Congratulations to all our Graduates!

Pieces: On Dementia

Second Year BA (HONS) Illustration students have taken part in a collaborative project with the charity, Age UK in Stockport. The students made visits to day care centres in Marple and South Reddish, where they spent valuable time talking to people at various stages of dementia. This provided a unique and insightful experience for the students involved.

The students recorded their conversations through note-taking and short recordings. They then used, this information as a catalyst to make illustrations, based on the things talked about. Stories about their lives, things they did, anecdotes or fragments of memories became pictures. The students presented their work to Age UK in a professional manner, who in fact became ‘the client’. The work resulted in the publication of a booklet entitled 'Pieces' which was accompanied by a set of cards representing individual student responses.

Joanna Spicer, the course leader for BA (Hons) Illustration said, "As a tutor, I feel it is really important for students to engage with people from different walks of life. The publication of the booklet aims to highlight the past lives of those affected by dementia enable them to be seen as ‘real people’, with a past, a history and a story to tell".

Photographs by Texbook Studios

BBC News in Pictures Features BA Photography Graduate Work

Photography graduates from Stockport College have made it onto the BBC News in Pictures web site. Degree work from students who have just completed a three-year BA (Hons) Photography course will go on show at the Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester from 20th June.

A selection of student still and moving images took the top slot on the BBC News website after graduate Andrea Smith contacted the BBC to help publicise the exhibition.

“We’re really please about the exposure that the exhibition was given on the BBC website – but it didn’t surprise me at all,” said Paul Proctor, Assistant Dean of the School of Arts, Design & Media at Stockport.

“Our students are a group of highly motivated and entrepreneurial individuals, and enterprising in every respect


“We try as far as possible to encourage our students to work independently as well as collaboratively, and this is a perfect example of that; the students played a big part in organising the exhibition, then Andrea took it on herself to do what she could to raise the profile of the event – and this is the result.”

Among the graduates’ images featured on the BBC website were examples of Andrea’s own work, which explored gender stereotypes through the idea of hunting in modern life, from food to designer goods.

 Also included were images by: Emma McKay, whose work examined the improvisational world of hip-hop; Chris Griffiths, who mixed images and sounds in his original film, ‘Bleed’; Stacey Calderwood, whose work took its inspiration from the stonemasonery skills of her father and two brothers; and Andy Moseley, whose short film depicted foreigners offering their humorous observations on English men and women.

They can be viewed at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-18416143

GROW Design Shows 2012

THE home-grown talents of Stockport College graduate students have been displayed to potential employers from the creative industries at a series of special exhibitions.

Using a horticultural theme, the 2012 Arts, Design & Media Degree Show – entitled ‘Grow’ – illustrated how far the students’ imaginations and abilities have bloomed after three years in the College ‘hothouse’.

It featured a range of some of the best new cutting-edge work in the North West, including graphic design, illustration and photography – and received overwhelming interest from the hundreds of people attending the show’s preview.

“The GROW theme really refers to the students themselves and the journey they have taken on their courses,” said Paul Proctor, Assistant Dean of the Arts, Design & Media Department.

“But in order for something to grow you have to provide the right conditions. You also have to nurture its growth.

“We certainly hope that we have played our part in that, by providing our students with an environment in which they have been able to explore, experiment and make mistakes, and through those processes cultivate strength, confidence and independence which will enable them to continue to grow throughout their future careers.”

‘Grow’ showcased the work of 70 graduating students from the BA (Hons) Graphic Design, BA (Hons) Illustration, BA (Hons) Photography and Foundation Degrees in Commercial Photography and Design & Advertising.

Dominique Byron and students on the Illustration course won the ‘Best in Show’ prize with another six students winning best in course.

Following ‘Grow’, students’ creative work was featured at ‘Grow-into Town’, held at Kraak Gallery near Stevenson Square in Manchester. They also exhibited at the Design & Art Directors’ ‘New Blood’ event in London on 27th & 28th June. And the BA (Hons) Photography graduates displayed their photographic work at the Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester, at a show titled ‘Everything for Effect’, attended by the great and the good from the photographic community in Manchester and the surrounding areas.

