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Art Is In The Heart As Students Showcase Their Dramatic Designs At Dazzling Degree Show

Gifted artists and designers have put their talents on show at the opening night of the annual degree show at Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD) and are now taking up opportunities for careers in the creative industry.

Students exhibited works from ten degree courses as part of the ‘Northern View’ exhibition at the northern art school’s university-level campus in Hartlepool, including fashion, fine art, illustration and creative film.

The work from the talented creatives is now on display at the 1 Church Street until Saturday 16 June. As part of the exhibition, which is now a popular regional event, visitors can experience a huge array of works, including costumes, wallpapers, clothing, prints, films and illustrations.

Production Design for Stage and Screen degree student Zoe Widdowfield was inspired to create an interactive aquarium-themed sensory set, and received support from Stockton-based children’s’ autistic charity, Daisy Chain for her final major project.

The 21-year-old student from Linthorpe in Middlesbrough will also be displaying her work in a special sensory room at the charity’s base in Stockton. Zoe said: “The concept of the set was to educate audiences on the need for sensory equipment and aims to teach in areas such as Sensory Processing Disorder to show how sensory equipment is vital aids for individuals with SPD. I have also handmade items inside my set, such as the flooring, tactile wall canvases and tactile toys to show that parents can make their own DIY sensory equipment without having to spend a lot of money.

“The build up to the degree show has involved a lot of hard work and late nights, but I have enjoyed my project very much. I’m very passionate about the concept behind my work so I have really enjoyed putting it all together. I’ve had a lot of support and positive comments towards my work which has made the process very enjoyable. I’ve carried out lots of experimentation and exploration in terms of material choices, which has been challenging but enjoyable.”

Zoe also worked with a variety of specialist sensory companies for the set, with Rompa, Southpaw and SpaceKraft loaning equipment that will feature in her set at the degree show.

After graduation, Zoe is looking forward to continuing her studies. “My career goal is to become an art psychotherapist and I will be completing my Foundation qualification in Art Therapy in July and working over the next year to gain more experience and skills. I hope to apply for my Masters degree in Art Psychotherapy in the next two years. As a volunteer with a few different companies, I will also be continuing my voluntary work.”

Final year BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation with Design student Amy Norris, originally from Bamford in Derbyshire, has worked on a joint final project with fellow CCAD student Rory Henderson, a final year BA (Hons) Graphic Design student.

21-year-old Amy, who is now based in Hartlepool, first approached Rory and together they collaborated with County Durham-born folk singer, Harri Endersby, to produce a stunning installation-based animation which is currently being showcased at Hartlepool Art Gallery.

Rory, a 20-year-old student from Duns in Berwickshire, developed a cinematic animation synced to an 18-minute excerpt of Harri’s new folk album, Homes and Lives, using cinema 4D and project mapping software.

Amy created a full size gown in reflective material which is the canvas for Rory’s work to be projected onto, alongside the surrounding ceiling and walls. The installation was recently featured at a live performance from Harri Endersby at Hartlepool Art Gallery, and can be viewed at the Homes and Lives exhibition until 30th June.

The collaborative project draws on the themes Harri raises in her album, particularly ideas of home, memory and belonging and Amy and Rory have aimed to communicate this through the dress and the visuals, creating something that people can personally engage with, a re-imagined audio visual experience.

Amy also produced a ‘red carpet-style’ dress for her degree show collection and is over the moon at the results, learning a great deal of skills as a result of the joint project. She said: “I contacted Rory as I have always been interested in costume and technology and this was something that I really wanted to do. So together we approached Harri and said how much we liked her music and she said yes!

“The biggest challenge was learning the process of collaboration and communicating efficiently. As well as the dresses and motion graphics, we also wrote news releases and successfully applied for funding, so we have learned great skills and now have a live exhibition under our belt. There were times when I thought why did we do this and not a normal final major project, as it did add an extra layer of hard work, but it was worth it, and I’m so happy with it.

On the inspiration for the animation, Rory, who has also made Hartlepool his home, said: “I had a lot of freedom in how I executed it, so visually there’s a wide range of inspiration. I started off really drawn to large scale projection mapping projects, The Macula’s Sim/Nebula for example, events that filled people with awe and wonder. I slowly moved away from these more abstract aesthetics into more narrative based visuals, particularly drawn to the work of artists like Ash Thorpe.”

Rory thoroughly enjoyed the live brief, saying: “It was exciting that although it was live, it was self-initiated and collaborative, which left me with a lot of responsibility. It definitely heightening the enjoyment even if it created more pressure and I enjoyed that the project was so challenging.”

