business focus 11
Creativity takes a front seat
Southampton Solent University’s final year degree shows took place in the new School of Art and Design shortly before the launch of what is thought to be the first fully-fledged ’student enterprise’ store in a UK shopping centre. Sue Hughes spoke to Peter Lloyd, head of School of Art and Design
At a time when art and design courses have seen a 17% drop in enrolment, perhaps because prospective students fear it is a leap of faith without guaranteed employment, Southampton Solent University has expanded its offering. Building a brand new School of Art and Design in the heart of the city is a deliberate outward- looking move, taking the traditional idea of the inward-looking artist or craftsperson out into the community.
“Community, culture and commerce are all here in the city centre and the University has made a big, bold and interesting statement with its creative focus expansion,“ says Lloyd. “In a climate where we could be struggling, we’ve hit our targets. Where other higher education establishments have cut back in the sector, we’ve expanded. It’s a very strong indication of belief in the creative arts.“
Final-year students showcased their work at the University’s brand new School of Art and Design in the summer when it was opened by iconic pop artist Sir Peter Blake, who illustrated The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s album cover. A former snooker hall and department store near the Bargate, it acts as the University’s city centre tutorial, study and exhibition space. This £1.4 million facility complements Southampton’s emerging cultural and art plans, including the creation of the Guildhall Square, where the University’s Solent Showcase professional gallery is situated.
Lloyd reiterates what various Solent faculty heads say – that the University’s vision is to give students
School of Art and Design logo (left) and scenes of the Re:So store
Successful creatives no longer have to be based in London and physically cart around a portfolio. They can harness social media for entrepreneurial promotion in what could be dubbed the ’Arts & Crafts Movement for the Facebook age’. This too, helps to keep local talent local, ploughing back revenue into the local economy.
a real world experience: “Solent Creatives provides a unique opportunity for businesses and private individuals to tap into the diverse talent pool of students to realise a particular project.“
The arts’ expansion has been funded largely by Solent’s collaboration with four other European universities, which won it approximately £800,000 of VIVID funding. The bid focused on the heritage side of the city; second year students pitched the idea of working on animations for Tudor House. For another project, at the new Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, which displays light sensitive material, students are providing content for self illuminating iPads.
“There are obvious synergies with other departments. Mapping public sculptures here in Southampton, which encompassed photographic work, video and research, is being turned into ’iLeaflets’ which will feature heritage walks and information about what is often hidden or forgotten. It’s a model that could be applied to other cities and we’re sharing our developer knowledge with the University of Portsmouth,“ Lloyd continues.
Equipment in the John Everett Millais building, including black and white and colour darkrooms and printing presses allows students’ final work to be processed in house, while Solent’s BA Hons in Computer Video Games has Skillset accreditation, the only course in the country to meet industry standards.
Gallery spaces for artists and designers have been provided through a partnership with Aspace at two city locations. Graduate company LudoPhobia has produced The Time Travelling Telescope, with computer generated historical landscapes and, having designed the programming and images, has a model just waiting to be used by other locations.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – DECEMBER 12/JANUARY 13
Lloyd teaches illustration and has noted a renaissance in this media and visual communication: “There was a shift to digital, but now we’re all familiar with it, we can merge the two disciplines in our new facilities.“
Re:So, which takes its name from Retail Solent, opened in October, the result of an innovative collaboration between the University and the Marlands shopping centre. The brainchild of the Fashion Management programme, this commercial initiative and student-run store is stocked with an eclectic mix of fashion, accessories, publications, furniture, photography and art created by students and recent graduates.
Suzie Norris, head of school, Faculty for the Creative Industries and Society, explains: “Visual merchandising, selecting stock, stock control, pricing, profit margins, customer service, marketing, are all key in this live learning environment. Students will learn that key skills will make or break the initiative. We hope Re:So will introduce the students to becoming entrepreneurs of the future and encourage them to start their own business.“
“We have worked closely with students, tutors and administrators at Solent to create a retail proposition that is uncompromising in working to a sustainable business plan,“ says Tim Keeping, general manager at the Marlands. “There is a wealth of creative talent and entrepreneurial flair at the University and we want to prove it can thrive in the correct environment.“
A leap of faith? Yes, but creatively managed. Details:
www.solent.ac.uk
www.businessmag.co.uk
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