Paul added: “It’s a privilege to work with such ambitious and talented students and our dynamic staff, who are completely dedicated to student success.”

For information about courses in Arts, Design & Media go to: http://www.stockport.ac.uk/art-and-design/

Photography and Social Engagement

Collaboration between undergraduates of the BA (Hons) photography course and Stockport Homes has resulted in yet another huge success. This year students have been working on two social projects. 

The York Street project involved working with elderly tenants in the Edgeley Area of Stockport. The project involved the students teaching the tenants over a series of six two-hour sessions how to use digital cameras and provide tuition on the basic principles of photography. The project resulted in a published book of photographs made by the elderly tenants guided by four photography degree students.

 
The second project involved a separate group of students from the course working with young people living in the Brinnington area of Stockport. The Youth Forum wants to promote positive action in the area which faces a number of social challenges. 

Students learned to work with members of the Forum over a number of sessions to work towards producing a book of photographs which represents their environment and their eventual realisation that the area offers some exceptional natural spaces.

In with the The Neighbourhood

It's not often that students prove themselves to the extent that they're offered a job before they even graduate from their course, but Sarah Brewster has done just that, after a work placement with the The Neighbourhood in the heart of the creative community in Manchester's Norther Quarter. The Neighbourhood, who describe themselves as 'a creative studio were stories and worlds come to life across many forms of visual communication' also have a clear central philosophy

'We think broadly. Dig deep. And ask lots of questions. As a result, we discover truths and translate them into appropriate, engaging and finely crafted content.'

Sarah, has already joined the company as their new Project Aministrator.

'My role is to assist the Producer and Project Co-Ordinator of the Animation and Architectural Visual teams. I will aid their workload by helping to liaise with clients, keep projects updated so that the teams know what progress they're making and assist with meetings and work scheduling. With my goal ultimately being to become a Producer myself, this is a great starting point!'

Sarah, will graduate in July from the BA (Hons) Design & Visual Arts programe. She specialised in Moving Image, she goes on to say,

'My three year study of the animation field will really enhance my role at The Neighbourhood, as I'll have a thorough understanding of the different techniques and time scales that go into making a piece of moving work.'

Rapport in Conversation with Graphic Design

Last week, Chris Platt & Paul Rose of Rapport visited the College to meet this year's graduating graphic designers from the BA (Hons) Design & Visual Arts course. Rapport are an ideas led events agency based in the heart of Manchester.

Chris and Paul showed the graduates a range of work from their portfolio including clients such as Kelloggs, Adidas and Astellas.

The graduates were shown a body of work that reaches beyond the traditional realms of a 'graphic design studio'. Rapport's use of and need for graphic design skills was prominent in every events project shown. Throughout the course, staff continually encourage students to be innovative and adaptable in the changing climate of the creative industries. Rapport's perspective further enhanced the need for this in relation to employability.

After their presentation, Chris and Paul conducted portfolio reviews with the graduates. One of our final years students will be starting on a placement with Rapport over the summer.

"We think smart ideas which involve your audience and capture their imagination is ultimately what will inspire them to do great things."

www.rapportevents.com

Illustration students published in OWT

OWT creative is a four strong design collective based in Hope Mill, Manchester. The latest issue of OWT magazine is available (issue 12), It features work by twenty two different Northwest creatives as well as the members of the OWT team on the theme of 'Voyage'.

The publication is well respected in the industry and some of the work selected to be printed comes from our very own Mark Mottershead who graduated in 2011. First year student Celia Hume, has also been selected to feature in the magazine. Celia's work was the result of a college project based on 'Sinbad the Sailor'. Her image was inspired by this and entered for the publication. It is the first time that a first year student has been selected to have work printed in such a prestigious publication. and to feature alongside established  creatives and  well-established designers and illustrators.

