Art and Design subject guide 2015

r u o y ‌ o t e d i u g fordshire

d e B t a n g i es D & t r A ‌

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.ac.u www.beds

* Meet staff and students * Explore our facilities * See successful graduates

WELCOME

www.beds.ac.uk

The University of Bedfordshire has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2011, the most prestigious corporate award that any UK business can win.

con t e n t s 3

Welcome. Are your pencils sharpened?

Are your paint brushes poised?

Are your canvasses ready for a splash of colour? Are your sewing machines powered up? Are your cameras set up to shoot?

We’re ready to take you on a tour of the School of Art and Design at the University of Bedfordshire. You’ll meet staff and students, and see all the fantastic facilities. Plus, you’ll hear from our graduates who are forging ahead and have incredible creative careers.

We’re sure you’ll be inspired to study here at Bedfordshire… © University of Bedfordshire, 2014. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part strictly prohibited without the permission of the publishers. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the University of Bedfordshire. Information correct at date of publication, but subject to change.

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NEWS

What’s currently grabbing the University headlines

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MEET THE PEOPLE

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CAMPUS FACILITIES

Staff and students paint a picture of life at Bedfordshire

Take a look at the resources we have on offer

10 EXHIBITIONS Opportunities for students to publicise their creative work

LISTINGS 11 COURSE

Check out our wide range of great courses

Subject Guide Art & Design

Creativity

The University ire of Bedfordsh for st fir is ranked ent ud st e th g in improv l na io at experience (N ey rv Student Su 2014)

At Bedfordshire, we want you to flourish creatively and have lots of fun too. We have great opportunities for students to get involved in exhibitions, events and competitions

EXPERIENCE FOR EMPLOYMENT

ART AND DESIGN DEGREE SHOW Our annual Art and Design Degree Show, is fantastic showcase for final year students’ creative work. It also provides a unique opportunity for employers who are scouting for talent. Paul Jolly, Executive Producer of 33 Records, attended the show and said: “I, and my creative industry colleagues, were hugely impressed. The creativity and originality shows the exceptional calibre of students coming out of this University.”

HIT THE CATWALK The annual Paris Fashion Week Trip is open to many Art and Design students. It’s a brilliant opportunity to observe and enjoy catwalk

shows from leading designers and explore the fashion industry close-up. Course Leader, Beverley Bothwell, said: “It’s a great trip and students learn a lot from seeing the shows and exhibitions of Paris. It is a wonderful networking opportunity for all students wanting to work in fashion.”

COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS As members of Design and Art Direction (D&AD) students have the opportunity to take part in the annual D&AD competition and exhibition.

Our School of Art and Design has developed an experiential learning scheme for second year students. You work on real creative briefs and gain experience that helps make you more employable.

Animation students benefit from regular industry contact. Recent company visits include Double Negative. They are Europe’s largest visual effects company and were responsible for work on films like Inception which won the Best Visual Effects Oscar, and Harry Potter films. Animation Course Leader, Mark Collington, said: “Visits by companies such as Double Negative inspire our students and galvanise them to develop their showreels.

Students get to mix with many creative industry professionals who can pass on their expertise. Fine art photographer Erasmus Schröter and Matthew Shaul, Director of Departure Lounge Art and Media, both came in to share their expertise in recent masterclasses.

Recent student success includes: • B rett Wilson, Graphic Design student, was commended for a website he designed which deals with school bullying.

• R ecent graduate Shaun Michel finished in the top 15 for this year’s Association of Illustrators (AOI) Serco prize for Illustration Award. Competing against some 1,500 submissions, Shaun’s piece gained him a place in AOI’s exhibition at the Transport Museum.

• Y oung Creatives Network (YCN) commended Ana Skopinska for her design work on a brief for the BBC’s Culture Show. www.beds.ac.uk 3

meet the people

Meet the People Animation

Our School of Art and Design is driven by youthful, dynamic staff.

Not only can they equip you with the practical skills and techniques you need to develop your specialist practice, they will inspire you by example to become a professional artist.

Because many of our teachers are practising artists and designers, their classes are underpinned by realworld experience. They have access to networks which help our graduates to begin carving out fruitful careers in the creative arts.

Our graduates have gone on to find great success in a wide variety of fields, including photography, graphic design and interior design. Others have become freelance artists, art editors, art critics, illustrators, and gallery and museum curators.

Plus, you will benefit from learning with like-minded people from all over the world. And our fantastic state-ofthe-art facilities will sharpen your expertise and help your creativity to bloom.

