fresh - winter 2008 by Steve Campbell

fresh

News magazine from the University of Wolverhampton School of Art & Design - Winter 2008

Love what you do, do what you love

[ image: Ember by Professor Keith Cummings ]

RECENT EVENTS 2

STUDENT FOCUS 5

STAFF FOCUS 7

CREATIVE EMPLOYABILITY 9

SCHOOL OF ART & DESIGN 3D Design / Animation / Ceramics / Computer Games Design / Design and Applied Arts / Fashion / Fashion Accessories / Fine Art / Glass / Graphic Communication / Illustration / Interactive Media / Interior and Textile Design / Interior Design / Journalism AND Editorial Design / Photography / Product Design / Textile Design / Video and Film Production UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON

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2 RECENT EVENTS

2 Creative Pathways Synopsium

2 British Glass Bienalle

2 MA Show 2008

3 MAstars

3 Degree Shows 2008

4 Graduation Prize Winners

3 Honorary Degrees

5 STUDENT FOCUS

5 Xcel Awards

5 Wedgwood Jewellery & Body Adornment Competition 2008

3 Royal TV Awards

5 Threadneedle Figurative Prize

6 David Rann

6 Art in Mind

6 Rotovision Award

6 Optimise Consultancy Ltd Sponsored Prize

6 Weldon Commission

7 STAFF FOCUS

9 CREATIVE EMPLOYABILITY 9 Work Placements

9 Live Briefs

9 KITTS

9 SPEED

9 Student Q&A

9 Graduate Recruitment

11 MAJOR EVENTS

11 Illustration Alumni Exhibition

12 Ron Dutton, A journey in Bronze

12 Clothes Show Live

12 CURRENT PROJECTS

12 More Than 7 Storeys

13 EVENTS LISTINGS

Scott Knight, Business Development Manager Scott will be working closely with Professor Tim Collins, Associate Dean Research & Deveolpment and Nigel Jordan, Business Development Manger. Scott previously worked in the School of Art and Design at University of Derby, joining us on the 29th September. He began his career in HE as Senior Administrative Assistant progressing to be Coordinator of the ‘Creative Exchange’ at Derby. He has worked closely with regional creative support networks and Sector Skills Councils in the East Midlands and hopes to build and continue these relationships in the West Midlands. Nigel Beer is on secondment from the School of Sport, Performing Arts & Leisure to the post of Lifelong Learning Network Discipline Group Coordinator. Rachel Lander joins the Design & Applied Arts Department as Divisional Assistant. Kacper Lebiedziewicz joins the Marketing team as a Web Developer. Kacper completed his BA in Animation in June and has now progressed onto the MA Animation course part-time. Suki Sunner joined us as School Finance Officer on 10th November 2008. Suki has spent 4 years in the University’s Finance Department. Prior to that she worked for the Arena Theatre, and before that, Birmingham Midshires.

7 Ceramics Lecturer’s Residency

8 8th International Ceramics Competition

WELCOME

13 Showcase for Shropshire Artists

13 Interactive Film Workshop

14 Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

14 CADRE Lectures 2008-9

15 VISIT THE SCHOOL 15 CONTACT FRESH

Welcome to our new Artists in Residence Sian Hindle is a designer and text-based artist who makes three dimensional objects from jewellery to large scale installations out of the written word. Sian is intending to create a number of experimental pieces which will explore how calligraphic letter forms can be developed sculpturally. Light sources will be used within the pieces to create impact through the shadows cast. David Gilroy graduated in 2004 from Cumbria Institute of the Arts, Carlisle with a BA (Hons) Fine Art. David has also had various studios in Dumfries and Galloway before moving to Plymouth. His current work looks at the relationship between rural and urban landscapes, with a study of the fringe area of Plymouth. David is hoping to build on his current practice in Plymouth by photographing the ‘edgeland’ around the city fringes, in Wolverhampton where he finds several comparative studies between the two in histories and geography. Shaun Morris paintings are created from observational drawings, in an attempt to place restrictions and a discipline on the work. After working extensively in the area, Sandwell Council commissioned him to create a series of paintings that represented the diversity of West Bromwich. The resulting body of work and exhibition was called, ‘Seek My Face’, and has been shown recently at The Public, West Bromwich. Shaun is hoping to create a portfolio of experimental prints, that act as an extension and complement his recent commissioned art work. Rachel Grant is a textile artist. Rachel’s mixed media work explores the link between inheritance and identity. Sometimes this is examined in a very personal autobiographical manner, other times within a wider community context, particularly within the City of Stoke-on-Trent where she lives and works. Rachel will be aiming to produce a volume of experimental surfaces to be incorporated into a new body of work along with 5-10 finished pieces for exhibiting.