HALLE FOR YOUTH 2012

Students from all levels on the Foundation Degree in Television Production undertook the televising of the

annual "Halle for Youth" concerts with the world-renowned Halle Orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall in

Mannchester.

The concerts attempt to engage schoolchildren with the work of a symphony orchestra and have been

running annually since the era of Sir John Barbirolli - this was the third year we have televised them - live -

to a huge screen above the orchestra itself. For us, it represents a televisual challenge on a par with the

annual BBC Proms.

First year students operated cameras whilst second year students  undertook the challenge of live multi-camera directing with each student working alongside musical specialists from the Halle to

devise a workable camera script for the occasion. 

The Halle are keen to continue and extend the collaborative partnership in the coming years, with plans to live-webcast next year's concerts.

The London Residential Diary

Last week saw the BA(Hons) Design & Visual Arts: Graphic Design students take a jam-packed trip to our bustling capital city of London. Level 5 and level 6 students attended with sketchbooks underarm and sunglasses on as we soaked up the spring sunshine.

Straight off the train on Wednesday afternoon, students took a swift tube journey down to the Victoria & Albert Museum from Euston. Many of the students had never visited this magnificent museum before. I hoped the spaces and artifacts would encourage them in the value of broad ranging research sources, and encourage their enquiry in research being sourced beyond Google! From the V&A, we went to the Institute of Contemporary Arts on The Mall. Students soon recognised the iconic road from the Royal Wedding last year. It was valuable for them to draw a connection between the hype of such an internationally followed event, right next to one of the country's finest arts institutions, full of culture and inspiration. We saw three bodies of work at the ICA: In Numbers: Serial Publications by Artists Since 1955, Lis Rhodes: Dissonance and Disturbance and The Themersons & Gaberbocchus Press. The artist publications were extremely inspiring to the Graphic Design students as they demonstrated such a high level of quality, craft and conceptual strength. I believe that seeing such work encourages students to raise the bar in terms of what they aspire to in their own work, and challenges them to consider their potential.

Thursday demanded an 8.30am start from Kings Cross, to travel for 90 minutes to Hackney Wick. We visited a good friend and former tutor of mine from London College of Communication, Sheena Calvert, who has a wonderful studio in the area full of letterpress trays and a well-oiled Vandercook press. A former Saint Martins student, Oliver, assisted Sheena on the day. Meeting Oliver was valuable to the students as they met a younger face, similar to their own, who had an infectious passion for typography. I wanted the students to visit Sheena to help them to understand a little of the history of the discipline of graphic design and of printing. To tangibly hold small pieces of lead and print with them is wonderful in teaching students the value and the importance of the letterform in design. Sheena said, "We could select this type on a computer keyboard in 30 seconds, but that would be boring, right?" Students really enjoyed the experience and each came away with a print that they were so proud of.

The group was split into three to enable Sheena to work with them individually. Whilst other groups were printing, students took a walk along the Green Way, just behind Sheena's studio, which encircles the Olympic Park. On Friday, level 5 students visited The Times for a tour from Design Editor, Jon Hill, as they're currently working on an Olympics brief with him. To see the Olympic park right before their eyes was a hugely valuable experience to the students working on this project in particular. For students of all levels I think it encouraged a very real engagement with the importance of the Olympics this year, both for London and the UK. While many students feel unable able to take part due to the constraints of money and the ticket booking system, this experience enabled a part of the Olympics to be accessible to them which was wonderful. 

By 1pm, all students had completed their prints and we said a huge thankyou to Oliver, Sheena, and her little printer's dog, Bam Bam. One reason for taking students out so far from central London was to show them an alternative side to the capital in the sense that it is full of creative people doing interesting things. These people reside both inside the large, well-known, studios but also outside of the hustle and bustle, tucked away in smaller studios creating wonderful work. My aim was to broaden student perceptions of working in London, and to raise their aspirations in terms of the options and accessibility of employment in the Capital.

