creative times 2016

C R E A T I V ET I M E S

w w w . k i r k l e e s c o l l e g e . a c . u k

June‘16

FREE

C R E A T I V E T I M E Sp 2

cover images from i am Dewsbury photographic project by Ba (Hons) contemporary photographic arts students

it’s no secret that kirklees college’s Batley school of art produces award-winning talent. each year the students are continuing the school’s legacy, performing on the professional stage and proving they’re up there with the best of them.

creative Times celebrates the students’ accomplishments from exhibitions to awards. read about the exciting and extraordinary achievements and then if you feel inspired, go to: www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk/school-leavers/art-and-design

Batley school of art is a highly successful and nationally recognised part of kirklees college, with its own distinctive identity and reputation. with an impressive heritage, which dates back to 1853, the school of art is one of the few remaining of its kind in the uk.

List of coursesBatley School of ArtBa (Hons) photograghy and Moving imageBa (Hons) Fashion (Design, production, styling and promotion)Ba (Hons) Fine art for DesignBa (Hons) graphic Designlevel 1 Diploma in art & Designlevel 2 Diploma in art & Designlevel 3 extended Diploma in art & Designlevel 3 extended Diploma in Fashion & Textileslevel 3 extended Diploma in Visual communicationlevel 3 / 4 Foundation Diploma in art & Designaccess to art & Designadult education : level 2 photography (evening class)

Highfields Centre for Media, Music and Performing Arts, Huddersfieldlevel 2 Diploma in Media productionlevel 3 extended Diploma in creative Media productionlevel 2 Diploma in Music and Music Technology (rock school)level 3 extended Diploma in Music Technology (performance or production)level 1 Diploma in performing artslevel 2 Diploma in performing artslevel 3 extended Diploma in performing arts (Drama, acting and Dance)Fda performing arts

Former students of Batley school of art, Highfields or any other kirklees college centre are welcome to join our FREE alumni. we would like to invite you to join our group to stay informed about your former college and to share your experiences with fellow alumni, our current students and those thinking about taking a course with us.

For more information or to sign up please visit www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk/alumni

Fda Modern Musicianship (performance and Technology) – coming soon!HND Dance – coming soon!

Huddersfield Centrelevel 1 Diploma in art & Designlevel 2 Diploma in art & Design level 3 extended Diploma in art & Design

For more details visit www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk

Join our alumni

ALUMNI

SEARCH APPLY

ENROL

Boost your work skills

Get great results

Go higher

Enrol at Kirklees College this August

For full details about enrolment go to:www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk

w w w . k i r k l e e s c o l l e g e . a c . u k p 3

Final year BA (Hons) graphic design students created a plethora of images and ideas in a bid to secure the design that would be used to advertise and promote this summer’s Create 16 end of year show.

The selected logo alongside design proposals for invites, posters and a web banner were submitted to the judging panel in February and the entry chosen was created by student Megan lancaster.

The event is the biggest and most anticipated date in the art school’s calendar and it is hoped it will attract many visitors as the college puts on a show of student work that demonstrates the many talents on display across all levels of creative activity.

There’s sure to be something of interest for everyone from artworks produced by entry level students through the extended diplomas and final year shows from the degree programmes.

Megan said “i wanted the design work for the show to be vibrant, colourful and exciting – a true reflection that would represent the fabulous creativity and work that is done here at the Batley school of art.

“i didn’t expect my ‘doodle art’ design would be selected to represent the college but i’m very glad that it has been chosen. it has given me a real confidence boost and provided an interesting talking point for my final portfolio.

“it’s a wonderfully fitting end to the time i’ve spent studying here at Batley school of art as i prepare for my graduation and future career path as a graphic designer.”

Create 16 is on at Batley School of Art from June 17-22, 2016.

Simply the best for Create 16

Football fans draw a crowdArt students created and delivered a family activity as part of the college’s Huddersfield Town dedicated game in March.

as part of the college’s partnership with the football club, students from different subject areas were able to showcase their courses during the Burnley match at the John smiths stadium.

The students from BTec diploma in art and design level 1, ocr diploma in art and design level 2 and BTec extended diploma in visual communication level 3 from Batley school of art encouraged families to

build a large collage of the crowd and pitch.

as you can see from the images Huddersfield Town fans are very creative, including Harry and his sister casey who made themselves out of collage. we love the curls - a very clever use of paper!

There were also art and design, fashion and photography pieces on display to corporate guests in the white rose suite, an acoustic duo from the music department entertained in the ever group enterprise suite and performing arts dancers did a routine on the pitch at half-time.

AND: Don’t miss level 2 and level 3 art and design students exhibition of work at Huddersfield centre 29 - 30 June, 11am - 6pm.


Here are just some of their stories about their experience of the Foundation Diploma and how it has helped them to develop as artists and designers:

Alice O’Donnell

“Being on the art and Design Foundation Diploma at Batley school of art has given me the opportunity to experiment with different mediums and styles to discover my own unique voice in the art world and encouraged me to realise what i wanted to say and how i wanted to say it.

“The support from tutors has enabled me to gain a place studying animation at edinburgh college of art, be a judge at the Holmfirth Film Festival and given me the opportunity to exhibit my work to a public audience.”

Echoe Moyers

“Being on the Foundation Diploma has helped me immensely in so many ways. it has helped me become more confident in my work, taught me different ways of working and helped me develop a real eye for detail.

“Before coming on the course i was really interested in surface design and textiles and even though i am still interested in the same subject as i was before, the experience here has really taught me how to play with other materials and my work has become very sculptural.

“i have enjoyed the course so much and it has given me a deeper understanding of not only art as a whole but about the subject i claimed to know so much about before.

“it has also helped me get a place at my chosen university, something that i never thought would happen, it has given me a lot more experience in working with others as well as being critical about my own work.

“i really feel prepared to start my university course, i feel very confident about the next stage of my career and i am really looking forward to it. i have loved everything about the course and i honestly believe that without it, i wouldn’t be the person i am today. “

Yasmine Louise Williams

“The Foundation course has not only developed my work, but me as a person. coming straight from a-level, i’d say i was greatly unsure of the type of work i wanted to pursue, but being here has allowed me find myself, and now i am creating in a way which is me.

“Before this course i rarely took photographs. Now it’s the source of the work i am creating - you find you get immersed in something and don’t want to stop.

“i have always been a painter, but now i am painting in an entirely different way, being more critical of the decisions i am making and understanding the whole notion. The support, guidance and access to material at Batley school of art is amazing, i couldn’t fault it.”

Foundation students move on to degreesThe Foundation students at Batley School of Art have once again managed to secure places at the Universities of their choice.

Contemporary Culture on showContemporary Culture was the theme for his year’s photographic exhibition at Dean Clough in Halifax in May by students from Batley School of Art.

The exhibition by second year students on the Ba (Hons) contemporary photographic arts course looked at the world through a lens.

it was opened by multi award-winning photographer and film maker paul Berriff.

course leader katrina whitehead said: “The students worked hard

researching and questioning various aspects of contemporary culture.

“This has developed throughout the course which included lighting workshops, lectures, visiting speakers and a residential visit to los angeles.” special thanks go to the British institute of professional photography, for their continued support to students and paul Berriff for giving up his time to speak to students about their work and opening the show.


Josh aims high with national fashion chainJosh Branigan is already making a name for himself in fashion retail management and visual merchandising while studying at Batley School of Art.

Josh, a 3rd year Ba (Hons) fashion design, production, styling and promotion student at kirklees college, is already working regionally for clothing brand New look.