Congratulations to Dr Jim Davis on his PhD success. [ pictured top: Scott Knight ]

www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

RECENT EVENTS Creative Pathways Symposium & Glass Routes Exhibition The exceptionally successful Creative Pathways Symposium in the summer brought together close to 100 delegates to hear a series of papers on how individual glass artists develop their creative work. This was followed by the outstanding Glass Routes Exhibition at Bilston Craft Gallery which traces the impact of Professor Keith Cummings on glass artists in the UK and China. The catalogue is available online at: www.glass-routes.com

RECENT EVENTS Over the past few months students have been celebrating their successes at the degree shows and graduation. We have welcomed a new cohort of enthusiastic first year students. During Induction week, the Visual Communication Division organised a trip to Liverpool via Crosby Beach to see Anthony Gormley’s much discussed ‘figures in the sea’, while Fine Art students were taken on a trip to the Frank Cohen exhibition and Tatton Park Biennale.

British Glass Biennale 2008, People’s Prize Winner The Biennale held over the summer was enjoyed by many of our staff and students, including Level 2 Glass student, Robyn Smith, who was voted joint winner of the People’s Prize at the ‘British Glass Biennale 2008’ at Ruskin Glass Centre, Stourbridge. Robyn’s prize includes professional support and promotional materials donated by Craftsman and craft&design magazines and Warm Glass, sponsors of the event.

MA Show 2008

Innovative artwork by University of Wolverhampton MA students was celebrated at the ULTIMATE/08 MA graduation show. Colin Davies, MA Programme Manager, said: “I look forward to seeing how the MA acts as a launch pad to students’ careers as they return to their professional lives both locally and around the globe. I wish all 08 graduates a prosperous and creative future.” [ pictured top: Moon Pool by Keith Cummings left: ULTIMATE/08 logo & The Crossing by Caroline Cleary ]

www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

PAST EVENTS

Staff and students celebrated the annual School of Art & Design degree show with artwork from over 300 students across 20 courses being exhibited throughout the building.

Degree Shows 2008

MAstars Mark Bath, Ceramics MA Graduate and Senior Technician in the School of Art & Design has been selected by renowned interdisciplinary artist, Faye Claridge, to be featured on MAstars for his outstanding ceramics (www.axisweb.org). MAstars has become a useful platform for promoting selected artists, as well as the courses they have graduated from. Go to www.axisweb.org/mastars for further information and to see other graduates who have been selected.

HONORARY DEGREES Fashion Icon, Barbara Hulanicki, Founder of Biba The founder of the iconic fashion label Biba has received an honorary doctorate in design from the University of Wolverhampton in recognition of her outstanding contribution to fashion and interior design. Barbara, who now lives in Miami, said she was “absolutely thrilled” to be honoured by the University. She said: “I am absolutely thrilled and delighted. It is just lovely to receive this award.” Sharon Watts, Course Leader for Design and Applied Arts, said: “Barbara Hulanicki is an iconic figure in fashion and interior design. Her broad and extensive work on all aspects of design has been pivotal, and we wanted to celebrate and acknowledge her outstanding contribution. She is still a vibrant and creative force today, and we hope to

further develop a relationship with her and work together on projects.” Barbara Hulanicki began her career in fashion in the early 1960s, working as a freelance fashion illustrator. In 1964, she founded the boutique Biba, which became an icon of 60s and 70s London. The avant-garde Biba cosmetics brand was sold in 33 countries. In 1987, Barbara reinvented herself as an interior/exterior designer in Miami Beach and her projects included work for Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones and Gloria Estefan. She has redesigned top hotels in the Caribbean and Miami Beach. Throughout her career, Barbara has designed costumes for stage and film productions, including clothing for Julie Christie in Darling (1965) and various costumes for her old friend and Biba model, Twiggy.

“I am absolutely thrilled and delighted. It is just lovely to receive this award.” www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

PAST EVENTS

GRADUATION PRIZE WINNERS 2008

Katherine Baker The Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Fine Art & Photography Mark White The Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Visual Communications

Dani Bayton and Jennie Cornaby The Caparo Prize for Creative Enterprise

Eunice Powell The Potclay Award for Outstanding Work in Clay

Emma Vaughan The Express & Star Award for Excellence in Journalism & Editorial Design

Serge Sanghera The Craftline Award for Excellence in Ceramics & Ibstock Prize for Architectural Ceramics

Paul Jones Daler Rowley Prize for Excellence in Painting

Joanne Davis The Valentines Studentship Prize for Ceramics

Sean Bird Daler Rowley Prize for Excellence in Graphic Communication

Aimee Whitehead and Martin Geyer Toppots Award for Achievement in Ceramics

Trevor Clarke The Sandvik Prize for Excellence in Sculpture

Paul Barlow Simon Bruntnell Award for Best Glass Work in Show

David Hall The Sandvik Prize for Excellence in Photography

Michael Andrew Watsons Glass Award for Best Commercial Glass Design

Gemma Bailey The Flint Ink Award for Excellence in Printmaking

Julia Rowley Pearsons Award for Best Glass Work in Show

Heidi Levy, Emma Jakeways, Emma Hudson, Jamie Jackson and Rowen Farrow MDTDTi Prize for Excellence in Commercial Video Production

