14 education & business
Creative talent is in the spotlight
Creativity and innovation are about to be showcased at Southampton Solent University’s forthcoming final shows, as Sue Hughes of The Business Magazine found out
Southampton Solent University is full of creative talent and every year it holds various events to showcase students’ work, commencing with Southampton Fashion Week. With a multi- cultural theme and running from from May 17-24, this is a city-wide event designed to bring together the University’s 1,000-plus fashion students with business and the local community. For the first time it will include business events, conferences and other activities at locations in and around Southampton, including Re:So, the University’s own boutique gallery in The Marlands Centre.
The show is organised by final year students on the fashion management with marketing course, in collaboration with students studying fashion design, promotion, public relations, photography, styling, make-up and hair design.
Head of fashion Suzie Norris explains: “In the past our fashion show has involved students, parents and local schools and colleges, but we are reaching out to the business community and local people who will be able to attend some of the events. The multicultural theme will represent some of the different cultures of the city. The fashion industry is a growing and important part of the economy, so it is good to involve the local business community.“
Students exhibit at the Free Range fashion show and exhibition in London at the end of this month and at Graduate Fashion Week, which takes place in London in June. They also compete to write, edit and produce the prestigious Third Floor publication, which consists of industry news, photography, styling and interviews.
Meanwhile, the School of Art and Design will be clearing studios and workspaces at Below Bar for an exhibition in June. The
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galleries will be open to the public, industry representatives, families and friends for a week following a private viewing on June 14. Final-year students from degree courses in illustration, graphic design, fine art and interior design (decoration) will exhibit work, while product design students will also display work at Re:So.
The best work from the illustration and graphic design courses will be exhibited at the Design and Art Direction (D&AD) New Blood exhibition in London in July, attended by leading industry experts, design and communications agencies and other professionals.
“D&AD is an excellent industry platform and offers great opportunities for students,“ observes Peter Lloyd, head of the School of Art and Design. “The degree show in Southampton is another good platform for students. Local businesses attend as well as some London-based companies and agencies.“
Nate Kitch, BA (Hons) Illustration 2012, who has been commissioned to supply work after exhibiting at D&AD, said: “I was able to liaise not only with fellow students from all over the country, but also with industry experts. The number of contacts I have built up would not have been possible without having gone to this event. After D&AD I had some interest from a few agencies inviting me to portfolio interviews. I am now signed to an agent who got me my first commission in a magazine.“
Final-year students studying computer and video games and animation have produced a showreel of their work for an invitation-only event at the Harbour Lights Cinema on May 16, again an occasion which attracts
Nate Kitch (left) and his ’Lost Mariner’ illustration
garden landscaping website, an online log book system for competitive swimmers, a marina alarm system and a sustainable energy project. All final-year students on the WRTI Technology Innovation Awards contributing courses have the
industry representatives.
Solent’s award-winning photography course will also exhibit final-year students’ work in the newly-refurbished Media Academy at the University from June 14-20, an opportunity to see excellent photographic work plus Solent’s impressive resources, equipment and studios. A London Show, initiated last year at Foto 8, takes place at The Print Space on June 4.
Moving to the Maritime and Technology faculty, final-year students have a chance to impress potential employers by competing for the department’s Wessex Round Table of Inventors (WRTI) Technology Innovation Awards, open to students in engineering, business IT, media technology, computing, software engineering, computer games development and computer networking.
The best projects are nominated for three categories, with winners being announced at a ceremony in the Southampton Solent University Conference Centre on June 12. This year’s event will be attended by industry representatives and keynote speaker John Denham, MP for Southampton Itchen. 2012 entries included a
opportunity to exhibit final-year projects internally at the annual poster presentation event on the same day.
Nick Woodfine, academic leader for engineering, says: “It is a make and break type of course. It’s all very well theorising, but important to both construct and take things apart to see how they are made. Our courses are partially accredited by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) because students can gain a BEng here, then progress to other stages, such as a masters, and become a chartered engineer.
“Solent is increasing links with local engineering companies which can mentor students and, even with increased tuition fees, engineering has held up strongly and attracts a lot of interest at open days.“
Innovation is all about developing creative solutions – but Solent does it with style.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – MAY 2013
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