Creative students' success
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- Created on Tuesday, 07 August 2012 15:49
The students on the creative Foundation Degree courses in Illustration Arts and 3D Design just can’t stop winning prizes and praise on the national stage! There has been a flood of successes recently, which reflect the excellence of our creative degree level courses. It is a great moment when one of our students gains national or even international recognition of the standard of their work.
Mandy Amos, received one of the highest accolades in being selected from over 2000 exhibitors at the New Designers exhibition to return next year to exhibit her work at the ‘New Designers One Year On’ event. Mandy has just graduated from the two year Foundation Degree in Illustration Arts following a year studying the Portfolio Art course at South Devon College. Mandy says: “My three years spent at South Devon College have been very inspiring, informative and have boosted my confidence in my work to a level I never thought possible.”
Lynette Jordan, also from the Foundation Degree in Illustration Arts, won an open competition to create a new branding for Cockington Court in Torquay. On seeing the logo on a bus, Lynnette wrote on her website: “I cannot begin to tell you how exciting this was, and I literally jumped up and down like a loon, and started running after the bus waving my arms in the air, shouting to everyone, 'THAT’S MY LOGO! THAT’S MY LOGO!!!'
Cockington Court Creative Director, Marissa Wakefield, said: “We chose Lynette’s logo design because it was such a strong and powerful logo and lent itself well to our designs; also it was created by Lynette from wood blocks, so has a unique handmade element which is empathetic to the ethos of the Court’s uniqueness in supporting talented crafts and artist makers.”
The students from the Foundation Degree In 3D Design are just as successful:
Katy-Jane Middleditch won First Prize in the national Pewter Live competition Student Prize - Interior, Architectural and Furniture category for her Mussel Shell Cluster curtain tie back. Katy joined South Devon College because it was close to home and she liked the fact that the university classes are small and there would therefore be much more contact with tutors. She took her inspiration for her winning design from the beaches and seaside that we are so lucky to have in the Bay. Katy was particularly impressed by the tutors on the course: “All the tutors are amazing and all have experience in the industry. They all still work for themselves and so they are learning as we do and always have new things to teach us… I have made friends, including the tutors, that I like to think I will keep forever.”
Katy is also thinking of becoming a Graduate Assistant at the College during her final year. She will gain access to the College facilities in return for helping with the new Foundation Degree students.
Photo: Mussel Shell Cluster curtain tie back which won First prize at Pewter Live.
Katy’s success follows on from that of Jonathan Brooks, 2nd year student on Foundation Degree Three Dimensional Design at South Devon College, who won the ‘Best in Year’ Student National Award for Aspiring Designers from D&AD for his innovative hotel redesign.
Photo: Jonathan Brooks with his hotel redesign.
Students from the FdA in 3D Design – Interior Design go on to fantastic jobs worldwide; Sophie Edwards is now interior designer for global engineering firm W S Atkins, and has worked for the popular retail chain The Range as a space planner. Robin Coles is now working for design companies in Taiwan following his success at the FormZ competition in Chicago in 2010. Many students will go on to set up their own businesses; one example is Gail Tresize, who has taken one of the studios at Cockington Court to develop her ceramics business.
Tony Weaver, Interior Design lecturer, is very proud of all the students and their achievements: “It is very rewarding to see the students develop their creativity while they are with us and for this to be acknowledged so emphatically in the national and international prizes they win. We love hearing about the exciting and stimulating jobs they gain after their study with us; certainly there is little problem with graduate employment in the creative sector if you have the creativity and drive which employers want.”
All the College’s University Foundation Degree courses are awarded by Plymouth University.
The College is holding a special University Open Day on Monday 20 August 2012 at the University Centre, Vantage Point, Long Road, Paignton, so anyone inspired by these successes who is interested in the Foundation Degrees in Illustration Arts and in 3D Design (both Interior Design and Crafts options), or any other university courses offered by the College, should come to the College between 10am and 4pm to see the facilities and talk to the tutors first hand. Otherwise, please contact Jon Hall on 08000 21 31 81,
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