Dan Ridgeway Sheldon Cooney Award for Innovation in the Use of Blown Glass

Timothy Dennis Dowling The Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Digital Media

Elisabeth Skartland Keith Cummings Award for Excellence in Kiln Glass Casting

Ruth Lingford, renowned British Animator Ruth Lingford was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts by the University of Wolverhampton. She is one of Britain’s foremost animators and a teacher of high repute. She has been making short animated films since completing a BA in Fine Art and Art History in 1990 and an MA at the Royal College of Art in 1992. In 1993 she was awarded an Arts Council of England ‘animate!’ grant to make What She Wants (1994, 4 min), an experimental film about sex and shopping produced entirely on a home Amiga computer. After a 3-month Animator’s Residency at the Museum of the Moving Image, she received a Channel 4 commission for Death and the Mother (1997, 11 min) based on

a Hans Christian Anderson story, which has won prizes at many international film festivals. Ruth Lingford’s films are made using 2D digital techniques, often combining drawing and treated live footage. A typical example, Pleasures of War (1998, 11 min) was made for Channel 4 and the Arts Council of England. It was devised in collaboration with the novelist Sara Maitland and created on desktop computers. It is described in The Critic’s Choice as ‘one of the 150 best films ever made’.

[ pictured top: visitors to the School of Art & Design Degree Show 2008 middle: Image title & Mark Bath, Ceramics MA Graduate left: Barbara Hulanicki ]

Textile students

continue to work with John Lewis and rug manufacturer, Hill & Company, in the design of rugs. Nine graduating students from Textile Design have had their designs selected and their rugs will be in John Lewis stores throughout the UK in 2009. Graduating Textile student Alison Patheyjohns was awarded a prize by the Mayor of Wolverhampton for her designs.

www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

STUDENT FOCUS

xcel Awards Xcel Student Awards 2008 recognise and celebrate the achievements of students from a multi-ethnic or minority group background, who have demonstrated excellence. Serge Sanghera, Ceramics graduate 2008, was commended in the Xcel Media and Creative Arts category. Serge 35, from Whitmore Reans, gained a First Class Degree and received two awards at graduation – the Craftline Award for Excellence in Ceramics and the Ibstock Brick Ltd Award in Architectural Ceramics. Serge collected his Xcel Award at a gala evening at the Tower Hotel in London on Monday October 6th, 2008.

Wedgwood Jewellery and Body Adornment Competition 2008

Royal TV Awards Graduates from the School of Art & Design are celebrating a hat trick of successes at the prestigious Royal Television Society awards. The students clinched three of the awards at the Royal Television Society Midland Region Student Awards held on Saturday 24th October 2008 at the Burlington Hotel in Birmingham. BA (Hons) Animation graduate Tim Dowling won the Best Animation Award for his film “Troubled”. BA (Hons) Video & Film Production graduates Matt Bennett, Pete Benfield, Steve Evans, Rahela Jagric and Michalis Michael won the Best Drama Award for their comedy-drama “My Two Best Friends”. And to complete the success, “My Two Best Friends” won the overall prize of the night for the Best Student Production. Award winner Matt Bennett said: “We were pleasantly surprised to be nominated for the awards, and winning made all the hard work very satisfying. We were over the moon to win two awards.”

Staff in the Design and Applied Arts, Ceramics, Glass and Textiles departments collaborated this year with the Wedgwood Museum Trust to run a competition with the theme ‘Jewellery and Body Adornment’ The winners entries, along with other selected works, are to be included in the exhibition ‘New Direction’ which will celebrate the opening of the flagship new Wedgwood Museum, Barlaston, Stoke on Trent. The students work will also form part of the Wedgwood permanent collection, and will be shown on the new website: www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk Andrew Logan the artist, jewellery designer and innovator was the main judge along with Gaye Blake Roberts, Director of the Wedgwood Museum, Nigel Spicer, Education

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Director, Sharon Gater, Curator of the Wedgwood Museum and DAA staff as advisors. The competition which was entered by 57 students ran as part of modules in all years and was also open to MA students in these disciplines. Andrew Logan’s 1st prize went to Lisa Abrams from Ceramics, who designed and made a contemporary take on the traditional cameo. His 2nd prize went to Gabby Davis from Textiles for a spectacular bikini based on the twisted handles on some of the historical Wedgwood jugs. His 3rd prize, went jointly to two glass students, Amy Zaftarese for her glass teeth clips and William Pride whose glass buckles were inspired by Wedgwood’s industrial machines.

Phil Nichols, Course Leader - Video & Film Production, said: “The winning films were produced as coursework in 2007-8, during the students’ final year of study with us. The regional winners go forward to consideration for the National RTS Student Awards, in a ceremony which will take place in London next Spring. Everyone at the School of Art & Design is absolutely delighted with their achievements and we wish the graduates every success with their careers.”