Mark Collington, Course Leader, Senior Lecturer in Animation Fashion Beverly Bothwell, Course Leader, Lecturer in Fashion Design & Communication Maria Ostropolski, Senior Lecturer in Fashion Design Catherine Pritchard, Technician Support in Fashion Visual Arts Practice – Fine Art, Photography and Video Art

Senior Lecturer in Fashion Design, Maria Ostropolski’s specialist area of design interest is tailoring. She has worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years.

Nigel Grimmer, Course Leader for Photography and Video Art Leah Gordon, Senior Lecturer in Photography and Video Art Slawa Harasymowicz, Lecturer in Visual Communication Rebecca Meanley, Lecturer in Fine Art Design for Communication – Graphic Design, Illustration and Advertising Design Vivienne Cherry, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design, Illustration, Advertising Design Noel Douglas, Course Leader, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design, Illustration, Advertising Design Rachel Gannon, Lecturer in Illustration Rebecca Ford, Lecturer in Graphic Design Sylvia TzvetanovaTung, Senior Lecturer in Interactive/Integrated Design

Course Leader for Animation, Mark Collington’s animated films ‘West Pier’ and ‘Alphabetic’ have been screened on television and at a number of international animation festivals.

Spatial Design – Interior Design, Interior Architecture Dawn Hesketh-Joslin, Lecturer in Interior Design Garry Layden, Course Leader, Senior Lecturer in Interior Design, Interior Architecture George Lovett, Senior Lecturer Interior Design Technicians Rose Thomas Anna Kakovka Administration Becky Large

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Beverley Bothwell, Course Leader for Fashion Design, has designed for a number of fashion retailers. She has researched the use of CAD (Computer Aided Design) in design processes and its impact on student skills and understanding.

Subject Guide Art & Design

Artifacts We’ve been canvassing staff and students, and drawing on their expertise, to get the lowdown on life and learning in the School of Art and Design Rebecca Meanley, Lecturer in Fine Art, is a practising artist, specialising in painting, alongside her teaching role at the University of Bedfordshire.

Name

Rachel Gannon title

Lecturer in Illustration

Nigel Grimmer, Course Leader for Photography and Video Art, exhibits regularly with recent work shown in London, Sheffield and New York exhibitions.

Q What’s your background?

A I am a founding member of Design and Illustration collective INK Illustration.

Together we work from our London Studio on a variety of commissioned and self-initiated projects. INK is represented by Tenderpixel gallery, London and has exhibited across Europe.

The work of the collective has been on show at the Institute for Contemporary Arts and Somerset House. Our work is also on permanent display at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Q Why lecturing?

A I enjoy the dialogue that comes with lecturing with both students and other academics. It is a two way street and I am constantly inspired.

Q What’s the best thing about your job?

A I recently curated an exhibition of current students and alumni in The Gallery Space at the University of Bedfordshire. The exhibition, Pareja/Transition, showcased the work of four Latvian students who had all specialised in printmaking. The private view was a fantastic success with Latvian food and music; even the Latvian Cultural Attaché was in attendance. The students were so proud of their own achievements; to have helped make this happen is the best thing about my job.

Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design Viv Cherry’s research interests include the exploration of illustrative and experimental typography. As a graphic designer she has worked in a range of fields from design for print, to video.

Q Any advice for prospective students?

A Find out what the lecturers backgrounds are; an enthusiastic, active group of academics with contemporary and up-to-date experience is vital. Take a look round the facilities and find out how much access you get to them. We have print rooms, laser-cutting facilities, a 3D printer, darkrooms and a new dedicated Drawing Lab. www.beds.ac.uk 5

meet the people Name

Colin Davies title

Head of the School of Art & Design Q What is your background?

A I started out as a graphic designer but have been in higher education for over 15 years.

Q What do you think is the best thing about the University of Bedfordshire?

A A commitment to students from all staff, which is 100 per cent genuine and can be found throughout all the undergraduate and postgraduate courses here.

Q Why did you choose to study at Beds?

A I did a foundation course at Central Bedfordshire College and then studied my final year here. It has been really good.

Q How do you rate the facilities?

A We are making a heavy investment in digital technology – laser cutters, 3D and a stop-motion studio.

Q How well do your courses prepare students for jobs in the real world?

A All teaching staff are practitioners and are sensitive to the needs of industry. Our teaching and course content links with the real world. We pay particular attention to bringing in people from industry – from fine arts, fashion, interiors and communication.

Q In what ways do you help your students gain employment when they leave?

A Our courses have strong networks between students and industry in the form of work placements, workshops and guest lecturers.