Following graduation, Amy is taking a year’s internship with her local church, Grace Church Hartlepool, which involves both study and working. Although she has no current plans to work in the costume industry, Amy loved the course and developed many skills through her time at CCAD, both as a student governor and running the Christian Union and would like to work with people, which she can explore through the internship.

Rory is also joining Amy to undertake an internship with Grace Church Hartlepool alongside working on his freelance graphic design business. He then plans to continue his studies with a Masters in Typographic Research alongside working on the typography of the Bible.

Rory also received the Dean Broderick Memorial Award and a cash prize of £100 in recognition of his talent and hard work. CCAD Principal Martin Raby, who presented the award, said: “Rory has demonstrated excellent all round talents in typography, digital design and motion graphics. He is also an accomplished writer, and very much an intellectual thinker, who will undoubtedly go onto achieve great things.”

Jamie Tyerman, 21 from Eaglescliffe is a BA (Hons) Photography student who has already developed a successful career as a commercial editorial and fashion photographer, and is now looking forward to a stellar career in the industry.

During his studies, Jamie undertook a photography internship with Ted Baker where he assisted the head photographer in the studio, photographed accessories, bags and model castings and assisted the team on the A/W 2017 campaign shoot. He was also a sports photographer for Sports Image, photographing premier league and championship level football, wiring images to national newspapers and working as one of Sheffield United club photographers.

While at CCAD he also began working with designer menswear retailer, END Clothing, and is experienced in conducting product and editorial shoots, working as lead photographer on location and studio shoots with a team of stylists and assistants and within a creative team on major campaign shoots.

Jamie also recently won the chance to have his portfolio reviewed by some of the leading industry professionals after submitting a series of images from his final major project based on street style photography to the Association for Photography in Higher Education (APHE) Photo Meet Bursary.

He is one of only three UK degree and masters students in the country selected through the competitive process to win the bursary and attend the high level Portfolio Review event in London. Those offering their expertise included picture editor from Times Magazine, FT Magazine and Guardian Weekend Magazine, as well as Esquire Magazine, Wallpaper Magazine and Vogue UK.

Jamie was also presented with the Anjool Malde Commercial Photography Award in recognition of his talents and received a £300 cash prize.

Jamie MacDonald, Programme Leader in Photography at CCAD, said: “Jamie is a talented hard working student who has consistently produced amazing work during the last three years.

“His passion and energy in the pursuit of his subject – photography – has led in him into a range of different areas and vocations. Jamie has demonstrated and maintained outstanding studentship and his positive committed approach makes him a deserving winner of the Commercial Photography award – we wish him every success in the future.”

37-year-old Jo Bulmer from Eaglescliffe studied for a BA (Hons) Production Design for Stage and Screen degree and is now preparing to launch her business as a freelance retail display artist.

During her final year studies Jo worked with Hartlepool-based wallcoverings retailer, I Love Wallpaper, on a variety of live briefs, with her work featured as part of their festive display window and which she hopes to continue through her new business.

She said: “Having already designed and installed a Christmas display for I Love Wallpaper I was in constant contact, liaising with the owner and the staff from the Hartlepool shop, and could collect any samples of wallpaper I wanted to use.

“My final major project showcases a series of elaborate dresses and masquerade masks inspired by a trip to the Venice Carnival and includes a wedding-style dress created with I Love Wallpaper’s exclusive Versace range of wallpaper.

“The project and degree show has been a very exciting journey for me, meeting new people and making new contacts as well as the experience of Venice Carnival. It has been a tough journey too and at times quite stressful, with me having a young family at home to look after as a single mum, but I know it will be worth it in the end and my children have been really good with adjusting to university life with me in the last three years.

“I was so excited to showcase my dress for the company as they had not seen the finished work, so the degree show opening was as exciting for them as it was me!”

Pat Chapman, Vice Principal, Employability and External Relations, said: “This is always an exciting time of the year as students end their three years of study and look to the future. The degree show is a celebration of the creative talent our students have developed and marks the transition to employment or post graduate study.

“This year’s graduates have bright futures, establishing themselves in industry and establishing their own businesses. They will continue our incredible record for employability which has seen 96 percent or more of graduates in employment or further study for each of the past four years, a record that places the College amongst the very highest performing universities nationally. This year also marks the final time CCAD will put on a graduate show as from next year we will have adopted our new identity as The Northern School of Art.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kathryn Clapham .