Threadneedle Figurative Prize 2008 Talented Ceramic graduates Denise Russell and Jo Lee’s sculptures were selected for the Threadneedle Figurative Prize. They both exhibited at the prestigious ‘Mall Galleries’, London during August and September 2008.

STUDENT FOCUS

Art in Mind, The Brick Lane Gallery, London.

STUDENT FOCUS MA Fine Art student exhibits a collection of his photographs in Quadrant Lounge, Wolverhampton MA Fine Art student David Rann launched his exhibition of photographs to celebrate red heads at The Quadrant Lounge, Wolverhampton. David from Dudley had a huge response after he launched an appeal for ginger, titian and auburn haired volunteers to come forward for his show, which ran throughout September. The series of photographs is a celebration of the gene’s physical traits - red hair (of all shades), freckles and pale skin.

Rotovision sponsor prestigious new award for graduating Graphic Communication students International design publishers, Rotovision, are to sponsor a prestigious new award for graduating graphic design students. It is to be called the ‘Rotovision Award for Excellence in Editorial Graphic Communication’. “This is a big achievement for the School, as this is the only such award that Rotovision offer, and this provides impressive, professional recognition of the high quality achievement of the Graphic Communication course and graduating graphics students,” says Jessica Glaser, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Communication. As an extra commitment to the School of Art and design at University of Wolverhampton, next year, Rotovision Publishers will also be sponsoring an internship for one lucky student, at their award winning design studio in Hove.

[ pictured left: Serge Sanghera middle: Andrew Logan right: Differences by Jo Lee above: Untouchable by Kathleen Fabre ]

Creative level 1 Fine Art student Kathleen Fabre has been selected to exhibit her work at the ‘Art in Mind’ exhibition, The Brick Lane Gallery, London. For more information please visit: www.thebricklanegallery.com

A new annual course prize for BA (Hons) Interactive Media sponsored by Optimise Consultancy Ltd is announced Optimise Consultancy Ltd and Dr. Faramarz Amiri of the School of Art & Design are pleased to announce that the inaugural annual prize for interactive design has been awarded to: Nicole Simms, first prize Level 1 Interactive Media undergraduate Chris Reed, runner up Level 2 Interactive Media undergraduate

Weldon Commission Staffordshire and Vietnam based company Peter Weldon Iron Designs Ltd, wanted help in developing their tradeshow presence at a number of national events by introducing an interactive user experience to their various exhibition stands. The company considered over 20 concepts but it was the work of Sandeep Nagra a final year student studying Interactive Media in the School of Art and Design which particularly caught Mr Weldon’s eye. “The styling of the CD was spot on. Sandeep had understood what my business was about and could communicate that in an exciting and direct mannner. She has also made it possible for me to update the images on the programme which means that the work will not become out of date. Therefore the design will be useful to the company for years to come!” - Peter Weldon of Peter Weldon Iron Designs Ltd.

www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

STAFF FOCUS

Ceramics lecturer’s residency at the Fu-Le International Museum of Contemporary Ceramics, Fuping Shaanxi Province, China. During July and August 2008, Senior Lecturers in Ceramics, David Jones and Gwen Heeney, along with eight other internationally renowned British Ceramicists were invited to a residency in China to make work for the permanent collection in the British Pavilion at the Fu-Le International Museum of Contemporary Ceramics in Fuping. The project was partly funded by CADRE the research unit of the School of Art and Design which paid for the flights to China. David Jones and Gwen Heeney are both elected members of the IAC, (International Academy of Ceramics), and David Jones along with Tony Franks, Emeritus Professor and Director of the IAC, were the main initiators of the project. David collaborated with Dr Ichu Hsu of the Chinese Ceramics Magazine and Mr Xu, the Director of the Brick Company, who was the man with the extraordinary vision behind this project. ‘During our stay we worked in the brick factory itself producing work inspired by our individual responses to the brick factory environment and the processes and materials used within that environment. The question for both of us was how this project could challenge our own perceptions of our personal art practice. David’s experience working within the stark realism of the Chinese factory environment provided him with some of the resource for the evolution of his ideas. ‘The China I discovered in Shaanxi province is a harsh environment - cruel to inhabitants and visitors alike; working alongside the factory employees my work needed to be expressive and passionate - not cool and distanced. Instead of the serene celadon glaze, I used a peeling, ‘tortured’ slip glaze and a toxic lead glaze utilized in the factory’.