Josh has been selected to take the lead in regional visual merchandise management; designing layouts for new and flagship stores, which are being rolled out throughout the uk.

recently he was voted as employee of the month for the fashion retailer and an article covering his achievements was featured in New look’s own company magazine.

Josh is due to graduate summer 2016 and after completing his studies will be pursuing his career with New look, and hopes to make a move to their head office in london as a fashion buyer.

Waseem gets students’ creation movingUndergraduate photography students from Kirklees College were visited by videographer Waseem Sadiq.

waseem, a former photography student at kirklees college, has ties with the British institute of professional photography (Bipp) and spoke to students studying Ba (Hons) photography and Moving image course.

waseem talked to students about the equipment he uses for filming events, including weddings and fashion catwalk shows, as well as how to make the most of digital photography.

one student to benefit from the talk was first year photography student Danny Taylor who was offered a unique opportunity to work with waseem on a work placement.

katrina whitehead, course leader said “This was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn how to use their digital cameras to create moving image.”

“students also learned about the commercial opportunities that are open to them in the digital age photography.”

katrina was also proud to see waseem’s career progression since completing the photography and moving image course.

“it is good to see that one of our former students has gone on to make a successful career from photography and moving image.”

Murder mystery show First year foundation degree performing arts students put on a murder mystery dinner show at landings 72 restaurant as a part of the college’s qualification (performance skills module). They did two shows for diners. The show was directed by Nicola Markham.


THE REPOSITORYBA (Hons) Fine Art for Design students are showcasing their annual Work In Progress exhibition at Dewsbury Museum, Crow Nest Park, Dewsbury until June 24.

eve gray (course leader) said: “we wanted to provide the museum with a contemporary exhibition that reflected the visual concerns of a group of undergraduate students studying at Batley school of art on a degree programme that encourages challenge, question and individuality.

“we were aware that the future of our local museum is extremely fragile and began to discuss the importance of museums and collections as part of cultural heritage.

“we discussed how we collect as individuals, the taxonomies we create for ourselves and visited a municipal museum storage facility.

“we discussed how each person’s unique visual practice responded to a broad range of subjects, almost departmental subjects – ergonomics, natural history, social anthropology, religious iconography, the organic, the artificial… an inventory of potential ideas developed…and our repository as a physical storage space for those ideas evolved.”

THe reposiTorY is Fine art for Design’s unique contribution to the history of the museum.

The body of work exhibited responds to and acknowledges the importance of collecting, display, communication, education and study to our heritage, culture and future.

it has presented images, objects and artefacts.

The repository is a collection . . . a cache of ideas, proposals, thoughts and visual approaches.

in uncertain times where some of our local museums are under serious threat of closure THe reposiTorY aims to also celebrate their necessity and importance.

we would like to thank linda levick and Dewsbury Museum for their wholehearted and continued support of Ba(Hons) Fine art for Design.

Undergraduate photography students from Kirklees College’s Batley School of Art were treated to a visit from famous celebrity photographer Stuart Wood.

wood spoke in front of students, as well as members from the British institute of professional photographers (Bipp), of which he has Fellowship status, the highest level achievable.

He spoke about his photography techniques and style for capturing celebrities.

wood’s work has featured on the front cover of magazines such as the radio Times as well other television magazine publications such as BBc, iTV and grazia.

Ba (Hons) photography and Moving image course leader, katrina whitehead said:

“This was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn what it is like behind the scenes for a celebrity photographer who has worked on

commissions around the world, especially one who has had his imagery on the front page of the radio Times several times.

“stuart talked about lighting techniques in all of his images and his skill capturing a moment with only a few minutes allowed on a set.”

Many of the photography students were inspired by wood’s speech, and his work, especially by Year 2 photography student stephanie carlin.

“i found his work inspirational,” she said.

Celebrity photographer visit Enterprising artwork for Hollybank charityOCR Level 2 Art and Design students produced work to sell to raise money for Hollybank Trust as part of the college’s Enterprise Week in November.

Hollybank Trust, in Mirfield, looks after children and adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

kirklees college staff are keen develop more projects with the organisation next year and would like to thank susan Marsden from Hollybank Trust for her support and time.


BA (Hons) fine art for design students and staff exhibited at the 19th International Contemporary Artists' Book Fair 2016 at The Tetley, Hunslet Road, Leeds in March.

The book fair provides a temporary home to over 50 national and international exhibitors including individual artists, collectives and groups, showing alongside Ba (Hons), Ma and phD students from universities and art schools throughout the country.

The two-day event was the 7th successive year FaFD had participated in the book fair. The event provides students with the opportunity make and exhibit work within the medium of artist’s books, which is a diverse visually and conceptually exciting genre. The book fair also enables students to network and discuss their work with undergraduate peers, professional artists/designers and art buyers/audience alike.

The books, bookworks and book objects produced by FaFD students ranged from the whimsical and illustrative to film, sound, text and materials-based pieces as both small editions and one-off pieces.

course leader eve gray said: “we have been making artist books, self-publishing and also exhibiting at the Book Fair for quite a number of years.The works made by the students are always visually exciting and conceptually diverse.

“The genre of artist books is a fascinating one and also one that students respond to with such a breadth of approach. The medium is perfect for students studying FaFD - a programme that is highly individual and bespoke in its educational approach and we always receive wonderful feedback about the works we exhibit.

“some of our colleagues from Batley school of art are great supporters and regular visitors to the Book Fair as are their students.

“The fair therefore also provides staff with opportunities for further dialogue about curriculum ideas and potential degree students to continue to see the breadth of work made on Fine art for Design and of course to witness one aspect of our external professional engagement at first hand.

“Many of our alumni continue to make books as professional artists, designers and illustrators, both via self-publishing and also being commissioned by publishing houses.

“exhibiting at the international artist Book Fair is often the first step into realising the potential books hold as a means to make dynamic and professionally sustainable work.”

Students book in at Book Fair

“ In a quiet corner of the educational world we playfully, ironically, inventively, seriously, narratively, sequentially, humorously,

sculpturally, digitally and collectively . . . explore possibilities. We know that big is not always clever. We know that in small quiet

corners are often the most unexpected finds.”

Halifax production is Whatsnext… artistic director Nikki Marett-gregory from whatsnextproductions in Jersey came to college’s Highfields centre for Music, Media and performing arts to cast students for their next big production in Halifax. Nikki was accompanied by musical director rick wild, an actor and lead singer of 60s band The overlanders. The production will be at the 1,600 seater Victoria Theatre in october and already a number of students have gone through the first audition process.


I AM DEWSBURY Students from BA (Hons) contemporary photographic arts have been involved in a community project inspired by an international photographer.

Year 3 photography student ryan Yates became influenced by an on-going project called inside out, defined as “a global art project transforming messages of personal identity into works of art”.

inspired by French photographer Jr, who made his name as a graffiti artist on the streets of paris and now owns one of the biggest art galleries in the world, it gives everyone the opportunity to share their portrait and make a statement about what they stand for.

ryan led a team of year 1 students to organise a pop-up studio in an empty shop in Dewsbury town centre. photographs of the residents and visitors

to Dewsbury have been taken as part of the project ‘i aM DewsBurY’.

ryan said: “i found that these shoots were difficult to complete, as it was not as simple as organising a shoot with a model. i had to complete my shoots in the streets with random individuals and strangers.

“rejection was a big factor, which was hard for me. i asked 10 to 15 people per day if i could take their photograph and only one or two agreed. it was a hit and miss sort of shoot.

“For any other enthusiastic photographers who find it difficult talking to individuals in the street, i would highly recommend trying this and pushing through.

