luck for the next one in Kent!

Farnham | Reuinion Event | Creative Update

Profile

I grew up drawing and making nearly every day which continued into my Advanced GNVQ in art & design at Canterbury College. It allowed my curiosity and creativity complete freedom, trying new things and shaping my skills simultaneously. The graphics & illustration HND at KIAD Maidstone took those new skills, added professional practice and through a strong series of briefs, brilliant tutoring and placement at a design agency in London it got me ready for some ‘real world’ scenario. I also met a lot of talented people, who I’m happy are doing very well out there. After graduation, a job in an art supplies shop gave me enough spare time to freelance in many creative fields and eventually I started a small company with two fellow graduates who are also good friends. Larvae Creative was mostly B2B design, and meant growing in confidence and building a working knowledge of time and money management.

One of the best things I did was to buy a digital SLR. Already a keen photographer, it opened up a candy shop of possibility, making working processes quicker and leading onto a job in studio photography and retouching, working with a huge range of people and quickly bulking up my portfolio while supplying a good source of freelance opportunities. Not wanting to lose sight of design, I’ve taken a natural progression back in and work on graphics at a publishing company for two magazines, websites, events, advertising and marketing. Although as ever, the technological landscape has evolved so my role is expanding to include e-publishing, video and social media. I’m lucky to have time to be creative at home, doing illustration and keeping some freelance clients, while maintaining my own website for variety. www.robcursons.com

rob Cursons HND Graphic Design & Illustration Maidstone Graduated 2002

Rob Cursons | Profile | Creative Update

Beau & Felix front cover

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Michael

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Michael Orr, UCA Maidstone 2001 graduate, is a Graphic Designer and Brand Manager working for the world’s third largest employer, the National Health Service, at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Michael Orr BA (Hons) Visual Communication Graduated 2001 Michael Orr | Advice | Creative Update

Having established an in-house design studio, Michael is working towards the creation of new multi media design services to support design and communication needs across multiple NHS organisations. Tell us about yourself My situation after graduation meant I needed to take the first job I could find. I was persistent in applying for design jobs, during which time I was carving a career with Audi as part of a sales team. The urge for creativity never left me and through a hobby. I went on to establish a successful furniture design company in Brighton. However, the urge to get back to my graphic design roots was relentless and after some time freelancing I landed my current role. My position in the NHS has given me an excellent insight into visual communications and brand management, from working with the Department of Health to frontline services. I’m involved in some fantastic projects, including the National NHS brand architecture review. One of the great things about being an in-house designer is that I’m the one person that’s approached for all creative decisions. I can be directly involved in the business side of the organisation, which in itself presents fantastic opportunities for development. Working in such a corporate environment could be a designer’s worst nightmare. It’s one of the biggest challenges to date in my design career, but it’s also one of the most rewarding.

What advice would you give to students to prepare them for getting that first job? Looking for your first job after graduation can be a long frustrating process, so start your search early, long before graduation day. Gain as much work experience as you can, especially live projects, and find out where your talents and interests lie. Research companies; maybe impress them with some fresh ideas for their business - If you feel you have a great idea then pitch it. If you’re not successful first time, look at areas you feel you could improve on and always ask for feedback on your work. Network Network Network, stick with it and be persistent, we’ve all been in the starting blocks in our careers. What would you look for when employing a designer? An inspirational portfolio that makes me smile. Being open and honest about yourself, don’t bend the truth on your CV, you’re not expected to know everything. Your first job is the continuation of a long learning process. What advice would you give to students to help their work stand out? Don’t be shy, if you have a great project, shout about it, but don’t be arrogant, be proud of your achievements. I will always remember my graduate show, when one potential employer approached me and said “Fantastic project, if it was presented on a grander scale I may have considered offering you a job!”

Shabana Ahmed graduated from UCA in 2007. She shares with Creative Update how she gained her first job and her career progression. What did you do/where did you work post graduation? After graduation my first pivotal work experience role was at ITC, I actually found this role on the UCA website! The role was split between FMCG and fashion industry, here I worked on a variety of design projects for clients: Danone, Walkers and Henri Lloyd and built up my portfolio with client work. That then led onto an exciting intern role at Arcadia for Dorothy Perkins which fell during London Fashion Week. It was very fast moving and the perfect place to network with interesting people. I adore fashion and put my graphics and illustrator skills into good use there.