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“I loved China, its vitality and its people.” The proximity to the terracotta warriors in Xian inspired him to produce a piece of work based on clay pipe extrusions made in the factory. This installation piece reflected the concept of a response to site and permitted him to reflect on his own recent return to health from major heart surgery. ‘The piece commented on my own experience and that of the Chinese who had recently undergone a catastrophic earthquake. I also wanted to speak indirectly about the plight of the workers within their hostile factory world. They worked as if in an army, covered in clay and glaze dust, looking not so dissimilar to the excavated terracotta army, working ten hour shifts seven days per week, every week of the year with the exception of a few days at Chinese New Year. The marks inscribed on my body, in surgery, have been translated onto the skin of the clay. The impersonal, extruded clay pipes from the Fuping factory have been penetrated, torn, opened and stitched in an ‘earthmaterial- memory’ of the cataclysm visited on both individual and nation. Here, near the Qin tomb

of the terracotta warriors I have created a personal ‘army’ that are not merely personal guardians but also stand for those who have fallen. The heart stands not just for the pump that keeps us alive but is also a symbol of “the heart of the nation” and of love, both personal and for unknown strangers. Just over nine months ago I was rushed to hospital for emergency heart surgery. Just over three months ago (on 12 May 2008) a catastrophic earthquake struck the western provinces of China. These events are linked in the first ‘body’ of work made since my recovery. The date 5-1-2 is pronounced “wo yao ai” which sounds in Chinese also like the words for “I want to be loved”, and also “I want to love someone”. Gwen Heeney reflected on her time on the residency: “I loved China, its vitality and its people. My piece was about the people, the elements that make up the whole. For me it was about a series of considerations: a very human touch, which involved the hand carving of a piece of figurative sculpture from a stack of unfired bricks and the human contact this

STAFF FOCUS

involved. I used a young student as my model and spoke to him over some weeks about his China, his family, his studies. The place I chose to work was in amongst the workers in the specials department where they created incredible roof finials and sculpted architectural sections. My next process was to deconstruct the piece cutting an interior that was industrial and sharp. The streams of light which forced their way into the factory illuminating multiples of bricks, tiles, stacks and the continuous effort of the workers was to play an important part in my final installation. The individual pieces were reduction fired and installed as slices and individual elements of the whole placed on constructed rusty metal tables echoing the industrial environment in which they where created. The final piece commented upon the dissipation of traditions, families and values and a way of life that is fast becoming the new China with fathers leaving their families to work thousands of miles away from home. “ The curated exhibition for the 4000m new British Pavillion is shown in the context of a collection of museums dedicated to countries from all over the world, housing work by some of the leading clay artists from countries including the USA, Australia, Asia, Scandinavia and Africa. The museums complex is vast, built from their production bricks and inspired by vernacular Chinese architecture and kiln design it pays homage to the visionary way that China perceives itself in the 21st century. This entrepreneurial owner of a brick company has been able to develop an empire dedicated to ceramics whilst here in the UK people are destroying its ancient and traditional footprint as fast as he is creating it. The exhibition opened on the 3rd of August with fanfare and fireworks. The IAC conference was held at the Museum in September 2008 and provided the first audience for the exhibition.

[ pictured top left: Artists in residence David Jones, 2nd right & Gwen Heeney, right. top right: No. 3 (Untitled) by Paul Scull right: 3 bowls by Vicky Shaw ]

Congratulations to award winning senior lecturer in Fine Art (Printmaking) Paul Scull who was selected to exhibit at ‘The Fifth International Print Biennale’, Vancouver, Canada and also at ‘The Lessedra 7th World Art Print Annual’, held at Lessedra Gallery and Contemporary Art Projects in Sofia, Bulgaria. Paul was one of nine artists, and the only UK based artist to be awarded a prize.

The 8th International Ceramics Competition MINO, Japan

Vicky Shaw, Route Leader for Ceramics, was selected out of 3284 entries from 56 countries and regions to exhibit alongside 192 ceramicists. For more information please visit: www.icfmino.com/english/inter_2008.

Congratulations to senior lecturer in Video, Adam Kossoff on his new book which has just been released, ‘On Terra Firma: Space, Place and the Moving Image’.

www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

CREATIVE EMPLOYABILITY

Creative Employability The Creative Studio is the focus for employability in the School of Art and Design and our new academic year has seen the start of some key initiatives. Work Placements

Live Briefs

With the introduction of the Professional Placement art and design students now have a unique opportunity to spend a year in the creative industries gaining valuable work experience. This academic year has also seen the launch of the Work Placement Module and students from every discipline are keen to see how their skills translate into the world of work.

Some new and exciting live briefs are happening within the School this year. Graphics students are currently working on a communications commission for the Health and Community Care Information Service at Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust. Their brief is called ‘I am’ and will provide research and visual information direction for a forthcoming public health campaign.

Level 3 Graphic Communication students are working hard this semester as the international design publishers Rotovision are coming in to judge their work. An internship based at their headquarters in Brighton is on offer for the winning student. Rotovision are also sponsoring a new prize entitled the Rotovision Award for Excellence in Editorial Graphics to be presented at next year’s graduation. If you are a creative company or a company who employs creative people and would be interested in hosting a student placement then we would like to hear from you. Professional placements run for a minimum of 30 weeks (although more than one placement can be used to achieve this) and we encourage employers to pay students for this work. Module placements are shorter, run for between 1-2 weeks and are unpaid.