Employability is at a high rate and getting better, particularly in areas like animation where traditionally it is difficult to get a job after graduation. We have been able to overturn this.

Q How do you rate the facilities?

A They’re good. The studio space has been opened up and there’s a life drawing room, so I was able to produce the big paintings that I wanted. It’s very spacious.

Q And the best thing about your course?

A The visiting artists. We got the opportunity to visit the studio in Germany of practising artist Rebecca Partridge. That was really inspiring.

Q Do you think your degree has prepared you for the world of work?

A We did a unit in the second year that was geared towards working. As part of that work experience I painted murals at a school. The murals I created are still there now!

Name

Chris Butcher course

BA (Hons) Animation JOB

Film Maker and Animator Q What’s the best thing about your course??

A The University gave me the opportunity to hone skills I had, and develop them to a level I wouldn’t have been able to achieve on my own.

Q How would you rate the staff and facilities at Bedfordshire?

A The staff were always really supportive and helped me develop my passion for animation and it made all the difference that the University had its own dedicated facilities including a stop-motion studio and 3D computer suite.

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Q How did your course prepare you for your career?

A For me – coming to university really kickstarted my career and I will always be grateful for that. Several times throughout the course there were workshops with animators and other like-minded industry heads. These talks were always valuable and allowed us to ask how to get into companies and to ask about animation skills and production.

Q What’s your favourite memory of University?

A I would say the moment I look back on most fondly was seeing my film with an audience for the first time. When you’re sitting there, and people are laughing and enjoying something you’ve created, there really isn’t any other feeling like that.

Subject Guide Art & Design

Karolina Lebek BA (Hons) Photography & Video Art Why did you choose to study at Bedfordshire?

Because of the course and the convenient location.

What’s the best thing about your course?

The way the tutors treat each student individually with understanding and encourage us to grow creatively.

Why would you recommend this course?

Because it helps you to grow as a person as well as an artist. It opens up possibilities and gives you confidence and faith in yourself.

How would you rate the staff?

They are practising artists who give us an insight into professional art practice.They’re enthusiastic, helpful and always there for us.

How well do you think your course is preparing you for a job when you graduate?

It is helping me to identify my strengths and weaknesses. I’m building up my portfolio and preparing for working within the industry. I know that I’ll be ready when the time comes.

Name

Leanne Stanley course

BA (Hons) Fashion Design Q What made you choose your course?

A I did a foundation degree at Barnfield College.

The University of Bedfordshire worked with the College to help students onto the top-up year.

Name

Leanne Storey

course

BA (Hons) Interior Design

JOB

rchitectural Illustrator, Foster and A Partners

Q What made you choose your course?

A An art teacher at school helped me see the possibilities of design. I chose this course because I thought it would help me develop as designer.

Q What’s the best thing about your course?

A The best thing about the course was the creative freedom. Once you start working, you have to operate within other people’s parameters, but at University you are allowed to express yourself and just go for it.

Q How well did your course prepare you for your current career?

A A visiting lecturer saw my potential and recommended me for my current job. The University taught me to be independent and think for myself, which is what I have to do in my day-to-day work.

own determination and effort that will ensure you get to the finish line.

Q Why would you recommend this course?

A You get to meet people from different areas of fashion, the impetus to work independently helps you learn, and the tutors are helpful.

Q What’s the best thing about your course?

A The end-of-year graduate collection, because it enables you to research, design and make a collection that is within your target market. It gives you an idea of working under pressure and on a tight timescale, just like in industry. It’s satisfying seeing your hard work pay off.

Q What are your plans when you finish your course here at Bedfordshire?

A I am currently applying for jobs within the buying, merchandising and designing markets.

I have had placements including one at Jenny Packham in London, which was probably the most beneficial one as it made me determined to succeed and made me realise which route in fashion design I wanted to go down.

Q Any advice for prospective students?

A Make sure you are open-minded and have the ability to work hard. It is your

Q W hat three words would you use to describe your course?

A Individual, creative and independent. www.beds.ac.uk 7

campus facilities

Facilities in the frame

We put the spotlight on all the equipment and resources you’ll have to hand when you study with us

Our School of Art and Design is an exciting, growing part of the Bedfordshire Institute for Media, Arts and Performance. Our courses are designed to enable your creativity to flourish in a friendly and supportive environment, where you will benefit from state-of-the-art technical facilities, whatever your chosen specialism.

BEING STUDIOUS IN OUR STUDIOS

Our outstanding art and design facilities are based in two central Luton locations; the brand new home of the School of Art and Design, Alexon House, is located at the heart of the town’s creative quarter, while further facilities are available on the top floor of our Park Square building, with views right across the town. They offer a friendly working environment in which resources are continually being upgraded so you can develop your ideas, skills and research abilities.