Shabana Ahmed BA (Hons) Graphic Design Graduated 2007

After what felt like never ending applications for more permanent design roles, I was having very little luck in getting through the door so I re-addressed my skill set and figured I needed to boost digital skills that the industry was crying out for. So I did a course in web design at TVU and with a new direction I got my first break at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals as their creative web designer. Here I worked heavily on the SMA baby brand in large teams and my role evolved from design to learning HTML, email campaigns and bringing a new website project to life in Austria which was a massive eye-opener and really good fun. After that I moved to Towry as in-house designer in the marketing team. This is where I picked up knowledge of the financial industry and working to company brand guidelines. The role was varied and I learned to multi task across design disciplines. I picked up an appreciation for how important a brand is internally just as much as it is to the world outside and how brand myths evolve.

How did you get into your current role? I applied to Talisman directly with a CV and gif animation on why they should hire me, with my contact number on the last slide. What is the most interesting and challenging aspect of your role? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m roughly five months into the role here and the challenging aspects are taking what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m given in a brief or key words and re purposing all the information so that it addresses the needs successfully but also carries a sense of style and visual aesthetic at the same time. The most interesting aspect is learning what design means to others around me and being in an agency that is curious about tomorrow. What projects have you worked on? So far I have worked with JP Morgan on adverts and Moneyspider on identity across the web, getting to know clients and the brands and more recently a website re-design project. What would you like to do/work on in the future? In the future I want to work on a large scale campaign from conception through to multiple delivery online and offline. My love for design started with an obsession for brands, I plan to keep growing as a designer in this space. Do you have any advice for other alumni? Wanting more has always helped me stay focused on pursuing a career in design. Meeting all kinds of people and trying out different things has helped me get somewhere Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve wanted to, after a long long time. Freelancing is a great way of sustaining your creativity and adding to your journey, put the time in and build your experience, constantly shape your portfolio until it really feels truly right. Let your obsessions carry you through your job search, these are the reasons you are probably here in the first place.

Shabana Ahmed | Starting Out | Creative Update

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JeNNifer priCe .............................. After graduating and the buzz of the degree show had died down, I was left a little lost on how to attempt to break into the UK art scene. I took on a yearlong internship at a gallery and decided to utilise the skills I had learnt organising a degree show. I put on an empty shop exhibition in Maidstone called THE/RE:Generation that included local artists, UCA staff, students & alumni and two celebrity artists, Graham Clarke and Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves). It was a great success with amazing press coverage and was a great project to organise, and to gain experience from all the disasters along the way. From this exhibition I was offered my first solo show in a new gallery opening in Maidstone. I signed up for every decent and appropriate online opportunity to expose my artwork. Networking with other artists through social media, I had a four month residency opportunity created for me at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA. Here I had my first international solo exhibition called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Courting Charlotteâ&#x20AC;?. I was able to create large-scale works during my time here including two 45 x 20 foot prints of a Dodge Minivan.

Jennifer Price BA (Hons) Printmaking, Maidstone Graduated 2009

I apply relentlessly to competitions and open calls and this year has been an exciting year for me regarding that. I have been offered a three month residency at Aberystwyth University, selected to exhibit in the International Print Biennale 2011, Newcastle, selected for the open call Metamorphose exhibition of emerging talent, London, and have been selected as one of three short listed artists for the Dawai Art Prize. I have managed to print a grand piano outdoors the week before Christmas, which was painfully cold. Luckily I have amazing friends and family who all helped and a local music museum donated the large grand (Finchcocks). I apply for lots of artist opportunities, taking advantage of the great websites that list and promote them for artists. I get a lot of knock-backs but I think the trick is to try, sometimes unsuccessfully, to not let it damage your confidence and to keep on applying as hard work definitely pays off. www.jenniferpriceart.com

Theresa Paton Since graduating with a degree in Art & Design: Creative & Technical Practice in summer 2010 from UCA Rochester, Theresa has worked as a selfemployed artist/sculptor and facilitator, which extends to her existing role as part-time Artist in Residence at an EBD School in Orpington. She mentors teenage boys on a one-to-one basis, introducing them to three-dimensional art, with the hope that through this process they access the joy of making and the therapy of art. Theresa has also recently completed a teaching course, PTLLS City & Guilds level 4 to help her in her current role and qualify her to work as a Sessional Tutor in the Lifelong Learning Sector. She put on her second solo exhibition in summer 2011 at the Ripley Arts Centre in Bromley and has exhibited in London, Medway, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and Folkestone.