“My social skills have grown and developed simply by engaging in conversation. when successful, i

had the ability to keep calm and not feel as nervous about approaching the next potential shot.

“if an individual showed interest in my project or shared similar interests, i was able to keep the conversation flowing in an engaging manner.”

course lecturer stewart Jackson said: “This is a great way to engage with the community in Dewsbury town centre and encourages students to build their skills in portrait photography. images are uploaded to Facebook and people can download their professional portrait for free.”

portrait images can be seen on display at the create final year show on Friday 17 June. if you would like to be part of this ongoing project, you can follow us on Facebook.


Providing design that delivers!Tom Wood, a recent graduate from BA (Hons) graphic design at Batley School of Art, has become the latest recruit to join the design team at Studio 116 based in Batley.

established by alumnus and creative business entrepreneur Mufaras assayaed, the agency has built an enviable reputation over the last few years in providing effective visual communication solutions for a diverse range of clients.

The company’s track record for success now attracts business from far and wide and currently boasts a number of international brand names as part of their growing client listing.

Tom joins the design team at studio 116 working alongside another former graduate from the course; Danny stead.

Tom said: “i love my job and enjoy the fact that i’m part of a dedicated team of professionals determined to deliver great creative work that makes a difference.

“i have been given the opportunity to work on a diverse range of design areas which have included branding, signage, packaging, print, editorial and i’ve recently designed my first website!”

[email protected] www.studio116.co.uk

BSA was the foundation to design a careerRebecca King is working as a graphic designer for Huddersfield New College after doing her foundation diploma at Batley School of Art.

rebecca left kirklees college in 2012 and did a Ba (Hons) graphic design at Manchester school of art, which she completed last year.

since graduating, rebecca has done a few placements and freelance work in the process of finding employment, including working in london for a month at a creative studio in Hoxton which helped her learn and experience life as a professional designer.

she then secured a job at Huddersfield New college in their marketing department as their in-house graphic designer.

“i have learned a lot in the short space of time i have been here; my education and study has been a massive part of

me developing who i am and where i want to be as a designer, especially my foundation diploma course at Batley school of art,” said rebecca.

“Here i learnt to explore and be creative without worry or caution and be open to interpretation in my work.

“The tutors i have had throughout my academic life have been second to none, all of them have pushed me in the right direction and given me the support and guidance that i have needed.

“if it wasn't for my tutors at Batley i wouldn't have ended up going to Manchester school of art and i thank them for this as i loved every minute on my degree course!”

Big draw for open eveningVisitors to Batley school of art’s open evening in November were invited to take part in a drawing inspired by a paper banquet made by pre Ba Foundation students with Fine art for Design degree students.

it was part of the Big Draw – the world’s largest drawing festival.

http://www.thebigdraw.org/

C R E A T I V E T I M E Sp 1 0

Final year BA(Hons) Fine Art for Design undergraduate Bex Middleton worked with course alumni Salma Patel and Harriet Lawson, painstakingly making 100 paper lanterns to light the way to Creative Scene’s THERE WILL BE FIRE event held in December at Crow Nest Park in Dewsbury.

The free event organised by creative scene, witnessed over 1,000 flaming candles, 21 giant floating waterlilies, 12 show-stopping fire fountains, a host of other fire sculptures in the park where festive fragrances also filled the air from a burning spice tree. live lakeside harp and saxophone performances further enhanced the visual spectacle.

creative scene is a creative people and places programme for North kirklees, a three-year arts and social change initiative funded by arts council england, developed and led by a consortium including lawrence Batley Theatre, kirklees council, and Batley Festival.

creative scene currently employs two Fine art for Design alumni as scene makers for the project.

course leader eve gray said: “This was a wonderful opportunity for Bex, salma and Harriet to engage with their local community and be part of the creative scene team that strives to bring exciting art to the people that live in our community.

“crow Nest park is a beautiful venue and the perfect setting for such an exciting and visually magical event.

“in 2014 the inaugural There will Be Fire saw over 2,000 people come to see the fire garden.There will Be Fire 2 witnessed a similar number coming to see the spectacle.

“For Bex being involved in a live community art project was one of several live external opportunities she has been involved in during her final year.

“working within a professional context is a significant part of the FaFD course curriculum during the final year of undergraduate study and Bex has approached this aspect of the course with exceptional initiative, energy and enthusiasm.

“FaFD students are regular volunteers for creative scene events and our relationship with the team continues to grow. This community interaction has and continues to provide excellent experiences for all the students and alumni involved.”

Since graduating with first class honours in BA (Hons) Fine Art for Design in 2014, Harriet Lawson has developed her practice within a broad range of creative applications.

Harriet currently works for studio Dekka ltd, an interdisciplinary design practice based in Dewsbury, specialising in urban and architectural lighting for night-time environments.

studio Dekka works with clients nationwide from cumbria to central london and Harriet supports the design team in producing digital visualisations for those clients. http://www.studiodekka.com

Harriet also has a studio space in The New picture House community cinema in Dewsbury and is also a scene Maker at creative scene, which is an arts project that commissions, programmes and produces projects in North kirklees. Harriet’s role as a scene maker is to assist and support work with the public, other creatives and interested parties, to shape local arts provision, experimenting with new and different approaches to commissioning, producing and presenting the arts in the places where people live and work.

creative scene is a one of art’s council england’s creative people and places projects.

Harriet (alongside Fine art for Design alumna salma patel and 2016 final year undergraduate Bex Middleton) was involved with design, facilitation and making of pathway floor lanterns for There will Be Fire, a spectacular winter fire garden in crow Nest park, Dewsbury.

she is current planning ideas for her participation in another project idle women when the touring project moves over to west Yorkshire for the North west. idle women is an organisation that initiates and creates contemporary art with

women, founded by its two caretakers rachel anderson and cis o'Boyle in 2015. https://www.idlewomen.org/

in addition to all of this Harriet is also half-way through the process of participating in The Northern Faculty of social arts, which is a six-month pilot scheme where 30 artists/creatives/facilitators from four northern towns work and learn collaboratively.

Harriet said: “it’s great to belong to a close network of people that all have to same goal of making positive collaborations.”

it is facilitated by in situ which is an artist led not-for-profit organisation based in pendle, lancashire, with a clear vision to allow art to be part of everyday life and find out more about how culture works for people and the place it has and could have in their lives …. http://in-situ.org.uk

Through her involvement in The Faculty Harriet has set up a weekly meeting space for creative people within Dewsbury to get involved. initially everyone takes part in Free art Friday, a concept that happens all over the world, as a group we pick a theme on a Monday and then individually make work, which then gets dropped off somewhere in the town for someone walking past to take home as their own (for free).

several fine art for design year 2 undergraduates are involved in Free art Friday.

Harriet said: “i think Fine art for Design is such a fantastic course. There’s nothing else like it. it teaches you to question, be critical, and playful. The work that is produced on the course is always visually and conceptually fascinating and of such a high standard and quality. i loved it. i would happily go back and do it all over again!”

Harriet’s Creative Scene

THERE WILL BE FIRE

w w w . k i r k l e e s c o l l e g e . a c . u k p 1 1

Tom Scaramuzza put his entrepreneurial spirit into practice immediately after completing his BA (Hons) fine art for design at Batley School of Art in 2014 – and has found his portfolio career growing from strength to strength.

as well as running two companies – House of scara and Made in Huddersfield – he works as an iT facilitator for the learning resource centres at kirklees college. House of scara ltd is a digital agency offering social media management and consultancy, offering both strategy and platforms to businesses to help them to communicate and expose their brands to a wider audience.