Level 3 Interior Design students have been invited to work on an exciting new design for a Youth Cafe to be located in Wolverhampton and Product and Interior Design students are working on a brief to design a new product range for the Swiss company Kuhn Rikon Ltd. This experience of working on live projects is invaluable. Every year we work with many public, private and social organisations. If you feel you may have an interesting brief that could offer students a valuable opportunity to work on something different, and have enough time for it to be built into a learning framework, please contact the Creative Studio.

KITTS Graduate Placement Scheme

SPEED West Midlands

The KITTS (Knowledge Innovation Technology Transfer Scheme) graduate placement scheme, aims to match the needs of small and mediumsized enterprises with suitable graduates. Often these businesses have no shortage of ideas but are frustrated by the lack of resources.

develop high skill levels and be innovative with the talents and skills we have in the company.”

Rose’s three month placement focused on the market position for leather bags. “Without KITTS we would not have been able to take Rose on,” said Richard, “as we could not be sure of the sustainability of the project. It gave us the space to look at new areas. We were delighted with the results.” So much so that Rose’s placement was extended for a further three months. A second project gave her wider experience in the mainstream business and made her very much part of the team.

Rose was offered a permanent position as a trainee designer at George Stuart at the end of her placement. “I’m hoping to learn and progress as quickly as possible”, she said. “I knew I didn’t have the experience for the job that was advertised but I really wanted to find a way to work here. I’m glad I persevered - I love coming to work!”

“Rose’s work clarified our options”, said Richard. “We’re now clear what we need to do to move forward. We don’t want to compete on cost or copy anyone else – our intentions are to

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Rose’s project took her to Florence on two occasions to meet clients and during August 2008 she represented George Stuart Ltd at two trade fairs in London and Birmingham.

“Rose’s determination and enthusiasm made the difference”, said Richard. “As employers, we have to find ways to help people move forward with their careers. KITTS has been invaluable in giving us the structure to do what we’ve done at a modest cost without having to make an initial long term commitment.”

SPEED WM (Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education West Midlands) is an educational programme that supports students to realise the potential of a good business idea. Creative students from this School were very successful in securing funding from the first phase of this programme, and we hope to repeat that success when phase two commences in January. Good luck to all of our students who are preparing to pitch their ideas to panels at the beginning of December.

CREATIVE EMPLOYABILITY

Live Brief Interview with Neil Dicken on his time spent on a work placement. Name: Neil Dicken Age: 21 Course: BA (Hons) Graphic Communication Expected graduation year: 2008 Placement Company: The Partners Placement period: 1 Month, June 2008

What were your initial feelings on starting your placement? At first I wasn’t sure what to expect, as it has been a few years since I’ve been in a design studio environment, and also being in London for the first time was quite overwhelming. I was a bit nervous about working in a top design studio, where I would be working with high profile clients. It was great to be in the mix with some of the top designers in the field.

What type of work were you involved with? To begin with I worked on image sourcing for various projects and sourcing objects for photo shoots. I produced small mock-ups of toy rockets, which were to be used in a book for Deloitte. During the second week I began working on a brief involving the production of a large-scale poster for a calculator collection, which would later be turned into an interactive user experience. I also worked on producing graphs for the Deloitte project, as well as small mock-ups for client presentations. During the third week I worked on promotional material, which was to be sent to business directors promoting The Partners and what they do, and how they would benefit from The Partners working with them. That was probably the best part as I was working and communicating with others to produce the work.

Graduate Recruitment We have always encouraged employers to come into the School and meet our students as they are approaching graduation, look through their portfolios and see examples of their work. We have a permanent displays to advertise job opportunities to our students so if you would like to meet our students or advertise job opportunities then contact us at: The Creative Studio, 3rd floor of the School of Art & Design in room MK307. Hilary Price is the Coordinator and can be contacted on 01902 322433 or emailed at H.Price@wlv.ac.uk

What do you consider the most important experience? I think the entire experience was important as it was like being a fly on the wall, watching how everybody works and interacts. I did have a lot of fun too. Has the placement experience changed you and your views of the design world in any way? Before the placement I was aiming to work in editorial design but after working at The Partners I am very curious and excited about the possibilities of conceptual design as a field to pursue, it has such a broad range of possibilities. What advice would you offer current/future students? Don’t be shy and don’t hold back. Just be yourself and ask as many questions as possible. You could also take samples of your work in a portfolio to get some industry feedback.