Theresa Paton Creative & Technical Practice/BA (Hons) Art & Design Rochester 2010 30

Jennifer Price | Advice | Creative Update

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New GrAphiC ANd web desiGN AGeNCy bAsed iN

KeNt beAts the odds In 2010 three design graduates from the University College for the Creative Arts, Christopher Gammo-Felton, Luke Horsnell and Tom Etherington, decided to form a graphic and web design agency called Buttasideup (BSU). In previous roles they had worked individually with a range of clients including Miss Sixty, HSBC, Yazoo, Zip, Western Union, BUPA, Ghost, GLG Partners, and TV programmes such as Long Way Round, Long Way Down and Race to Dakar. With these experiences under their belts they formed Buttasideup (BSU) and started the daunting task of developing a new portfolio and client list. Regardless of the current economic climate they have still managed to progress within the industry by creating designs that not only look stylish but are effective in selling business.

By focusing on small start-up businesses BSU has developed an extensive list of local clients. BSU is also working with larger Tonbridge and London based design and advertising agencies. By being flexible they can offer their services enabling these agencies to extend their own digital and graphic design departments. Beyond that, BSU has secured many high-profile clients including luxury speaker manufacturer KEF Audio and more recently Intermedia Marketing who sell business and consumer data to the likes of Google and Auto Trader. In fact their client reach in just over a year of business stretches to Germany, France, USA and even Hong Kong!

Regardless of what people say in these times of doom and gloom, Buttasideup is an example of how you can still make things happen. If you are creative, passionate, hard working and most importantly adaptable, your career is destined to land Buttasideup. 01622 766670 info@buttasideup.com www.buttasideup.com Christopher Gammo-Felton BTEC National Diploma Graphic Design Rochester Graduated 2003 Thomas Etherington BA (Hons) Graphic Design Maidstone Graduated 2008 Luke Horsnell HND Multimedia Maidstone Graduated 2005

Buttasideup | Graphic Design | Creative Update

Profile

ince leaving KIAD in Maidstone after specialising in photography on my foundation course, my learning and career path has taken many twists and turns, but my passion for photography has never dimmed.

Image: ‘Exmoor’

I studied a mixed honours degree in History and Radio, Film, TV and Video at Christ Church University and quickly got a job teaching on one of the first Media Studies GNVQs in the UK at Canterbury College. I stayed for six years and was eventually Media Studies A-Level course tutor. During this time I built my own dark room in a disused corridor behind my flat and began regularly getting paid for black and white portraits, publicity photos for bands and weddings, as well as my own fine art photography. For four years I worked with young Care Leavers and regularly used photography as a way of engaging the young people and encouraging them to express themselves. In 2006 I became the Audience Development Executive at Screen South so my career focus swung back onto film again. During this time, I began to experiment with digital photography which culminated in an exhibition putting my black and white work alongside photos taken on a mobile phone. I am now a freelance creative consultant, still working in the film sector and working hard to improve my fine art photography, finally having time to dedicate myself to developing ideas and plan projects. Something that hasn’t always been easy with three children!

1989 KIAD Maidstone, Foundation Course

I have recently had a successful exhibition of infrared work in Whitstable and I am now working on a book of IR photography and on my next photographic project: a study of the Old Salt Road from Whitstable to Canterbury and beyond. My IR and other work are now on permanent exhibition at Keams Yard on the beach in Whitstable. www.lazyeyeimages.co.uk

Alison Dilnutt | Photography | Creative Update

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Jan Von Holleben BA (Hons) Photography Farnham Graduated 2002

Jan von holleben In Spring 2011, Jan von Holleben was selected by the Oxford University NHS Hospitals Trust, one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in Britain, to develop new artwork at The John Radcliffe Children‘s Hospital, for two long corridors leading from the wards in the children’s hospital to the operating theatres as well as the ceilings of 14 anaesthetic rooms. The project, completed in January this year, was entirely funded through charitable donations from Firefly Tonics and the Fund for Children. After spending a week as artist in residence in Oxford for inspiration, Jan spent two months speaking to doctors, therapists, play specialists, art coordinators, nurses, anaesthetists, porters, patients and their parents to capture ideas and prepare for the project. The final photo production took place with nine children in Jan’s studio in Berlin in late August.

Jan Said: “The story of ‘Lily & Jonathan’ was born as an installation consisting of 315 individual photographs and over 40 composite panels. The series captures the adventures of two friends, Lily &Jonathan, who set out on a fantastic journey. After zooming across the countryside, the friends use their magical powers to fly into space and then to dive under water, neither adventure requiring much effort or special equipment. Along the way Lily & Jonathan meet other children and together they dive into an exciting dream world of galaxy games and underwater dances. “The story was designed so that it mirrors the child’s own journey into the surgery room, therefore helping to construct individual stories for each child. In this way the children can drift away into the fantastic stories at just the right time. What better place could one imagine such an exhibition than in a children’s hospital?