The company ethos is continuously identifying market gaps so that the services it provides are on trend and forward-thinking.

Made in Huddersfield is a bespoke gentleman’s accessories company, manufacturing ties, bow ties, pocket squares and dress scarves.

with a very strong and long-standing interest in men’s fashion Tom saw a gap in the market to manufacture ties using a nationally and internationally recognised cloth.

The cloth type used to make the ties is manufactured and hand finished in Huddersfield by Dugdale Bro & co (one of the most prestigious fine worsted cloth manufacturer in the world).

Tom works collaboratively with a tailor based in Huddersfield on the concept for Made in Huddersfield.

currently they are selling ties and other gentleman’s accessories to saville row Tailors and men’s outfitters, and the business and its range of products continues to grow.

amongst Made in Huddersfield’s famous customers is boxer amir khan.

Instagram: @madeinhuddersfield http://www.madeinhuddersfield.co

Tom said: “ Fine art for Design provided me with the aspiration, vital skill set and visual language which i have applied to the development of the companies i operate.

“Throughout the learning process, you are encouraged to look at a broad range of commercial aspects and professional opportunities within the creative industries. Not thinking in a narrow manner but making bigger connections and understanding opportunities that cross disciplines, certainly prepares you for the future.

“specialist and highly supportive course staff continuously research techniques processes and practices within the creative industries to inform the Fine art for Design journey.

“as well as specialist visual and conceptual skills, it is the transferable entrepreneurial skills, embedded from start of the course that we were equally encouraged to recognise and develop for our professional futures.”

Well-dressed for success

A room with a view…Chris Davis graduated from the BA (Hons) graphic design course at Batley School of Art last summer and has long held a dream about having his own studio to work out of for some time.

That dream became reality when in January of this year an opportunity came up for him to rent studio space in the prestigious creative arts hub located in the centre of Mirfield.

The centre was formerly the Vale cinema and now houses an exhibition space and individual studio areas occupied by a diverse range other creatives and small businesses.

chris said: “it was about being in the right place at the right time really. The studio enables me to establish my freelance design activity in a professional area while having other like-minded people close at hand.

“i was always a bit afraid that as an independent designer that it could become a lonely occupation but this opportunity to move into the centre has allayed any fears i may have had.”

“as a bonus the studio is light and airy and it also affords me a great outlook onto the main street that runs through the centre of Mirfield.

“it’s small, but compact and gives me the opportunity to position myself in the centre of this busy market town while providing easy access to the other bigger centres of west Yorkshire as i try to build a steady client listing.”

chris offers a range of graphic design services that includes logo design and stationery items, brochures, leaflets, graphics for exhibitions and web design.

[email protected]


Oona Liljendal is focussing on academic progression after she completes her fashion degree at Batley School of Art this summer.

oona, a 3rd year student on the Ba (Hons) fashion design, production, styling and promotion course, is looking at returning to her homeland of Finland to study a master’s degree in fashion design at the aalto university.

she has already successfully completed stage one of the applications process; being selected for interview after uploading her digital design portfolio for consideration.

oona worked with her fashion tutors to complete a specific fashion brief, as part of her portfolio requirement requested by the institute.

oona has now completed stage two of the process after attending a face to face interview with aalto lecturers.

staff and students at Batley school of art have their fingers crossed for oona and wish her every success at gaining a place on the programme.

oona has worked hard and was nominated for the ‘student who has made the most progress’ category within her fashion cohort.

Her determination has been rewarded with the first steps taken to a level 7 fashion qualification.

oona hopes to have her own fashion label in the future.

Two worlds of creativity for artist Steve

Since graduating from Kirklees College, alumnus Steve Tillotson has been able to explore his artistic passion in two completely different worlds.

For steve, who completed a Ba (Hons) in fine art for design at Batley school of art, enjoys designing graphic projects for a student careers service as well as writing and illustrating a range of comics.

after graduating from Ba (Hons) fine art for design, steve completed an Ma in printmaking at the royal college of art, london.

steve said: “looking back, it was undoubtedly FaFD that cemented in me a lifelong passion for creativity and art, and it was thanks to the course and staff that i secured a place at the rca to study printmaking.

“i feel lucky that i have had such a good education in art, as ultimately i think being an artist is not just a job, it's a lifestyle which enables you to think differently and appreciate and enjoy a lot of things that others don't.

“it was also whilst studying FaFD i met my wife, so that will always give me a

soft spot for the course, the art school and Dewsbury.”

steve currently works for the university of Bradford careers service as an information adviser which sees him updating the service’s website and social media and providing information to students.

He is also heavily involved in marketing and promotion of the careers service, designing a broad range of ‘graphic products’ including posters, booklets, and leaflets.

He really enjoys the varied nature of his job and finds tremendous satisfaction helping students to move into their professional careers after they have completed their degrees.

But also for over 10 years his passion has been authoring and illustrating comics through Banal pig imprint.

in 2012 steve was the runner up in The observer / Jonathan cape / comica short story prize with his work i, Yeti.

steve is currently working on his first full-length graphic novel: untitled ape’s epic adventure http://www.banalpig.com/funnies/ to be published by avery Hill publishing in autumn/winter 2016.

He is also a regular contributor to all-ages comic Moose kid comic http://www.moosekidcomics.com/

recently steve has also produced artwork for an anthology of illustrated poems for the oxford university press.

Path to fashion success takes Oona home

Students awarded for enterpriseStudents from Batley School of Art received prizes from Kirklees College principal Peter McCann for their project which won the college’s Global Entrepreneurship Week challenge.

over 4,000 full-time students across college took part in the week-long Mission enterprise in November 2015, sponsored by Barclays.

inspired by Bond-themed briefs, learners encouraged to come up with a project which tested their entrepreneurial skills including teamwork, problem-solving, research and opportunity identification, resource selection and strategic planning.

The winning art and design students created a children’s hospital waiting room based on a seaside theme.

kirklees college was delighted to be selected as a winner of a High impact award for global entrepreneurship week nationally, in recognition of our contribution to this year’s campaign.

it is the second year in a row the college has won the prestigious accolade.

gew student winners with tutors oliver Boothroyd, Zainab Mulla and warren Dunn and principal peter Mccann.


I LOVE MEL shop is OPEN!Fine Art for Design graduate Mel Elliott has expanded her popular I LOVE MEL brand with the opening of a shop and received endorsements from celebrities including Victoria Beckham and Kate Winslet.

after graduating from Ba(Hons) Fine art for Design, Mel completed an Ma in communication art & Design at the royal college of art, london, before creating her business i love Mel.

currently based in Hastings, Mel’s latest adventures are as always highly ambitious, fun and the result of tremendously hard work.

embracing her extensive on-line retail experience and cache of never-ending work and exciting new ventures, she recently opened her own shop, in st leonard’s-on-sea, east sussex.

The shop aptly named opeN sells an array of products including her own witty books and gifts.

it also features a colouring table and a selfie room, amongst many other

magical ingredients and is the icing on the cake of another frantically busy year for the illustrator, publisher, writer and retailer.

Mel’s 2016 commemorative David Bowie colouring book for Quercus publishing plc went viral on social media (with over 101,000 likes) when David and Victoria Beckham’s daughter Harper coloured in an image which was posted on instagram by her mum.

and actress kate winslet has also been pictured clutching Mel’s Colour Me Good Eddie Redmayne!

