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University student wins national diary


design competition Petra Blahova, a third-year graphic design student, has won the nationwide Letts 2011 ‘Design a Diary Competition’.


Petra (23), who came to study in Carlisle from Prague, was selected from hundreds of entries. The competition, which was launched to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the company, invited creative students to design a limited edition diary cover for the Letts 2012/2013 academic range. The prize included a £1000 cash prize and an internship in the Letts design team.


Petra explains, “I am ecstatic about winning the competition and am extremely proud that my diary design has been recognised by such a prestigious brand as Letts. I thoroughly enjoyed my internship at the company’s headquarters in Dalkeith. This whole experience will really enhance my creative portfolio and the cash prize is also a fantastic bonus!”


Charles Letts, sales and marketing director at Letts said, “We’re extremely proud, not only to be celebrating 200 years of Letts diaries but also how our business has moved into the 21st century with modern innovative design. This competition was launched to give students, like Petra, the chance to bolster their talent and reflect current design in 2012.”


Simon Davies, programme leader for graphic design at the university adds: “Any course wants to be seen and judged in an international context. Petra’s success proves that our students can respond to the challenge and succeed at the highest level.”


Below: Petra celebrates her win. Darren Harper


Student’s theatre reviews hit the worldwide web


There’s no doubt student Darren Harper has led an interesting and varied life so far, with occupations ranging from being in the Royal Navy to running his own property renovation business. But if you really want to see his eyes light up, talk to him about his return to education to study for a degree.


Studying English and creative writing at the Lancaster campus, Darren (34) is inspired by the new doors that have been opened to him. “I am enjoying every minute of my course” Darren explains, “I believe you get so much from studying at this level and feel as though I’m now free to explore a whole new cultural and intellectual world.“


Over the summer, Darren reviewed productions at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick for Plays to See.com and the theatre included the link on their own review webpage.


“My lecturer made me aware of the chance to write reviews and I thought it would be a great opportunity.”


Rachel Swift from Theatre by the Lake comments: “We were pleased to offer Darren the opportunity to review our in-house productions. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. Reviews are a vital part of life at any theatre. Whether good or bad, they help the discerning public gain an insight into the response to our productions by a wide range of critics.”


Dr Stephen Longstaffe, senior lecturer at the university and himself a reviewer for Whats on Stage.com explains: “We see it as part of our role to enhance students’ employability by taking their skills out of the classroom and into the world. I knew Darren’s enthusiasm and interests would make him well-suited to the task and this has certainly proved to be the case.”


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