Later on Thursday, we visited the Design Museum to see both the Terence Conran and Designs of the Year exhibitions. Both exhibitions provided students with a huge range of inspirational work and rich reference sources. Visiting the Design Museum is always a pleasure not only due to the quality of the exhibits, but the craft of the curation and design also. Students took note of the studio who had designed the graphics for the Design of the Year exhibition, APFEL, and we discussed the importance of their role in the branding and visual curatorial consistency of the show overall. Many of the students had never considered this option as one of the roles of a graphic designer. Again, the experience broadened their horizons. 

Later, we walked along the Thames to the Tate Modern were students wrapped up their day with further contemporary art references. Beyond the Tate's permanent collection, the architectural magnitude of the turbine hall was so inspiring to students.

Our Friday itinerary included several studio visits. Our first stop was to be at the new publishers, Visual Editions, but unfortunately they had no option but to cancel at the last minute. This was a real shame, but I think it taught the students a rather valuable lesson. The innovative nature of the way that VE are shaking up the perception of book publishing at the moment has made them a key reference in my teaching over the past year. Their books are invigoratingly designed, challengingly produced, and outstandingly crafted. They are an inspirational source of reference to students on many levels. One of the founders of VE, Anna Gerber, and I are friends and I therefore felt it would be a lovely link for the students to meet the very human, normal, humble face behind such innovation in publishing. The fact that Anna had to cancel was a great shame, but their reason was that the visit was physically not possible against the deadline for the publication of their new book. Anna wrote in a blog post later that day, "Okay, so this week we went beyond falling off the production cliff and we just kept falling." It was valuable for students to empathise with the very real pressures of the tasks that VE manage on a daily basis and though a disappointment, I hope they will learn from it as they head into their futures.

On Friday afternoon, we were booked in for a tour of The Times in Wapping. Jon Hill visited the College several weeks ago to set the Olympics brief to level 5 Graphic Design students, and to also give a lecture to the whole course. It was extremely valuable for the students to visit Jon's working environment, having already met him on home turf in Stockport. Many of the students said they had never been in an office before, and it has opened their eyes to their options for the future. In teaching, we often underestimate the value or need for these early experiences for students. Jon took students around all of the floors of the Times at the News International head quarters, explaining the roles and day-to-day experience of each team. He also gave them a sneak-peak of the 'design hub' for all Olympics-related content which requires a whole team of dedicated people to plan spreads, content, and info graphics in advance of hundreds of events and potential news-worthy stories. The course's collaboration with Jon Hill will be a hugely valuable experience for students by then end of the project.

From The Times, we traveled along the river on the District Line to Temple station to visit Somerset House. Now in its third year, Pick Me Up, a contemporary graphic arts and illustration fair, opened the week of our visit. The work simply blew students away. There were many talented graphic arts and illustration practitioners exhibiting at the fair. The atmosphere was alive with optimism and a hope in the future of the discipline. It was wonderful for students to experience this, and again, see work of such inspirational quality and craft. Back to Stockport on the train on Friday evening, all students (and staff) were exhausted but I feel we experienced many sides to London that students had not necessarily engaged with previously. I hope the trip made out Capital feel accessible to students, and that they will be driven to visit again, and again as they develop their working practice over the coming years.

Design studios provide insight into design futures

As part of their professional practice BA Graphic Design student made a recent visit to two graphic design studios in Manchester. First was Textbook, based in Hotspur House, established by three graduates of the BA (Hons) Design & Visual Arts course, John, Chris and Vicky. The group also visited a larger studio called LOVE, in the Northern Quarter of Manchester City Centre.

The visits allowed students to compare a young, small studio still attempting to make a name for themselves, with a larger, established agency that has different teams working on different areas of a project. One of the benefits of visiting design studios is that students hear from the designers themselves exactly what they'd like to see in portfolios from job applicants, and also that they went through the same set of challenges that I myself go through from time to time.

Meeting Steve and Patrick at LOVE was a great confidence boost for the students and it was immediately obvious just how down-to-earth and approachable they both were, which made attempting to make contact with design professionals seem much less daunting. A quick chat with them after the visit also allowed students to discuss the possibility of future portfolio critiques,