Mel has also been working on a series of images for a commissioned colouring book for radio X presenter chris Moyles and his chris Moyles show.

i loVe Mel started the worldwide trend for adult colouring-in and has published over 24 titles.

http://shop.ilovemel.me/

https://www.instagram.com/i_love_mel/

Artistic inspiration from textiles heritageStudents from year 1 BA (Hons) contemporary photographic arts have been involved in a project run by Creative Scene in Kirklees and Apollon Association of Art based in Ksar Hellal in Tunisia.

‘Textile Towns: a cross-border photography project’ aimed to engage people in cultural activity using the textile heritage of the towns as inspiration.

By exchanging artistic activity across different communities, students hoped to enrich understanding of different communities, increase the reach of the artistic products created and raise the profile of the areas they work in.

course leader katrina whitehead said: “it is the first time that we have been given the opportunity to exhibit at an international venue.

“students particularly liked the involvement of other groups in the college, including creative writing and graphic design.

it was a worthwhile collaboration and it was also interesting to liaise with the students in Tunisia via Facebook.

“we hope to work with creative scene again in the future on more exciting projects”.

photographs of the mills in Dewsbury will be on display at the create final year show.


Q. What musical projects are you currently involved in?

a. My main focus is my band sTeMs – an instrumental group that mix classical instruments and composition with film music and art rock/ post rock. so far we have had commissions from British Film institute, supported DJ Yoda on a short tour, and toured europe eight times in three years including upcoming festivals with russian circles, pelican and Tides of Nebula. i also work cross discipline on film, theatre, puppetry productions including composing the soundtrack for a film with a director who has worked on films such as prometheus and Brad pitt’ s upcoming release war Machine.

Q. How easy/difficult have you found it making music your career?

a. it hasn’t been easy and it still isn’t, however it is very rewarding. Most of our concerts are in europe (France, germany, Netherlands, Belgium, italy and austria). Being a DiY artist i book all the shows and arrange travel, recording, releasing the music. Money is always the issue. without a label to provide financial backing it is down to me to build a network. However because the whole network is based on two things - a love of music and friendship - the whole experience of touring has an element of meeting friends which helps to keep everything fresh and fun.

Q. What have you found challenging?

a. Money - everything else is more or less enjoyable. However this is also down to personal circumstance as i am a single parent. also it took me a long time to find musicians. i wanted classical string players and it took studying classical music at Huddersfield university to find them.

Q. What has been the most memorable experience you’ve had as a result of your music?

a. There are a few… supporting DJ Yoda on a British film institute project to re-score the silent film ‘a trip to the moon’ and performing at Huddersfield’s Festival of light in front of 8,000 people are definitely on the list. performing in Nuremberg with a string orchestra. But also the many places i would have never visited and friends i have made along the way. That magical moment when you have created something that people really respond to... You look at the

audience and they are all swaying with their eyes closed.

Q. What advice would you give to someone starting a music course at Kirklees College?

a. support your friends and more importantly support local talent. use your time at kirklees college to start building your network as soon as you can and don’t limit that to just musicians. also play music with as many musicians as you can and watch concerts as often as you can. it is all good learning.

DiY: Do it yourself, the more you can learn to do it yourself, from recording to concerts, the more sway you have. The current state of the music industry is that labels won’t take a risk. if you make music that isn’t mainstream that is considered a risk. if you can show you have sold a bucket load of albums the risk is removed. if the label does take the risk to sign you without you having a proven following, the deal will be bad. plus you will be surprised at how much money you can earn when you are properly organised. either way, not being beholden to one company or person helps to ensure you don’t get ripped off or get forced to do things you don’t want to.

Be prepared for the long haul and set small achievable targets – the biggest reason people give up because they look at how far there is to go rather than how far they come already.

Be prepared to rethink what you are best suited to and don’t be afraid of negative feedback. For years i tried to be a singer with moderate success, but the minute i stopped singing it changed everything. i didn’t write songs anymore, which made the structure of the music change from verse/chorus/verse to elongated and more complex structures. This also happens to be the kind of music that film makers/ game programmers like to use.

Be kind to each other. Trust me, being a good person who is fun to be around will get you much further than being negative. when you tour with a band you spend every day together and would you want to spend a month with someone who complains, turns up late and causes arguments.

Don’t be afraid to learn music theory - it is useful.

www.stemsmusic.com

Advertising world insight for photography studentsA Kirklees College alumnus gave a talk to students about his journey as a photographer into the world of scripting and directing television adverts and moving image.

Johnny carr, who has a studio in redbrick Mill, Batley, spoke to students at Batley school of art and members of the British institute of professional photography.

Johnny, who describes himself as being a meticulous technician and lighting specialist, has won several awards working for top level companies such as audi, wagamama, Malmaison and Fruit of the loom.

Johnny completed HND photography at Batley school of art.

katrina whitehead, course leader, Ba (Hons) photography and moving image at kirklees college said: “Johnny was able to talk about the problems he faced when competing with other photographers in london.

“it was also interesting to learn about his journey from being a student here at Batley school of art and how he has worked around the world including los angeles and australia, developing the extra creative skills needed to work with very tight budgets.

“as well as producing and directing television adverts, he has also created a piece of moving image for comedian Michael Macintyre which was seen on stage before his entrance.”

www.johnnycarr.co.uk

John Dorr studied Music at Kirklees College in 2008. He is currently touring Europe with his band STEMS.


Alice Armitage is using her passion for fashion to raise money and awareness for cancer charities.

The 3rd year Ba (Hons) fashion design, production, styling and promotion student works part-time in retail and as a fashion model to support her studies.

recently alice won the opportunity for an all-expenses paid beauty pageant in Hong kong, where she was able to develop her fashion modelling portfolio and wider professional understanding of the fashion industry business.

But when she isn’t working on her personal fashion ambitions, alice is using catwalk shows and her profile as a model to promote awareness of cancer by organising and taking part in fashion charity shows.

recent events which she has been involved in include organising a fashion show and a group shoot in south Yorkshire for the christie charity show, organising a fashion show for the candlelighter’s charity, modelling in the 50 Years of Fashion charity fashion in Manchester and organising and working on a voluntary basis at the fundraiser day

for Tickled pink Breast cancer at asda living in wakefield.

currently she is working alongside fellow 3rd year fashion student Josh Branigan to organise an end of year fashion show, showcasing student collections from Batley school of art to raise money for the Teenage cancer Trust and Macmillan.

alice won a college outstanding learner success (cols) award in December 2015 for her dedication to both her course and activities outside college and also received a kc Volunteer award in april 2016 for her fundraising work.

Student’s passion for fashion helps cancer charities

Flytipping inspiration ‘anything but rubbish’ for AnnAn immense dislike of flytipping and how it spoils rural beauty proved the artistic inspiration for former Batley School of Art student Ann Balmforth.

ann achieved her Ba (Hons) Fine art for Design with first class honours and as an exhibiting finalist - one of only 10 in the country and the only undergraduate with nine professional artists - in the prestigious Broomhill sculpture prize, North Devon.

after her momentous final year of study, ann rented a studio in pontefract via The art House. in 2015, she relocated to art House, wakefield, where she is now one of over 30 studio holders.

last summer ann was one of seven artists selected to participate in a month-long residency project, supported The art House, in the centre of wakefield, led by ivan smith and funded by arts council england through the grants for the arts scheme.

other artists involved were chintan upadhyay (india), Florian Tuerke (germany), lorena espitia Torres (columbia), achia anzi (israel), emily simpson (uk) and ivan smith (uk).

The residency culminated in an exhibition at Fell House, a former police HQ used by The art House for events, projects and exhibitions.