“This was by far the largest and most rewarding project to date for me; installing an exhibition uniquely designed to distract children from their fears. “I worked with an enormously varied group of people from doctors to patients and porters who push the beds down the corridors. It made this a complete commission. “Being able to incorporate so many different ideas and fusing them with my personal storytelling is an incredible experience! I am utterly proud having created this work for such a tragic and emotionally loaded environment. I hope that anyone – and particularly the kids – walking down this corridor will be able to dream a little bit!” he said.

Jan von Holleben | Profile | Creative Update

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baseline / UCA students and graduates in 17-year collaboration

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10th of October until the 25th of November 2011 George Roger Gallery at UCA Maidstone

Last year, Baseline the Typographic Design magazine and UCA Maidstone, celebrated a special exhibition. Since 1994 Baseline has provided employment, experience and mentoring to many UK and international students on UCA Maidstoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Graphic Design: Visual Communication course. Baselineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation spans across all continents, with high profile contributors from the international creative industry. Among them Oscar winner Arnold Schwartzman RDI OBE, Alan Fletcher RDI, Adrian Frutiger, Ken Garland,

Baseline / UCA | Development | Creative Update

David Gentleman RDI, Ivan Chermayeff, David Carson, Neville Brody, Sir Terence Conran and best selling author Steven Heller. The exhibition was held from October 10-Nov 25 2011 at the George Roger Gallery at UCA Maidstone. It offered an insight into the character and workings of the magazine from the point of view of the students who were employed there showcasing their contributions to the design of this renowned publication. The visitors were invited to hear, via video, interviews from former students how working at

Baseline did influence them as young, ambitious designers and boosted their career prospects. Thanks to UCA senior lecturers Phil Jones, John Howard and recently course leader Hugh Harwood, who kept in direct contact with the magazine, 23 international UCA graphic design students found work and experience at the magazine. The idea of the exhibition was discussed during a meeting with Hugh Harwood and senior lecturers Silke Dettmers and Mark Sanderson and Hans Dieter Reichert (publisher of Baseline Magazine) during

Development

June/July last year. After the successful collaboration on the article ‘UCA at Maidstone: Expanding the Page’ in Baseline 56, 2008, it was felt that an appropriately themed exhibition should celebrate this unique relationship. Former national and international students from Maidstone’s graphic course participated with video contributions which were organised and edited by Mark Sanderson and Hugh Harwood. five dedicated 3rd year students, supervised by Silke Dettmers, produced a special ‘radial like’ 3-D information object which interpreted the individual student/Baseline relationship (i.e. duration of stay, nationality, level of education and the consequent internationally developed network). Although most of the relationships were based at UCA Maidstone, over the last two years Baseline also started to build relationships with UCA graphic design/ communication courses in Farnham and Epsom. Rachel Ellis, a young dedicated graduate student from UCA Farnham worked during Autumn 2011 at the magazine and helped to design relevant items connected for the forthcoming exhibition.

Her ‘hands on’, skillful approach proved to be very useful in the design office. Rachel also maintained the Baseline Facebook page with important exhibition information during work experience. During her stay she exercised her skills, gained more and more confidence and in November accepted a job offer as in-house designer at a reputable company in Guildford. Well done, Rachel. Hans is one of UCA’s honorary graduates and since 2011 provides a special Baseline Magazine scholarship at UCA.

23 UCA students and graduates who worked at Baseline magazine since 1994: Peter Barnes, Bernabe Blanco, Mané Branco, Luke Borgust, Helena Castle, Rachel Ellis, Alison Gardiner, Stephanie Granger, Johnathon Hunt, Ed King, Raghvi Khurana, Jo Lewis, Ben Leah, Dean Pavitt, Surabhi Prassana, Liam Reilly, Amish Shah, Paul Spencer, Chloe Vanderson, Bernhard Wilke, Kenneth Wong, Matt Woodfield, Wen Yang. Exhibits on show/display: Baseline Magazine posters and artworks, Baseline publications, Baseline website, Baseline 3-D wall installation, Baseline/UCA slide/screen show, Baseline/ UCA video on Apple computers, UCA/Baseline 3-D network information graphic diagram.

Profile

JAsdip Sagar since graduating from UCA Maidstone with a degree in timebased Media with electronic imaging, Jasdip has been very busy working on big budget block buster films.

