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Art and Design Foundation webinar with UWE Bristol

11 Dec, 2020
Art and Design Foundation webinar with UWE Bristol

Kings Art and Design Foundation students in Brighton, London and Oxford recently attended an interactive online webinar with University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol.

UWE is always a popular university choice amongst art students at Kings due to it’s excellent reputation for creative degrees and the impressive range of facilities available within its art school. They are ranked 21st overall in the UK according to the Guardian Best University league tables for 2021. The art degrees on offer at UWE include Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Fashion and Textiles, Filmmaking, Photography and many more.

The webinar was hosted by Windy Hon, from UWE, and attended by two current international students who are studying creative arts degrees at the university. Ho Ching, from Hong Kong, is a 2nd year Animation student at UWE, and Kaynat, from India/Qatar, is a final year Fine Art student. The session was organised in an interactive ‘chat show’ format, with Windy and other Kings staff and students asking questions about UWE to the current students.

Why did you choose UWE over other universities?

Ho Ching: For me, there were two factors. Firstly, the environment — Bristol is one of the greenest cities in the UK. Secondly, how experimental the Animation course at UWE is. I saw a lot of the graduate films and found that the films at UWE were much more experimental and diverse than at other universities.

Kaynat:

"I picked UWE because the Fine Art course stood out to me compared to other universities as it’s much more practical. Another reason was how vibrant Bristol itself is as a city with music venues, galleries and creative opportunities all around the city."

How do you find being an international student at UWE Bristol?

Ho Ching: I feel very happy and accepted by my peers. It’s kind of surprising just how many international students there are in the city.

Kaynat: I feel pretty welcomed. There’s loads of support for International students through the SU [Student Union], as well as help from your tutors. I meet a lot of other international students through all the societies and sports clubs.

How do you find the facilities at the campus?

Kaynat: I think the facilities at UWE are wide-ranging and I’m constantly trying to try out all the different options. Being on a creative course, you have access to all of the facilities even if you’re not on a particular course.

Both students then shared some of their own work with Kings students to show real life examples of the types of projects they have been working on. Windy firstly presented a piece titled 'Heavenly Metal' which was created by Ho Ching.

Ho Ching said:

“With animation, many people don’t realise just how many jobs there are within the animation industry. For example, of course there is the animator, but there is also the background artist, the sound designed, the storyboard artists, etc. UWE gives students assignments that introduce us to the different roles and the steps that must be taken within the animation process.”

Windy then presented a series of sculpture work produced by Kaynat called ‘Unsent Letters’. She’d used a variety of different mediums to create her work, such as resin, silicone and enamel.

Kaynat said, “The idea for the piece came about by my interest in strangers and their stories. I started collecting anonymous letters from the library and local cafes and the project took off from there.”

Has UWE Bristol given you the right tools and support to help you with your future careers?

Kaynat: I think it has given me the right equipment, especially the staff as they know what they’re doing and support you to excel as much as possible by constantly criticising your work and pushing you to think about the ways that you can succeed.

Ho Ching: I totally agree. UWE provides all the resources and teaching you need, as long as you look for it and have the motivation to do so.

Windy then opened up the questions to Kings staff and students.

Giuseppina, our Kings Art and Design Foundation Programme Coordinator based in London, asked — What would you say that the main differences are in your studies between your university education and your previous education?

Ho Ching: For me, going to uni I feel much more free and able to experiment a lot more. Back in high school, they focused a lot on technique and it was quite restrictive for me. Now that I’m at UWE, I get to experiment with everything.

Kaynat: I came to UWE in 2017 and did the Art and Design Foundation course and then moved onto my Fine Art degree. I had to relearn everything I did up until Sixth Form. I’m thankful for that.

Maria, our Art and Design Foundation course teacher at Kings Oxford, asked the students — What are your top tips for new students coming to the university?

Ho Ching:

"One tip I would have is to be as honest as possible to yourself and try as many new things as you can, and also to not be afraid! Everyone is in the same situation as you and is trying to find their own creative outlets, so you’re not alone."

Kaynat: I would say you should be open to different experience, and don’t get too comfortable, because the minute you’re comfortable you won’t do things that are exciting or new. Use the first year to experiment.

Thank you to Windy, Ho Ching and Kaynat for hosting an informative session for Kings Art and Design Foundation course students.