Throughout the project all artists shared ideas, experiences and talked about their individual practices. evenings were spent conducting presentations and guest speakers such as sarah coulson (Ysp), kerry Harker (The Tetley), Natalie walton and David gilbert provided invaluable insight via guest speaker events.

armed with her idea about flytipping, ann approached the city council who granted her permission to use the rubbish left by fly tippers to make a series of sculptural pieces.

ann covered the detritus left on the side of the road with decorative fabrics and left them in situ for several days to highlight the issue.

The works were publicised on social media and ann was also filmed for Yorkshire TV’s calendar News http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/topic/flytipping

ann said: “i relished the opportunity to leave my studio for four weeks and work alongside some very experienced artists whose work was so diverse.

“we were immediately out and about amongst the general public creating work that involved their participation.

“The whole experience gave me a new confidence and ideas for the future. it made me realize that my practice could alter and explore very different contexts and i would not hesitate to do it again.”

in addition to the project ann has also worked on a range of commissions and exhibitions:

• Residency at Fell House with Amelia Crouch and lois palfreman. • Make Now exhibition with six other artists at unity Hall wakefield. • Solo exhibition, Unity Hall Wakefield.• Epithany Gallery, Wakefield.

ann said: “The prospect of doing a degree course was very daunting for me as a mature student, if i'm honest. it was never the qualification that attracted me … it was an ambition to see if i could actually manage to do all aspects of the course work to a level i could be proud of.

“Yes, there were times when i felt unsure and apprehensive by the task presented but i quickly realised that i had full acceptance of my peers and staff and we quickly became a collaborative group who supported and encouraged each other. This was invaluable during the course.

“From the beginning of Fine art for Design, you are encouraged to learn by a process of personal discovery, to uncover just what your individual, creative identity actually is. The catalyst for me was the workshops, uncovering a visual language of my own, exploring new materials, the sheer enjoyment of making!

“The workshop modules were paramount in this process, expressing ideas, being daring, more ambitious with my work whilst feeling 'at home' in my surroundings… it was fantastic.

“it happens almost without realising; a process is taking place, you gain confidence, you analyse, do research, manage yourself, ask questions, the outcome can be so exciting... if i could i would have slept there.

“Three years of learning about yourself, the realisation that each of the student’s work was so diverse from each other yet we shared so much. we each graduated in no doubt of what we hoped our future would hold, we had analysed our working practice in the context of the outside world, it's originality, an understanding of the demands and requirements inherent in a contemporary working practice.

“it was hard work but it was worth it. i feel inside that i'm an artist who has an understanding of what i am trying to convey and the guts to do it... that comes from hard work and learning.”


Media students from Kirklees College will be travelling to Germany this summer to make a language-learning film for the Language Alliance.

last year students were based in alicante, spain, and in 2014 in Bordeaux, France.

This year students will be based in lohr-am-Main in Bavaria, germany, and will be staying in the krone Hotel.

The language course will be specifically business german and students will be filming with people from various occupations including a farmer, a hotel proprietor, a master brewer and a supermarket owner. They will also interview the town mayor and staff from a tourist office and local restaurant.

The project is funded by the erasmus programme, which creates opportunities for students to travel, work and study in europe.

as well as the filming work for the language alliance, students will have time to explore and enjoy the local area and culture.

Taking part in the trip are Hannah Duell, 19, from Dalton, Huddersfield; chloe charles, 17, from Horbury, wakefield; James cigan, 17, from skircoat green, Halifax; and greg walker, 17, from Dalton, Huddersfield

3D exhibition sculpts students’ imaginationOCR Level 2 art and design students from Batley School of Art visited Huddersfield Art Gallery to see Thoughts Positions in Sculpture.

The exhibition was part of the roTor programme organised by Huddersfield university.

The students then worked with artist liadin cooke at the gallery to produce abstract 3D forms inspired by her work in the exhibition.

student Zulaikhah patel said: “The workshop was a great experience. liadin cooke’s artwork inspired me and increased my ideas on what i could do with my own work. another good outcome was that i have learnt new techniques using different materials.”

The workshop was beautifully paced and well-structured and everyone had a very positive and creative experience.

The students produced great work and gained a fantastic insight in to the work and thought process of an artist using abstract visual language.

since the visit many of the students seem to discuss and analyse work in a more confident and sophisticated way.

Many thanks to liadin cooke and to ruth gamble from Huddersfield art gallery for organising the workshop.

‘Guten tag Germany!’ for media students

Sign of the times…Batley School of Art alumnus Tom Fitzpatrick is thrilled to be working for a company considered to be one of the market leaders in their field.

Tom secured a full-time post as a graphic designer for leeds-based omega signs upon his graduation in Ba (Hons) graphic Design in July 2015.

omega signs has a reputation built on providing quality brand and corporate solutions for a wide range of prestigious clients.

The company ensures that they communicate the clients brand messaging and back this activity up with levels of service and professionalism that are the envy of others in the industry.

as one of the uk’s leading sign companies Tom is gaining valuable first hand design experience of working on high profile brand and signage systems for some of the countries big name companies and retailers.

Tom said: “The ethos of working collaboratively as part of an effective team which was endorsed and encouraged by my tutor while i was studying for my degree at Batley school of art has been instrumental in enabling me to contribute to the design process here at omega signs.

“i am absolutely loving the opportunities that this job has provided. i have met some great people and work with some wonderful colleagues on a wide range of branding projects for some fantastic clients. what more could you ask! all this is added to the fact that i am constantly learning new things as i go along.”

Pub signs produced by Omega Signs


Ikea is supporting fashion students at Batley School of Art with a donation of fabric.

BTec l3 extended diploma art and design – fashion and textiles pathway have received sponsorship from ikea in Birstall to create garments for a variety of projects including the g21 Talent range, fashion and architecture brief and final major project.

They will also be allowing the students to have a fashion show in the store to showcase their talents and to exhibit their work in the textiles department during the summer.

Final year undergraduates from BA (Hons) fine art for design and BA (Hons) contemporary photographic arts will be exhibiting at Europe’s largest graduate art fair - Free Range 2016.

Their exhibition ‘clicks, picks and cocktail sticks’ will be the first event to launch their professional careers in london and runs from 5-11 July at Truman Brewery, Brick lane.

Free range is a seven-week-long event with graduates exhibiting from the uk’s universities and art schools.

since its inception in 2001, Free range has become the number one platform and launch pad for the next crop of creatives to showcase their work to both public and industry. attracting visitor numbers to rival the largest art events, the annual Free range exhibitions present the work of thousands of art, design students in several distinct categories including: fashion, art, graphics, photography and interior design.

www.free-range.org.uk

FaFD course leader eve gray said: “six fine art for design and two contemporary photographic arts students have been furiously fund raising to enable their participation at this prestigious exhibition. They have been working their socks off doing all sorts of activities.

“Thanks to generous donations received and their sheer endeavour to combine self-funding and fundraising for the £4,000 cost of the entire exhibition, they are almost there.

“They have made gorgeous cakes, cards and jewellery, held a table tennis tournament, organised a photoshoot and launched a crowd funding campaign.

“They really have worked incredibly hard and i am immensely proud of them and their great big efforts to get themselves to london.“There will be the opportunity for further donations at create 2016, if anyone wishes to support their campaign.”

FaFD has shown at Free range since 2004 (and collaboratively with contemporary photographic arts since 2011).

The exhibition has resulted in sales, commissions, important contacts and fantastic networking opportunities as well as a celebration of the courses’ student achievements.

london is one of the major art capitals of the world and exhibiting at Free range is the perfect platform to showcase our graduates diverse creative practices.