He started his career working as a runner in Soho, followed by a stint editing film trailers and working on editing and grading episodes for ‘the Bill’. It was then Jasdip embarked on freelance editing. He said: “I took the plunge to freelance editor and five low budget features later I found myself grading, keying and removing unwanted elements from shots and started learning more about visual effects. I decided I would become a prep artist around the time of the release of Avatar. A friend of mine was involved in stereo 3D conversion and suggested I try a course in this, which led onto a compositing course. Having knowledge of different film and video formats, colour space, grading and keying all became useful.” Towards the end of his course, Jasdip gained experience as a rotoscope artist for an advertising company. His job involved painting around objects that could be cut out and used on different backgrounds. He said: “I had gained great experience and my next role at an animation company allowed me to put it all into practice. I put 3D animation against live action for futuristic and architectural city-scapes. I moved from there into working for Sky, on the Britain’s Next Top Model project removing unwanted elements, rigs, tracking marker and making models look prettier.” Jasdip has always wanted to work in films and his break came at Prime Focus where he worked on Dredd and Wrath of the Titans.

Jasdip Sagar MA Timebased Media with Electronic Imaging Maidstone Graduated 1998

He said: “Every day is varied depending on the shot. One day may be correcting shots that have been shot with two cameras in stereo, correcting for vertical alignment and disparities in colour and another day removing rigs, wires and unwanted elements from shots using compositing and paint software. I find this the most interesting. In the film Dredd, it was shot with CG elements, green screen and stunts with the added complexity of being shot in Stereo 3D. One particular shot involved removing a dozen wires across a body that was lowered into smoke. Smoke had to be composited over the top of the shot to mask out rigs and wires removed using tricks from Nuke, a compositing software. I often have to remove foreground elements from shots and make up the background so otherartists can make 3D conversions of 2D shots.” “My most challenging was whilst working on Wrath of the Titans. Our prep team was responsible for removing foreground images and remaking background elements so 2D maybe converted to 3D. One particular shot had many trees and varying depths, with a moving camera and bodies crossing the shot. It took five people in my team a week working on a two second shot to paint behind all the various elements so they could be used to recreate stereo 3D.“ Jasdip has a number of films in the pipeline and recently worked on Frankenweenie, Mirror Mirror and Total Recall. “I love my job and teamwork is important and we are all continuously learning as technology is constantly evolving. It’s an exciting place to be on the cutting edge of film effects,” he said.

Profile

Clift

The

deliCAte

Ce N A l A b

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Art

After I finished university the first thing I asked myself was ‘what do I want and where do I want to go?’ I realised that I had little experience in working with galleries and museums, almost no understanding of how the art market worked or how I fitted in to it. After moving to Nottingham, I began volunteering at a non-profit art gallery. It was completely run by volunteers. I was able to learn very quickly about marketing and promotion, networking, installing work and curating. It was a fantastic experience and I picked up so many skills that I have since been able to apply to my own art practice. After completing my degree, I exhibited my work as often as possible. There are so many artists competing for exposure now I decided that if I didn’t join in, no one would know I existed. I have been a part of numerous group shows and art fairs around the UK as well as touring projects abroad. Whether through open shows or arranging my own exhibitions, getting my work out there has opened up the door to new opportunities. In 2010 my work was selected from a café gallery open show to be represented at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea. I was the only artist in the gallery to sell pieces. I have now settled in London where I work full time at London Transport Museum whilst continuing my art practice. My work has developed organically but also with limitations to time and energy due to other commitments. It wasn’t easy to admit to myself at first that I just wasn’t able to give the same dedication I had as a student. Since starting a full time job two years ago I have moved from creating grand installations in my final year to sketchbook sized drawings. I am currently exploring elements of light and shadow within the environment and how they influence the feeling and atmosphere within a place. This is a drawingbased project that has developed through an exploration of space and place (either physical or metaphorical), which has always fascinated me since university. I have Sam Clift always been inspired by my BA (Hons) Fine Art local environment wherever I Farnham am; surfaces, texture, colours Graduated 2008 and atmosphere, and this always filters into my pieces one way or another.

Sam Clift | Artist | Creative Update

News

News in brief Cas Holmes Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, August 16-19 and Knitting and Stitching Show, London October 11-14. Working with what Cas describes as ‘stitch sketching’ her textile pieces meticulously re-use materials including teabags, sweet wrappers and old handkerchiefs. ‘I am delighted to have received support from Creative Exhibitions, organisers of the event, and an award from Arts Council England for this first major showing of my work at London and Birmingham venues. The shows attract over 70,000 visitors from all over the world. It will be a marvelous platform for my work’.

