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Arts University Plymouth secures Turing Scheme funding for international placements
Tuesday, 10 December, 2024 — Arts University Plymouth has successfully secured renewed funding from the UK government’s Turing Scheme, allowing students to access international study and professional development opportunities during the 2024/2025 academic year.
<p dir="ltr">The Turing Scheme, which has been running since 2021, provides life-changing opportunities for students across higher education, further education and other school sectors, to study internationally or work abroad. Eligible students will receive funding to assist with expenses such as travel, accommodation and living costs, offering them the chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Commenting on the success, Clare Shortcook, Turing Officer at Arts University Plymouth, said: “Our success in securing Turing Scheme funding once again reflects Arts University Plymouth’s commitment to support our students to be global innovators and create once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for those who study with us.”<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">In a testament to the scheme’s success, students who have taken part have been found to <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/international/turing-scheme">achieve higher results for their degrees</a> than those who have not participated, gained employment faster after leaving university and have been proven to be 44% more likely to hold managerial positions than their peers 10 years after completing their graduation. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Dorron Britz, a <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-fine-art">BA (Hons) Fine Art</a> student who attended <a href="https://francescaceramica.com/">Francesca Ceramic Studio</a> in Valencia, Spain, shares his experience: “I felt blessed to secure a terrific placement. This opportunity gave me valuable insights into my capacity and capability to successfully adapt and integrate myself into unfamiliar work environments and groups. I was given an opportunity to contribute positively to the business in which I was placed, making several firm friends, gaining new language skills (beginners Spanish) which I am now confident to develop further, learning and absorbing much about a hitherto unfamiliar, culturally rich environment and way of life, gaining technical insights and process skills in ceramics.”<br /></p>
Dorron Britz running a ceramics workshop in Valencia
<p dir="ltr">Dorron is a multi-disciplinary contemporary artist from Devon who joined Arts University Plymouth in 2021 as a mature student on the arts university’s Extended Degree programme, beginning his undergraduate studies with an additional exploratory year before specialising in <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-fine-art">BA (Hons) Fine Art.</a></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-costume-production">BA (Hons) Costume Production</a> student Francesca Owens, described their placement as: “So educational and such an amazing opportunity to expand both my creative and cultural horizons.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Francesca first began studying at Arts University Plymouth over a decade ago as part of the arts university’s Young Arts club, later <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/pre-degree-and-sixth-form-results-day-celebrations">completing a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design</a> at Arts University Plymouth in 2023, before progressing to study BA (Hons) Costume Design. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Other successful students who participated in the last round of Turing Scheme placements through Arts University Plymouth include Michele Azzopardi from BA (Hons) Craft & Material Practices, who benefited from a <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/michele-azzopardi-to-learn-from-wave-murano-glass-in-venice">six-week summer internship</a> at the world-renowned Wave Murano Glass in Venice.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Before departing for Venice, Michele said: “I could not be more excited about this opportunity to learn from one of the most prestigious hot glass studios in the world.”<br /></p>

Another student, Adinda, taking photos with her new Turing friends
<p dir="ltr">The Turing Scheme at Arts University Plymouth is one of a number of opportunities for students to broaden their horizons with international travel and professional experience. Undergraduate students can also choose for an optional Sandwich Year in the form of internships and work placements within the UK or overseas. Postgraduate students can apply for a Venice Fellowship, offered in partnership with the British Council, to live and work for a month in Venice, Italy, during the Venice Biennale, the oldest and largest international art and architecture exhibition in the world. In addition to this, the Wilhelmina Barnes-Graham Trust travel bursary also affords postgraduate students the opportunity to receive £2,500 every year for research internationally during their studies.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Many courses at different study levels, including 16 to 19-year-old Pre-Degree students and undergraduate BA (Hons) students, include opportunities to visit international events such as Paris Fashion Week and Bologna Children’s Book Fair. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Arts University Plymouth students are able to apply for Turing Scheme placements now and will be supported until August 2025. Find out more by visiting <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/international/turing-scheme">here</a>.</strong><br /></p>