Free Range: Truman Brewery, Brick lane, london.

CLICKS, PICKS AND COCKTAIL STICKSPrivate view: 7 July 6-10pmOpen to the public: 8/9/10 July 10am-7pm 11 July 10am-4pm

www.indiegogo.com/projects/clicks-pics-cocktail-sticks-free-range-london

Clicks, Picks and Cocktail Sticks

New perspectivesFormer BA (Hons) graphic design student Jack Bradley is now working as a junior graphic designer at leading UK security distributor of CCTV and Access Control Systems - Videcon.

His role entails designing all kinds of product literature such as brochures, manuals and data sheets for an existing and rapidly expanding range of products.

Jack also works on aspects of the company’s on-line presence and enjoys the diversity of disciplines he gets to work on.

Jack said: “Following on from my experiences gained and lessons learnt as a student on the degree programme at college i have found that employment is a continuing learning curve which pushes the level of my abilities and teaches me more and more about graphic design, production processes and a host of other skills such as client liaison.

“one area in particular that i have enjoyed is being involved in producing literature, graphics and advertisements for some of the large trade shows that the company exhibits at throughout the year. it’s been a new venture for me.”

Videcon plans to launch a new website later on in the year and Jack will assist in its production.

Ikea support for fashion students


A group of undergraduates from year 2 Fine Art for Design decided in September 2015 that they would go ‘on tour’ in whatever independent study time they could muster, once module work was completed of course and aim to continue their quest in their final academic year.

The tour group varies in size depending on their intended location but comprises generally of eight to 10 all girls plus the inimitable Mani – their only tour boy.

Burgers have also been road tested at various locations from the ubiquitous McDonald’s to the gourmet as experienced in london’s shoreditch and Times square, New York.

The tour has of course covered all of the wonderful galleries and museums within Yorkshire but has also travelled further afield in its quest for cultural wonder:

UK & EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN TOUR DATES

DISMALAND, WESTON-SUPER-MARE, SOMERSET: SEPTEMBER 2015a day trip Banksy’s temporary art project Dismaland a ‘family theme park unsuitable for children’ at The Tropicana, a disused lido in weston-super-Mare.

Tour: participating at Dismaland was an extraordinary experience and seeing the work of the 58 artists plus

the 10 pieces made by Bansky was described by one group member as “miserably hilarious”. Too many special moments were witnessed to list but foremost in their memory was the grim reaper riding the dodgems to the tune of the Bee gees’ staying alive.

Burger: Delightful and very tasty burgers in Yates’s, weston-super-Mare

FREIZE LONDON, SAATCHI GALLERY, LONDON: OCTOBER 2015a two-day over-night stop in a lovely pub in paddington:

Frieze london: international art Fair featuring more than 160 of the world’s leading galleries focusing only on contemporary art and living artists. saatchi gallery: Madamoiselle prive chanel exhibition from coco chanel to karl lagerfeld

Tour Feedback: Frieze - so huge, fantastically overwhelming and exhausting. it was good to see the business of art at work. saatchi - Beautiful and fascinating. loved it.

Burger: a variety from pulled pork and a more artisan burger experience from a street food-esque little van, but very tasty. gourmet burger in shoreditch – the best ever eaten AMSTERDAM: JANUARY 20164-day tour of amsterdam residing in the delightful Van gogh Hostel:

stedelijk Museum, one of the most innovative and interesting museums of modern art in the world.rijksmuseum, one of the most breathtaking museums in the world with an unparalleled collection of objects of material culture, prints and classic photography. Beurs van Berlage – godfather of Dutch Design exhibition.Body world: gunther von Hargen’s anatomical plastinations.Hotel Droog: renowned Dutch design brand Droog’s very own hotel that brings curation, product design, exhibitions and lectures.

Tour: such a good time and so much to see in this beautiful design-led city. Burger: well, well, well . . . a gluten-free McDonald’s of all things – yes they do exist.

NEW YORK: MARCH 20164-day tour of New York, New York:guggenheim: retrospective of swiss artists Fischli and weiss, with over three hundred sculptures, photographs, videos and installations of their extensive practice.gagosian: Jean Michel Basquiat and his canon of heroic figures, prophets, warriors, cops, musicians, kings and himself.Moma: gustav klimt. and all the usual New York sights possible in four days.

Tour: amazing, fantastic, but we’re very tired now. Burger: it’s New York … need we say more?

PARIS: MARCH 206a very quick weekend break.parisian sight seeing including the louvre, centre pompidou and the catacombs and an engagement.

Tour: lovely.Burger: Not that great, certainly had better.

PICK ME UP, SOMERSET HOUSE, LONDON: APRIL 2016Day Trip graphic arts Festival in its seventh year, featuring top emerging illustrators and designers as well as more established names in graphic arts.

Tour: really, really, really good, so glad we wentBurger: went back to shoreditch for a gourmet one – yum.

WINDEMERE, LAKE DISTRICT: JUNE 2016end of year stay in Bannerrigg House (Manor House – all ours for the week)lots of hot tubs, late night swims and a bit of art, bit of drawing, bit of photography.

DUBLIN: SUMMER 2016 checking out the art scene in ireland prior to final year of degree and also indulging in a bit of social.

GIRLS (plus Mani) ON TOUR

Space in Edinburgh for OliviaSince completing a Foundation Diploma at Batley School of Art, Olivia Turner is looking to open her own art space in Edinburgh and has exhibited at the National Gallery in London.

after completing her qualification at kirklees college, olivia progressed onto Ba (Hons) painting at edinburgh college of art, graduating in 2015.

since then olivia and two other peers have started up an artist run studios, community and exhibition space called Dok artist space, which opened in June 2016.

They found since graduating there was a real demand for these sorts of spaces around the city of edinburgh.

olivia has also been fortunate to exhibit in the National gallery for The rsa New contemporaries and has just had a show down in london called 'exceptional' at scream editions gallery.

The next event she is going to be part of is Hidden Door Festival which is based in an abandoned site in edinburgh, transforming an unused space which is often discarded by passers-by.

olivia said: “The Foundation Diploma at Batley school of art was a great stepping stone for me and is still one of the best years in my creative career.

“it provided me with the confidence to apply to art schools, which before i thought weren't an option. i learnt a wide range of skills which i was then able to develop further when i got to university.”

http://www.olivia-turner.com http://www.dokartistspace.org


Oliver Perry studied Music at Kirklees College in 2011. He is currently on a UK tour with British artist Joanne Shaw TaylorQ. How easy/difficult have you found it making music your career?

a. i have found it difficult in certain areas as anyone would. it takes a huge amount of drive and occasional self doubt can really set you back. Having said this, being realistic with yourself at all times is paramount.

Q. What have you found challenging?

a. one of the biggest challenges i have often faced is knowing where to start. For me that could be developing a certain aspect in my playing, knowing how to promote myself and progress my career or even starting/joining a new project. But i have learnt that asking people for advice always helps. i would speak to tutors or peers and even people outside of my musical development (family/friends). You should never let yourself feel like you are alone in what you are doing.


a. The most memorable experience i've had isn't just one thing. it's the journey i have been on, from enrolling at kirklees to touring internationally. That's something i will never forget. Your journey, the people you work with and meet should never be taken

for granted. although, playing in an 8,000 capacity natural amphitheater in France and some really great festivals do also stick out in my mind!