The Golden Days When Skies Were Blue

Along Peddars Way

DANNA Project Alumni Daniel Tollady and Anna Baranowska co-founded their Interior Architecture and Design practice, DANNA PROJECT following their graduation in 2009. They met whilst studying at UCA Canterbury and decided to shape their career into something more experimental that worked more cohesively with their design approach.

UCA First Year Interior Architecture & Design

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Bodyscape 01 Exhibition

Working together has allowed them to put on exhibitions that have also brought together other practising artists and designers, with their most recent being URBAN NARRATIVE – an exhibition that explored/reinstated the mysticism and narrative of the urban environment. More recently, Daniel and Anna were asked to return to UCA and teach the first year students of the same ‘Interior Architecture and Design’ course, and use their unique theories and approach to benefit new students of the course. You can see the students’ work at www.dannaprojectatuca.blogspot.com

Alumni round up | News in brief | Creative Update

Carolyn Blake Fine artist Carolyn Blake has just completed exhibiting one of her collections titled Okapi Happy at the Pie Factory Margate. Carolyn gets her inspiration from her personal reflections and the exhibition explores the memories of childhood. She said: “My exhibition of paintings, evoke the memory and the poetic in our everyday, which sometimes offer moments of personal reflection. The layers of colour along with the mark making on the canvas symbolically hold and entrap a response to a serene and sometimes joyful moment in time, be they a family activity, an outing to the seaside, the zoo, or an exhibition.” Her new exhibition ‘Not So Happy, Yet Much Happier’ will be at the New Hall Art Collections, Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, 9th August – 7th September 2012. www.carolynblake.com

News

Zandra Rhodes Zandra Rhodes opens new teaching facility at UCA Epsom Chancellor of the University, Zandra Rhodes, recently visited UCA Epsom to cut the ribbon and officially open the new £5.9 million teaching facility.

Fergus is now co-curating and participating as an artist in a group show ‘Capital’ at George and Jorgen Gallery in London that also includes the work of Karen Knorr, Professor of Photography, UCA Farnham. You can see more by visiting www. fergusheron.com & www.georgeandjorgen.com

The three-storey building includes specialist learning areas for fashion, digital media, photography and screen printing. It houses a 200-seat auditorium, a new learning resource centre and a digital media centre. At the ribbon cutting, Zandra said: “The new building will provide fantastic opportunities for our students. It is here that the designers of the future will hone their skills.” The new teaching block was built to stringent environmental standards and is designed to achieve an “Excellent” rating by the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).

Fergus Heron Fergus Heron studied photography at UCA Farnham from 1994-1997. He went on to study at the Royal College of Art and exhibit internationally. In the last few years, his work was included in the first major exhibition of photography at Tate Britain and has also been shown at Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World and the Royal West of England Academy. A small solo show of a selection of his work titled ‘Fergus Heron: Common Measure’ took place recently at a new lens based media arts gallery, The Front View in Whitstable, near UCA Canterbury.

Dawn Mendonça Fine Art Alumnus Dawn Mendonça recently exhibited a collection of portrait paintings, titled The Idiot Society Exhibition in Casa Dos Cubos, Tormer, Portugal. The exhibition is a collection of 24 portrait paintings by artists and musicians Dawn and Bill Rivers. These works, produced between 2011 and 2012, are eclectic in their influences (primarily cubism, expressionism, surrealism, symbolism and futurism) and explore the dissection of the human face, using layers, shapes, line and color to evoke an emotional and psychological response. For more information on the artists and exhibition please visit: www.isart.weebly.com

Alumni round up | News in brief | Creative Update

News

Lyudmila Lane A recent graduate from UCA Rochester has won an international fashion competition. Lyudmila Lane, who graduated BA (Hons) Fashion Design in July 2011, beat entries from more than 50 colleges worldwide to win the Who’s Next/Arts Thread Fashion Graduate Competition 2011. As one of ten winners, Lyudmila won the opportunity to showcase her collection at the world-famous WHO’S NEXT Prêt-à-Porter trade show in Paris. Lyudmila, who was a Gold Award finalist at London’s Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) in 2011, said: “As a new designer hoping to enter the professional world of fashion, exhibiting my collection at WHO’S NEXT Prêt-à-Porter is a once-in-alifetime chance for me. “Winning has given me a huge boost in both energy and aspiration - it’s a huge step for my career and my dream of seeing people wearing my clothes out on the streets. “I feel ready to go out and achieve my goals thanks to the support and guidance of the teaching staff at UCA who have given me the opportunity to uncover and expose my creative abilities,” she said. UCA has a long history of producing talented fashion designers - graduates include Karen Millen, Zandra Rhodes and 2009 Graduate Fashion Week Gold Award winner Myrto Stamou.