Students on fashion courses will benefit from our constantly-updated facilities. Recent upgrades include a laser cutter for fashion and 3D printing, and laser cutting facilities for interior design and graphics. These facilities are open to all art and design students and are introduced through a series of ‘skill-sets’ in the first year.

We also have a digital pattern plotting and pattern cutting facility. This industry-standard garment technology can be used by students to draw their designs, create the pattern, plot it out and cut the fabric for each creation. This produces precision designs, but also maximises materials so there’s less fabric wastage.

Students can also benefit from a major investment in the modernisation and expansion of facilities, including a Media Arts Centre allowing access to a comprehensive range of imaging equipment. The Centre offers numerous multimedia computer suites and studios for 8 www.beds.ac.uk

animation, video editing, and sound and design work. getting animated

We have a Computer Studio, which has more than 60 high specification Apple Macintosh G5 and iMac computers, printers, scanners and a digital kiosk. The computer suites are running the latest version of 3D animation software, MAYA. We boast a comprehensive moving image/ animation suite equipped with Mac computers and lightboxes, and we have upgraded our stop-motion studio, which allows students to produce professional short films, advertisements or moving image-based art and design. This facility is available to students on all our courses.

more, since 2001 staff have won more than £1.5m from research council funding and grants for applied research, so students have access to some of the latest cutting-edge research in the world.

AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE

Open seven days a week, the Learning Resources Centre at the Luton campus has more than 300,000 books and 19,500 journals.

There are also 300 networked PCs which are available until 2am, four days a week, as well as 1,000 seats, plus video viewing rooms. Students can communicate through podcasting, voice email and voice discussion boards using the Wimba suite of voice tools. A brand new library facility is being developed and is due to open in 2015.

IMPRINTED ON YOUR MIND

GOING THE DISTANCE

Alongside our digital technology we have updated our printing room to provide a professional print environment for silkscreen printing, etching and other craft-based surface design production.

Students can access lecture notes, discussion boards, blogs, podcasts and announcements anywhere, any time, by logging on to the webbased distance learning system Bedfordshire Resources for Education Online (BREO).

SUPPORTIVE STAFF

The division is staffed by practising artists and designers, the majority of whom were trained at the Royal College of Art and internationally. Staff have written for Eye magazine, as well as holding exhibitions in London, Shanghai, Taiwan and Paris.

Plus, first year students are assigned a personal tutor who will provide one-to-one support.

SHOWING OFF

REVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH

BEYOND GRADUATION

The Research Institute for Media, Art and Performance (RIMAP), headed by Professor Alexis Weedon, supports research initiatives in media, art and design within the University. In the Government’s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008, our research was rated as ‘worldleading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. What’s

It can be tough getting a first break in your career, but the Careers and Employment Service can help. You can see qualified advisers for careers guidance, feedback on draft CVs and practise interviews. You can also use the online Career Management Skills (CMS) programme to help identify your skills.

Final stage students have the opportunity to showcase their work and launch their career at the University’s annual Art and Design Degree Show (see page 3). As members of Design and Art Direction (D&AD) students can also take part in the D&AD competition (see page 3).

Subject Guide Art & Design

The University has a Silkscreen Studio (left), as well as equipment for relief printing and photo etching, which are supported by the latest computer technology.

Our School of Art and Design has a brand new home; Alexon House is a six-floor building situated in the heart of Luton’s creative quarter.

There is usually one sewing machine for each Fashion Design student, so you’ll be able to work at a time that suits you. There’s also an art studio, and an animation studio kitted out with Macs and lightboxes.

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EXHIBITIONS and awards

showing off There’s plenty to do away from the studios, with opportunities to exhibit your work and win prizes and accolades, all while getting your degree At Bedfordshire, we want you to flourish creatively and have lots of fun too. That’s why we have great opportunities for students to get involved in competitions, exhibitions, internships and visits. All of this will mean you can fulfill your potential and land your dream job in the creative industries. experiential learning unit

Our School of Art and Design has developed an experiential learning scheme for second year students. This means graphic design students get the opportunity to produce a magazine; art and photography students participate in exhibitions; and fashion students are involved in catwalks. You work on real creative briefs and gain experience that will stand you in good stead when you enter employment. The University prides itself on preparing students for the world of work by giving them invaluable problem solving and critical thinking skills.

GALLERY VISITs

At Bedfordshire we know it’s important for students to view – and critically examine – other people’s work, in order to improve their own. So we organise regular trips to external galleries and exhibitions.