Q. What advice would you give to someone starting a music course at Kirklees College?

a. My advice to new students would be to go all in. studying music is what you make of it. Tutors at every level of education can only give you the tools to to achieve what you want. Your effort and moves towards success start with the aid of tutors and peers but are finished by you. i would also say that it is extremely important to know your equipment. Having knowledge of everything that makes you a musician can only make you better.

listen to your tutors - they have so much priceless knowledge. Be as much of a sponge as you can possibly be! and finally, play. play and practice as much as you can. Never say no. i'm hugely grateful for the amount of musicians i have been able to play along side and doing so helped me massively to get where i am. go to jam sessions, get involved in bands and challenge yourself!

www.joanneshawtaylor.com

Photographer Simon is a top sport!

Degree students at Kirklees College enjoyed a talk by leading sports photographer Simon Mooney.

simon spoke to undergraduate photography students at Batley school of art about how he creates and produces work with his team, what is involved in working with major corporations including sony and coca cola for the world cup and McDonald’s for the olympics and how he has built his successful business. Ba (Hons) contemporary photographic arts course leader katrina whitehead said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn what it is like behind the scenes for a sports photographer who has worked with companies around the world and achieved his imagery on the front page of the tabloids.

“simon talked about the large scale advertising campaigns and budgets he has worked with and also brought a huge range of photographic equipment with him, demonstrating how it was used in the field, even letting some students have a go with the 600mm lens.”

Year 3 student shari Murphy said: “i am hoping to become a sports photographer when i graduate specialising in horse racing and i now have an excellent insight of all the equipment involved in this particular genre of photography including an opportunity to shadow simon Mooney on his next shoot.”

www.mooneyphoto.com

Heritage is inspiration for SalmaSalma Patel graduated from BA(Hons) Fine Art for Design in July 2015 with a First Class Honours degree.

since receiving her first commission at Free range 2015, salma has set up her own studio and has already exhibited across a range of venues in west Yorkshire and has received more commissions for her beautiful works.

salma’s sculptural works draw on her indian and west Yorkshire heritage.


Extended diploma vis com, art and design, and fashion and textiles students from Batley School of Art visited London. Here is curriculum team leader Richard Holling’s diary of the trip…

a five day residential in london may not cost as much as you think. while obviously there’s the cost of the hotel and transport, if you plan the visit, it is possible to view many of the world’s finest works of art for free.

on the first day we visited the British Museum – home to the treasures of civilisations from across the globe. as we based the 2016 Batley school of art residential at the royal National Hotel it was only a short walk to the museum where we viewed the elgin Marbles, rosetta stone and Viking horde of sutton Hoo. From there another short walk took us to covent garden with its buzzing nightlife, restaurants and street entertainment.

Day two was dedicated to the best of British. we began at the Houses of parliament, with its pugin architecture, before walking to Tate Britain. where do you start? John everett Millais ‘ophelia’, the disturbing Francis Bacon ‘Triptych’, Tracey emin’s self-portrait the ‘un-made Bed’, or the Turner collection - all these iconic works of art are free to view. a short tube ride to the saatchi gallery before lunch gave us the chance to see the latest contemporary art, a collection which included an installation of cooking pots, a stuffed horse and even a giant cotton bobbin. after lunch we went to the Victoria and albert Museum in south kensington for a visual feast of fashion, furniture and ceramics. a stroll to Harrods provided an interesting opportunity to consider the latest fashions and extravagant food packaging…as well a spot of window shopping. Then for the sight-seeing stalwarts there was still time to see Buckingham palace, but the Queen was not in!

Day three commenced with a tube and docklands light railway ride to greenwich. Here we did have to buy tickets to stand on the international dateline, but we also saw the Harrison clocks and Newton telescope. a walk down the hill took us to the National Maritime Museum and some amazing free exhibits, including admiral Nelson’s uniform from the Battle of Trafalgar (complete with its famous built hole). lunch was ‘pie ‘n’ mash’ (very cockney) and after we negotiated a reduced entry onto the refurbished 19th century tea clipper cutty sark. This was followed by a view of london from the Thames as we took the waterbus to Tate Modern. The famous museum holds works by picasso, Mondrian, rothko, lichtenstein and warhol which are all to view for free. To really make the most of the cities free attractions you can visit the BBc’s live broadcast of the one show – we even got on the telly!

Day four started with a walk to the soames House to view a collection of art and artefacts that

included Hogarth’s ‘rakes progress’. after, the students separated into groups with some going to london Museum of Fashion, the opie packaging Museum or even the Hunterian Museum (not for the faint hearted as it includes many anatomical specimens from the royal college of surgeons). we rounded off the day with a trip to liberty followed by Trafalgar square and the National gallery. it’s still all there (and free) Van eyck’s ‘arnolfini wedding’, da Vinci ‘Madonna with child’, constable ‘Hay wain’, Turner ‘The Fighting Temeraire’, Van gogh ‘sun Flowers’...

after our final full english breakfast on day five we had just enough time to see the Models and science of leonardo da Vinci at the science Museum. Though we had to pay to enter the exhibit, we saw some fantastic models that illustrate what an innovative designer he was and the fantastic drawing skills he possessed. This was followed by a frantic rush to kings cross and the train back to Yorkshire to be home in time for tea.

London for free... well most of it!

Former music student Ben Howard is currently working for Royal Caribbean International as a drummer after leaving Kirklees College in 2009.

Q. What musical projects are you currently involved in?

a. as a drummer i am currently working on cruise ships in the on-board orchestras. This role includes playing for production shows and backing guest entertainers. The main requirement for this is being able to sight read, as you have very little rehearsal time for a show that has to be played to a high standard.

an average day on a cruise ship will be a rehearsal mid afternoon/ early evening, a couple of hours’ break and then playing music for dancing, set a show and then another dance set, sometimes there maybe extra sets as well depending on what’s needed.

Q. How easy/difficult have you found it making music your career?

a. i have found my career challenging - and found when things are going well it’s a lot of fun, but it can

also suddenly come to a stop. The key to having a career is having a good attitude towards all music and people, not being afraid to ring someone and be forward with them. But most of all pracTice!

practice is something that a lot of musicians overlook and think that they can get away with one hour a day and get by. This will not work. You should be doing at least three or four hours of hard practicing a day. You should be able to split this between things that you can show off with and core playing skills. i.e. rudiments and time for drummers; and scales, chords etc. for melodic instruments.

You can also practice away from your instrument. You can practice your oral skills, by listening to a phrase of music and singing it back to yourself. Transcribing music is great for your reading skills. and i highly recommend, especially for melodic instrument players, to sit and work on rhythms - check out louis Bellson’s book Modern reading in 4/4.

another way of sustaining a career is being open to all genres of music. alot of young musicians are ignorant to any music that was written before their generation or not created in england or america. i have been required to play many musical styles on ships including sambas, merengues, cha chas and pasa dobles, so a knowledge of many genres

is very important. when you play these genres the band leaders will be expecting it to sound authentic so i highly recommend sitting and listening and transcribing many genres.


a. There have been many memorable experiences in my short career so far. i think my favourite was playing for on a three-week big band cruise, where we had Tony Fisher, roy willox, Jimmy Hastings and Bill geldard in the band, who are top english session and jazz musicians. i learnt more on that cruise than i have ever before. another was being paid to sit on a beach all day in the caribbean and play for a couple of hours in the evening. it was great!

Q. What advice would you give to someone starting a music course at kirklees college?

a. My advice is to practice hard, listen to lots of music and utilise the tutors at the college as much as possible. also go out and get private lessons from other teachers for your instrument - this will help you get different opinions on playing and music. when doing this try and get a teacher who is well renowned and not someone on your street who has a drum kit. You may have to pay more but it will be worth it.

creative times 2016

Education