[ pictured: Winnersh Triangle: live Brief set by The Partners ]

www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

MAJOR EVENTS

Illustration Alumni Exhibition The School of Art & Design held an Alumni Exhibition and Reunion to celebrate 20 years of Illustration being taught at the School. Graduates from the course were invited back to exhibit their work. The exhibition ran from 3rd to 21st November 2008 in the Millennium City Gallery. We reunited many ex-students from over the years the event was both an enjoyable reunion and a wonderful and diverse showcase of work and achievements. We hope that this will be the beginning of an on-going network of Illustration Alumni and related reunions and events The exhibition will also include recent work by Illustration students from an ongoing project aiming to include images of disabilities within children’s picture books. The project work is inspired by ‘In The Picture’, a National Lottery funded project run by Scope which is endorsed by Illustrators like Quentin Blake and Jane Ray. Jane Ray will be visiting the School of Art & Design in November to give a talk about her children’s picture books, along with graffiti illustrator Tristan Manco.

www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

MAJOR EVENTS

Clothes Show LIVE 2008 *The School is preparing

for 40 years of Degree Shows on 12 June 2009, so watch this space.

Ron Dutton, A Journey in Bronze A new exhibition at the University of Wolverhampton celebrated the work of an acclaimed local medallist and sculptor. Work by Ron Dutton, former head of sculpture at Wolverhampton School of Art, now the University’s School of Art & Design, featured in the exhibition, A Journey in Bronze. The exhibition ran from October to November 2008 and was divided between the School of Art & Design MK Building and the Harrison Learning Centre at City Campus.

Fashion students from the University, in collaboration with Newlife - foundation for disabled children, will be exhibiting at The Clothes Show Live 2008 at the NEC Birmingham from 5 - 10 December. The exhibition will include a catwalk collection using ‘up-cycled’ garments and jewellery and complemented with coloured sheepskin. The theme of the collection is ‘Tribal Elegance’ with influences from Traditional Samurai Armour using soft exquisite fabrics pleated and embellished. The colour palette ranges from charcoal grey and black with pewter, dark bronze and burnished gold through to ice white and blue and shades of vanilla all accented with jewel colours, ruby, emerald, amethyst and sapphire. www.clotheshowlive.com www.newlifecharity.co.uk

CURRENT PROJECTS

www.40ad.co.uk More than 7 Storeys

Ben Carpenter, Senior Lecturer Fine Art (Sculpture), said: “Ron has undertaken commemorative medal commissions for many clients including the Royal Mint, British Museum, National Trust, universities, churches and commercial organisations. He has shown extensively in the UK and abroad, and has medallic work in many national collections including Britain, Holland, France and Sweden. We were delighted to host this exhibition at the School of Art & Design, which features a range of medallic sculptures from 1974.” Ron, who lives in Wolverhampton, was made an Honorary Fellow of the University in 2006 in recognition of his eminence as a medallist of international renown and for his enthusiastic advocacy of his craft.

More than 7 storeys is a new website that archives the history of the School of Art & Design at Wolverhampton. With the fortieth anniversary of University of Wolverhampton’s iconic School of Art and Design building soon to be upon us, we have hit upon the idea of gathering together all that is known about the building and those who have studied and worked here. Much of the research business of the school involves a close interrogation of the work of artists, their techniques and the circumstances and the influences upon their work. But rarely do we turn the long view on our own alma mater. England has a rich history of art and design education and in Wolverhampton this dates back as far as the 1840’s. Although there are many art and design schools few have been purpose built to the high specification of our own MK building. It is our intention that this site will address this gap in the art and design archive of our city. We invite you to share your stories, anecdotes, memories and images with us. We have seeded these early pages with content to which you are encouraged to add your thoughts, recollections and photos. This information gathering stage is still very much a work in progress. It is hoped that through your contributions we will be able to build an online archive and ‘front door’ to a wealth of art & design information, artefacts and stories that will be of benefit to alumni, prospective students and their friends and families. In addition we have high hopes that this will prove an invaluable resource to those of us who are interested in the contribution that the study of art and design has made to the development of the city of Wolverhampton itself.

[ pictured right: Illustration Alumni poster by Ian Dodds above: Ron Dutton top right: Tribal Elegance ]

www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

EVENTS LISTINGS

EVENTS LISTINGS Showcase for Shropshire Artists Platform Alteration is a monthly event held on the first Thursday of every month at The Loft, The Old Post Office, Shrewsbury, which aims to showcase local artistic talent. The Artists showcase is a show reel projection of work shown at each event. Email: platformalteration@hotmail.co.uk for more information.

Centrpiece 2008 An exhibition of jewellery, glass and silverware for sale by West Midlands leading contemporary designers. 11th Novemver to 23rd December 2008, 10.30am till late at Symphony Hall and Town Hall.