Alumni round up | News in brief | Creative Update

Sefika Sakalli A clear passion for design and keen eyes for exceptional quality led two UCA Rochester Product Design graduates, Sam Flaherty and Sefika Sakalli to set up their online marketplace Forages.co.uk in 2011. Knowing first-hand how difficult it can be to get ideas off paper and into market, the pair created a platform that offers designers their own online arena through which they can promote and sell their work under the Forages brand. Designers are given the chance to be a part of something special. They are given their own direct URL, listings in the designers section, targeted press releases and can be a part of mailing list campaigns all under the Forages umbrella. Key to their success is the stores eclectic edge. Products are chosen for their unusual characteristics, quirky style or sheer functionality. The pair love to see products especially from designers at an early point in their careers giving them an opportunity to develop and test their products in the marketplace whilst giving the customer satisfaction that they are supporting home-grown talents. If you would like the opportunity to collaborate with Forages and sell your designs via their webshop please contact info@forages.co.uk. Forages look after everything from the customer sales and service to maintaining the website, allowing you to carry on doing what you do best. You can follow Forages @forages_shop and on Facebook www.facebook.com/Forages

News

Jo Hawtree It has been a busy few months for fashion graduate Jo Hawtree. She has recently showcased her designs at a charity fashion show and is now following in the footsteps of famous designers Vivienne Westwood and Ozwald Boateng by selling her designs at London’s Portobello Market.

Gunsmoke&Lavender: Limited Edition printed vest

Julie Parker Farnham Fine Art graduate, Julie Parker, currently has her work on exhibition at the MAD (Museum of Arts and Design) in New York. ‘Swept Away: Dust, Ashes and Dirt in Contemporary Art and Design’ is exhibiting until August 12, 2012 and features Julie’s newest piece, ‘Ritual Accumulations’, a patchwork quilt made entirely from tumble dryer lint.

Jo, who graduated in 2010 from the Epsom campus, won the chance to take up a free pitch at the market for six months.

Julie says: “I had been collecting tumble dryer lint since 2001, and had more recently added to this collection by asking my students at school to donate lint. When the chief curator at MAD invited me to make a new work for his exhibition I used this lint to make a patchwork quilt entitled ‘Ritual Accumulations’”.

The competition was organised by the Market Enterprise Launch Pad (MELP) and candidates had to convince judges that they had a successful business proposition.

In addition to her quilt, Julie is also known for ‘36lbs of dust (2003)’, a full size single mattress made entirely of fluff from tumble dryers.

“As part of the competition, I had to do a Dragon’s Den style pitch. It was extremely nerve wracking but I managed to get my ambition and passion to succeed across to the judges,” she said

She is a busy part-time art teacher and practises at her home studio based in North East Hampshire. You can explore more of Julie’s work on her website www.julieparkerartist.com and www.axisweb.org

Jo runs her own menswear label, Gunsmoke & Lavender and is relishing the opportunity to showcase her readyto-wear range comprising printed t-shirts, jackets, jeans and men’s accessories.

Photo by Faye Sampson

“Portobello Market is such a famous and respected market. Winning the competition is a golden opportunity to promote my business and start selling my garments to the public with me as the face of the business, offering a personalised service to my customers,” she said. Described as edgy and extravagant, Jo’s Gunsmoke & Lavender label is already attracting acclaim, and garments from her collection were recently featured in Harper’s Bazaar. For further information visit: www.gunsmokeandlavender.com

Ritual Accumulations

Alumni round up | News in brief | Creative Update

News

Alice Halliday UCA fashion graduate Alice shot into the spotlight after her cape was spotted by Florence from Florence and the Machine. She has since appeared on national television and was interviewed afterwards with Florence where she thanked for the cape.

Georgina Russell Since graduating in 2011 Georgina has been working at Red Bull Racing. She started as the marketing assistant and has recently taken a jump to hospitality coordinator, where she looks after both factory and race hospitality. She said “The role is fantastic; it entails travelling the world and keeping on your toes!”

Alice is now based in Ireland, where she recently won ’Cork Fashion Week Designer of the Year’ for her collection ‘Tea with Tamara’. She recently contributed to the ‘Waking Up Alice’ photoshoot which was inspired by fairytale imagery, particularly from Alice in Wonderland.”