The good news is that London – with its hive of creative activity – is right on our doorstep.

Students can jump aboard a train from Luton to St Pancras International and be in the cultural heartland in just 30 minutes.

Budding artists can visit the National Gallery,Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Academy, Somerset House, the Wallace Collection, the Hayward Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum, among others. Many of these are free to enter.

Photography students also have plenty of great galleries to choose from, including Proud Camden, the National Portrait Gallery and The Photographers’ Gallery.

Fashion students are also extremely well catered for with London Fashion Week on their doorstep, as well as numerous other shows, exhibitions and catwalks. Plus, we have arranged trips to Paris Fashion Week for our students.

With all this on our doorstep, there is plenty of inspiration to get your creative juices flowing!

Students have their fashion designs exhibited at a yearly show, while the University also hosts regular Fine Art displays.

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GRADUATE SUCCESS

Graduates from the Animation course have proved successful. Natalie Henry, who graduated in 2010, has started work at Passion Pictures, one of Europe’s leading independent animation production houses.

It won an Oscar for Best Animated Short for The Lost Thing and makes music videos for Gorillaz, as well as commercials for Coke Zero and Sony Bravia. It was also responsible for the ‘Compare the Market’ Meerkat advertising campaign.

Meanwhile graduate Susan Stone has landed a job producing animations for well-respected company A Brighter Future.

INTERNSHIPs

There is also the opportunity for students to win internships to advertising agencies such as Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH). Winning an internship like this is a fantastic way to make your CV stand out from the crowd.

Subject Guide Art & Design

Top 25 ranked Arts university for ses ur co n ig es &D ent ud (National St ) 14 20 Survey

On course From illustration and animation to photography and fashion, we’ve got degrees to help you get creative

BA (Hons) refers to a three or four-year Bachelor’s Honours degree. FDs are two-year foundation degrees run at one of our partner colleges and intended for people already in relevant employment or students looking for classroombased learning with an employment focus. A final year can be completed at the University in order to ‘top up’ to an Honours degree.

Undergraduate courses BA (Hons)

Advertising Design (Luton campus) This course integrates marketing and advertising theory with design practice to create employable graduates with diverse skills portfolios.

BA (Hons)

Animation (Luton campus) This practical course explores a variety of animation techniques. It explores how meaning is constructed through the moving image. Students learn how to communicate ideas through animated sequences.

BA (Hons)

Art & Design (Luton campus) You will be encouraged through studio activities to develop your own artistic and design interests.

You will learn to develop in an independent, creative and critical way, helping you to produce distinctively personal work.

BA (Hons)

Fashion Design (Luton campus) This course enables students to act as reflective design practitioners and to be adaptable to the challenges of designing for the clothing industry.

BA (Hons)

Graphic Design (Luton campus) This course introduces you to the possibilities of digital media publication and print, typography, photography, illustration, advertising design, video, animation and web design.

BA (Hons)

Illustration (Luton campus) You will be introduced to contemporary visual communication including book illustration, magazines, multimedia/ web design, animation and design consultancy.

BA (Hons)

Interior Architecture (Luton campus) You will investigate space planning, composition, materials, structure, environmental control, and sustainability. You will explore the design of interior environments in a wider urban context and develop a creative and critical understanding of building structure and fabric.

BA (Hons)

Interior Design (Luton campus) You will study colour theory, print pattern design, silkscreen printing, furniture design,lighting design and exhibition design. You will be encouraged to take creative risks and think in radical ways about your project work.

92% overall satisfaction on the Photograp hy & Video Art co urse (National Stud ent Survey 2014)

Foundation degrees FD

Contemporary Fine Art Practice (Central Bedfordshire College and New College Stamford) FD

Craft Design (Barnfield College) FD

Creative & Editorial Photography (Central Bedfordshire College and New College Stamford) FD

Fashion & Surface Pattern Design (Central Bedfordshire College) FD

Fashion & Textile Design (Barnfield College) FD

Graphic Design (UCMK and New College Stamford) FD

Graphic Design & Advertising (Central Bedfordshire College) FD

Illustration (New College Stamford)

BA (Hons)

Photography & Video Art (Luton campus) This practice-based course enables students to develop creative practice, relate practice to theory, and gain insight into contexts specific to Photography and Video Art as well as relevant to Art and Design more generally.

Full details for all our courses are available to download at www.beds.ac.uk/courses

BA (Hons)

Fine Art (Luton campus) The course focuses on contemporary artistic practices from painting and printmaking, to new media such as video, photography, digital imaging and installation. www.beds.ac.uk 11

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