Interactive Film Workshop with Dr Chris Hales Dr Chris Hales, the world leading specialist in the Interactive Moving Image, ran a 3 day Interactive Film Workshop for 30 Undergraduate Digital Media students at the School of Art & Design in October 2008. Currently based in the SMARTlab Centre at the University of East London as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Chris taught in higher education for many years in the crossover of art and design with computers, and studied MA Interactive Multimedia at the Royal College of Art, London. His PhD “Rethinking the Interactive Movie” was successfully completed in 2006. His CDROM’s have been selected at numerous film/ multimedia festivals, and his touch-screen installation has been presented in Seoul, Helsinki, Warsaw, Nagoya, San Francisco and Sydney (amongst other places) and was included in the landmark 2003 ‘Future Cinema’ exhibition curated by ZKM. He writes frequently about the ‘interactive moving image’, has taught over 80 short workshop courses on this subject in numerous institutions in Europe, and is a regular speaker at international events. Recent projects include ‘Cause and Effect’, an experimental interactive cinema performance which has been staged with Finnish colleagues in more than thirty international venues, and a project in Prague to rediscover the “Kinoautomat” from 1967 - the world’s first interactive movie. Last year Chris gave a highly entertaining lecture to all first year Digital Media students. In his lecture he gave a comprehensive overview of interactive film, from its origins in the 1960s to the present day, with a view to demonstrating the potential of adding interactivity to sequences of moving images for artistic, narrative, and entertainment purposes.

www.centrepiece-jewellery.co.uk

[ pictured top: Unititled by Jo Mills ]

www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

EVENTS LISTINGS

CADRE (Centre for Art, Design, Research and Experimentation) Lectures 2008-9 Art, Society and Environment Research Group Mark McGowan London Tuesday 18th Nov 2008, 6.00pm MK045, School of Art & Design ‘I Decided to Take Part in the Spectacle and Entered it at the Shallow End’ Mark is a performance artist from London who designs absurd and provocative projects with the intent to grab attention. “When I was at art school, I said I wanted to take part in the media spectacle, entering at the shallow end – art as entertainment…but as well as being stupid, I’m taking art onto the street and there’s a serious political angle as well.” (Mark McGowan)

Art, Design and Creative Technology Research Group Maureen Thomas Cambridge University Tuesday 27th Jan 2009, 6.00pm, MK045 ‘Visual Media/Interactivity - How I learned to stop worrying and love digitality’ Maureen is a dramatist/director and Senior Research Fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge. In this lecture (exemplified by her own work) she looks at how traditional approaches to art, design and performance inform digital media, and how interactivity and cross-platform delivery can transform and transcend them.

Creative Media and Technology Studio Sponsored Lecture Tim Kindberg HP labs Wednesday 10th Dec 2008, 6.00pm MC001, City Campus ‘Digital-physical Mashups: a New Medium for Urban Experiences’ Ubiquitous computing is the science and art of interleaving digital content with physical entities and situations. Of all the domains in computer science, it is arguably the most amenable to artistic experimentation. I will describe the high-level features of the technologies involved, highlight some creative projects that have engaged with them, and discuss some possible futures for this new medium – or… media?

For more information about the lectures or directions please contact Emma Angus: emma.angus@wlv.ac.uk

Art, Practice and Critical Theory Research Group Steve Edwards Open University Tuesday 2nd Dec 2008, 6.00pm, MK045 Steve Edwards joined the Open University as a Research Lecturer in Art History in 1997. After a first degree in Fine Art, he was awarded an MA in the social history of art from the University of Leeds. In 1996 he received his PhD for a thesis on nineteenth-century theories of photography. He is currently working on research projects concerned with image copyright and piracy; contemporary art and contemporary capitalism; and photography, socialism and feminism at the turn of the twentieth century.

Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry Wednesday 15th October & Wednesday 17th December, 12.30pm - 1.30pm Artists Talks by Su Fahy (Division Leader, Fine Art & Photography) and Phil Brooks (PhD student), offering their unique view of the V&A exhibition ‘Something That I’ll Never Really See’. For more information please visit: www.theherbert.org Photography students have been commissioned to respond to the touring V&A exhibition with selected images being exhibited at The Herbert Art Gallery from 29 November 2008 to 11 January 2009.

www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign

VISIT THE SCHOOL / CONTACT FRESH

VISITING THE SCHOOL OF ART & DESIGN

Open Days are a great way of getting a feel for University and the subject you want to study. You can meet tutors, talk to fellow students, and see our great facilities.

University Open Days: Saturday 7th March 2009 Saturday 13th June 2009 Saturday 15th August 2009

School of Art & Design Open Days: The School of Art & Design holds a number of subject specific open days throughout the year. These Open Days provide an opportunity for prospective students and parents to visit the University, see our facilities and find out more about our courses by talking to subject tutors and academic staff. Wednesday 3rd December 2008 Wednesday 4th February 2009

CONTACT FRESH

*If your students would like to see and hear more about the School of Art & Design at the University of Wolverhampton please call to arrange a visit on 01902 322477 or email: k.evans2@wlv.ac.uk

For more information about contributing to this magazine or to join our mailing list contact: Qucie Green, Marketing Officer telephone: 00 44 (1902) 321914 or email qucie.green@wlv.ac.uk

We can arrange tours of the facilities, tutor-led workshops and wider tours of the University.