Ebi Kagbala Since graduating in 2007, Ebi moved to New York where he did a few styling jobs for Carlton Jones, a well-known stylist to stars such as Erykah Badum, Michelle Obama and Jill Scott. Ebi also worked on the wardrobe for the play “Super Spy” at the Lincoln center, with American Eagle supplying the garments/accessories. He is currently working as a menswear stylist at Club Monaco in Broadway, Soho NYC.

Medway College of Art The old Medway College of Art is fading into history. If you were a student in the late fifties or early sixties you may be interested to know that a reunion of former students is planned for September 2012. A group of former NDD students from this period who left the college in 1962 will be gathering in Rochester on the afternoon and evening of Friday 14 September 2012 to mark the passing of 50 years. If you, or anyone you know, attended any department of the college between 1955 and 1965 you are cordially invited to come along and share the occasion.

Oliver Campbel Oliver Campbell graduated from UCA Epsom with a BA (Hons) graphic design in 2007.

A venue has been booked and many former students are already looking forward to a convivial occasion back on home turf. Details of the event from Leonard McDermid (Mac),

He is currently freelancing for top fashion and Lifestyle magazines across Hearst, Conde Nast, IPC, Bauer and News International. Oliver started his own company and built websites, most notably for Gok Wan’s photographer Elise Dumontet.

01573 470255 leonardmcdermid@googlemail.com

Alumni round up | News in brief | Creative Update

Obituary

emmanuel Cooper oBe 1938 - 2012

The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) was extremely saddened to learn of the death of honorary graduate Emmanuel Cooper. Emmanuel gained international renown as a potter and was particularly well-known for his high-fired porcelain and stoneware. Forms included jugs and bowls with glazes, ranging from bright turquoise blues and vibrant yellows to gritty, textured, volcanic surfaces. His work is included in many important collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Royal Scottish Museum. In 2005, he held a notable exhibition at the Crafts Study Centre at UCA Farnham and was a regular visitor to the centre, with his work added to the collection.

As editor of Ceramic Review, the international magazine of ceramic art and craft, Emmanuel transformed the journal into one of the world’s leading applied arts journals. He was also a writer and critic in his own right authoring more than 18 books on different aspects of art and craft. UCA awarded Cooper an Honorary Degree in 2003. Vice-Chancellor Simon Ofield-Kerr said: “Emmanuel Cooper’s work in ceramics was indeed beautiful and important. However, for a generation of art historians like myself interested in gay identity and subject matter, his book ‘The Sexual Perspective’ was seminal, opening the door to further research and indeed careers in what was then an under explored area. Personally, I am hugely grateful for the opportunities his work provided.”

althea Wynne 1936 - 2012

in a road accident while returning home from the foundry which was to cast the two large bronzes. Althea was a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors.

Althea Wynne, 75, who studied art at Farnham School of Art during 1953-55, well known for her group of three horses at Minster Court in London, was recently commissioned to create two large bronzes of Winsdor Grey horses for Winsdor Great Park. Sadly, Althea and her husband died suddenly

She wrote of the inspirations for her work ‘My work is deeply influenced by my love of early classical sculpture, the calm poise and harmony of which I try to emulate. The Greeks also had an understanding of animals from which I draw some of my inspiration, and my equestrian subjects owe much to my love of riding.’

Althea Wynne & Emmanuel Cooper | Obituary | Creative Update

obituary

The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) was very sad to hear the news of Althea Wynne and her husband who were tragically killed in a road accident, January 24 2012.

Merchandise

Coming Soon...

The alumni association has recently launched a new merchandise range. You can buy a selection of mementos from your time studying at UCA. The range is sold through a university clothing specialist and some of the items can be customised.

The First Annual Alumni Lecture with Loyd Grossman OBE, 29 October 2012 Institute for Contemporary Arts London

The range includes t-shirts, mugs, jumpers and graduation teddy-bears. To view the full range visit: www.ucreative.ac.uk/alumni/merchandise

Read it and Tweet We have a dedicated alumni Facebook and Twitter account posting University and alumni news. Why not join us and tell us your thoughts on the latest edition of the magazine?

www.facebook.com/alumniuca www.twitter.com/alumniuca

Share your news Do you have any stories or news to share? Please email alumni@ucreative.ac.uk or call 01252 892736 and you could feature in the next magazine.

Moving home? Visit: www.ucreative.ac.uk/alumni/join-us to update your details or sign up to the association.

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