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Craft and Material Practices Unleashed: AUP Students Take Over MAKE Southwest
Thursday, 25 January, 2024 — Immerse yourself in a blend of research posters and hands-on workshops from January 25- 27.
<p dir="ltr">Our <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-craft-material-practices">BA (Hons) Craft and Material Practices</a> course has partnered with <a href="https://makesouthwest.org.uk/">MAKE Southwest</a>, an acclaimed exhibition space for contemporary craft and design based in Bovey Tracey, Devon, with a dynamic collaboration that offers students the chance to showcase their creativity and engage with the local community through an exciting exhibition and hands-on workshops.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As third-year students near the completion of their latest unit, MAKE Southwest has provided them with the opportunity to take over MAKE Southwest's workshop space. This takeover entails curating, installing, and marketing their own mini-exhibition, featuring research posters and their respective outcomes. The entire process, from curation to marketing, will be a collaborative effort.<br /><br /></p>
MAKE Southwest Exhibition Poster
<p dir="ltr">To prepare for this exciting venture, students visited MAKE Southwest’s workshop space to evaluate the area and discuss ideas for the exhibition takeover. Following the space assessment, the decision was made to curate an exhibition centred around material experimentation. This hands-on experience enables students to immerse themselves in the world of exhibition curation, offering valuable insight into the practical aspects of presenting their work.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Students have crafted a variety of research posters and supporting materials, delving into different themes and concepts. Representatives from MAKE Southwest attended the research poster presentations, which provided the students with the chance to discuss and refine their ideas for both the exhibition takeover and the Saturday Craft Club Workshop, offering their valuable advice and experience in the craft sector. <br /></p>
Our exhibition at MAKE Southwest features a collection of research posters, individually crafted by each of my course mates to document their methods and material research. These posters showcase their thoughts, ideas, experimentation, and research, providing a glimpse into everyone's practice.
<p dir="ltr">One of the students whose work will be exhibited is Sarah Dury, whose work examines the interconnection between jewellery and the human body. She explored how jewellery could serve to raise awareness and spark conversations on issues around health and water pollution. <br /></p>
The brief I created allowed me to deepen my understanding of how materials, colours, and atmospheres can imbue meaning in my work. I aspire to employ my craft skills to raise awareness of social and political issues. Crafting a bespoke brief tailored to my learning needs was invaluable. As a 3D artist, the poster presented a challenge, but it proved helpful in exploring an alternative means to showcase my work.
Sarah Dury MAKE Southwest Research Poster
<p dir="ltr">In addition to the exhibition takeover, students had the opportunity to propose ideas for a <a href="https://makesouthwest.org.uk/saturday-craft-club">Saturday Craft Club</a> workshop on 27 January Hosted by student <a href="https://www.instagram.com/carolinebarrartist/">Caroline Barr</a>, the workshop will consist of a tutorial on how to process wild clay, as well as Caroline sharing her practice. The participants will be able to experiment with techniques and handle and process the clay themselvesThis free workshop will be open to the craft club participants who are young people aged 13 to 16, offering an interactive and educational experience. <br /></p>
Collaborating with MAKE Southwest has been an exciting opportunity. The team has been incredibly encouraging and supportive. We visited the exhibition space at the start of the term and presented our posters to them in December. They provided insightful feedback and helped us generate new ideas for our final project. This experience has been fantastic for developing connections with the team and encouraging us to consider our practice outside of university and beyond graduation.
<p dir="ltr">The partnership will span three days, taking place from Thursday to Saturday on 25, 26, and 27 January. The installation of student work will be a key feature of this takeover at MAKE Southwest.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/gayle-matthias">Gayle Matthias</a>, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Craft and Material Practice at Arts University Plymouth said, “We are proud to foster such partnerships, providing students with real-world experiences and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the local creative scene.” </p>
<p dir="ltr">Engaging in both playful, reflective exploration of materials and hands-on experiences in model-making and digital processes, students in the BA (Hons) Craft and Material Practices program at Arts University Plymouth cultivate not only practical and design skills but also gain valuable industry exposure in the craft field. The distinctive strength of this course resides in its fusion of technical emphasis with firsthand involvement in the craft industry.</p>
<p dir="ltr">To find out more about BA (Hons) Craft and Material Practices at Arts University Plymouth, the next <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/events/open-day-undergraduate-and-postgraduate-march24">Open Day</a> will be held on Saturday 23 March 2024, with opportunities to meet expert academics, speak to current students and get a taste of life at an independent, award winning arts university.</p>
