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Emerging creators to watch – Arts University Plymouth’s Pre-Degree & Sixth Form Class of 2023
Thursday, 27 July, 2023 — Join us in celebrating a new wave of talented artists, painters, photographers, filmmakers and designers from Arts University Plymouth’s Class of 2023
<p dir="ltr">From Animation to Digital Media and Traditional Making, Arts University Plymouth’s <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/study/pre-degree">Pre-Degree & Sixth Form</a> Class of 2023 are ready to wow the press, industry and public.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This year, <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/arts-university-plymouths-pre-degree-sixth-form-campus-rated-ofsted-good">Arts University Plymouth’s Pre-Degree & Sixth Form campus was awarded a ‘Good’ rating by Ofsted</a>, which was given for every category of the 2023 inspection, including the Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, Leadership and Management, education programmes for young people, and provision for learners with high needs. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The Pre-Degree & Sixth Form graduates include successful award-winning students who have already landed offers at leading universities around the country, having produced outstanding work and explored their identities and practices as creatives. Here’s a roundup of some of the most innovative and ambitious graduates from Arts University Plymouth’s Summer Shows and Class of 2023:<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/foundation-diploma-in-art-and-design-post-a-level">Foundation Diploma in Art & Design</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/dino_squara/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@dino_squara</a><br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">22-year-old Dino Squara is a multidisciplinary artist, working with mediums including acting, painting and drawing. His painting moves between abstract expressionism pieces that take the form of murals and large scale canvases, figurative pastel pieces and oil paintings. His large-scale abstract work has been inspired by ‘sonder’, the realisation that each stranger we meet has their own life, as complex as our own, and we will never know it. Most recently, Dino completed a mural inspired by sonder outside of Ocean Studios in Royal William Yard.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Having grown up in Plymouth, Dino will move to London this September to study European Theatre Arts at Rose Bruford College.<br /></p>
Hope Fox and her Wellness Room design
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/foundation-diploma-in-art-and-design-post-a-level">Foundation Diploma in Art & Design</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/h0pe._.design" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@h0pe._.design</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">19-year-old Hope Fox is an artist and designer specialising in textiles and interiors. During her time on the Foundation Diploma, Hope redesigned the quiet space on the pre-degree campus, with a focus on supporting neurodiversity and mental health. Understanding the room needed to accommodate a mix of support, Hope provided a variety of seating, a study area, choices of lighting and sensory elements. The Wellness Room’s concept focussed on biophilia - design based on human’s intrinsic connection to nature, with the green and blue colour palette deliberately chosen following research evidencing their calming effects and links with nature and the ocean.</p>
Hope Fox with Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks
<p>Hope won the Pre-Degree Vice Chancellor’s Award at the 2023 Summer Shows and will be studying <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-interior-design">BA (Hons) Interior Design & Styling</a> at Arts University Plymouth when she graduates.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design">UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art & Design</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Harriet Dawes is a printmaker based in Cornwall, who combines her love of lino print, collage and illustration to capture the magic of traditional fairy tales and legendary creatures. She began her lino printing journey by making cards for friends and family, and has soon adapted her practice to include her love of storytelling and ancient mythology.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Her final project, titled ‘The Jabberwock’, is an A3 lino print on cotton rag paper, using the Chine collé technique to add colour elements with mulberry paper. In this work, Harriet has explored the ways we tell stories visually using processes that transcend the traditional boundaries of illustration, like lino printing. Jabberwocky is the perfect subject for this, as a poem that skilfully defies grammar and language rules in order to fully connect with the reader’s imagination.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design">UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art & Design</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ph_03be/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@ph_03be</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Phoebe Kerslake is a landscape photographer with a passion for photography that stems from capturing and reliving moments. Taking inspiration from artists such as Peter Eastway and Lorraine Finney, Phoebe’s final major project explored people’s relationship and personal experiences of Dartmoor, by photographing, videoing and interviewing a variety of characters about their strongest memory of the vast open and rugged landscape of Dartmoor.<br /><br />Phoebe’s keen interest in nature <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/pre-degree-students-promote-biodiversity-at-poole-farm">brought her to visit the urban Poole Farm in Plymouth, taking part in monitoring of the pond and grassland habits</a>. Beyond observing, Phoebe and her fellow students were also invited to help develop the park’s Citizen Science programme, creating draft guides for self-led biodiversity surveys.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Phoebe is hoping to continue her passion by progressing onto BA (Hons) Photography, with an aim to work for companies such as the BBC to feature on shows such as Countryfile.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design-photography">UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Photography</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/yakisoba201/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@YAKISOBA201</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Millie Evans is a photographer whose work surrounds the concept of female empowerment. Within her work, she wanted to challenge the idea of the ‘male gaze’, the idea that presents and represents women as sexual objects for pleasure of the heterosexual male viewer. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Millie has produced images that challenge traditional gender roles, for example making the male subjects in her photography scared, subservient and powerless. She also captured images of women in powerful positions, confident and comfortable in their own skin. The aim of her work is to claim back ownership of how women are perceived and to question the stereotypical portrayal of women in a sexual manner.<br /><br />Millie will be going on to study BA (Hons) Commercial Photography at University of the Arts London.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design-photography">UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Photography</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/roweyphotos/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@roweyphotos</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Oscar Rowe is a photographer who has spent the two years of his Extended Diploma course developing his own unique style and understanding of photography.</p>
<p dir="ltr">His final major project explores this as well as explores his closest friends’ cultures and identities, delving deeper into their experiences of prejudice and discrimination through interviews. Due to his diverse set of friends, Oscar has a personal connection with this project and hopes to highlight the issues of prejudice and discrimination through his imagery.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Oscar will be continuing his journey as a photographer, progressing onto <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-commercial-photography-1">BA (Hons) Commercial Photography</a> at Arts University Plymouth.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design-famp">UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Film, Animation & Media Production</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Sam Ellis is an active filmmaker based in Plymouth, who won the Board of Governors Pre-Degree award at this year’s Summer Show awards for his interesting and innovative use of multiple forms of media. Their course leader said “Sam has had a remarkable year that has seen them go from strength to strength. They are achieving excellent results on their Extended Diploma with continually improving skills and outcomes.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Sam also worked as a British Art Show 9 Ambassador last year, including leading a workshop at Plymouth’s museum and archive, The Box, focussing on engaging young people with SEND with contemporary art.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Samuel received an unconditional offer to study at Arts University Plymouth at undergraduate level after graduating from Pre-Degree, studying <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-animation-games">BA (Hons) Animation & Games</a>.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design-famp">UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Film, Animation & Media Production</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovekingaa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@lovekingaa</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Kinga Bigos is an 18 year old aspiring marketer from Poland. For her final major project, she expanded her horizons in photography and filmmaking to make advertisements and campaigns for brands. Interested in the techniques used to engage with viewers and potential customers, Kinga has focussed on visual effects and kinetic typography to replicate different styles of videos.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Kinga will be attending University of Plymouth on graduating Pre-Degree & Sixth Form at Arts University Plymouth.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design-famp">UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Film, Animation & Media Production</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mia_filmmaker/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@mia_filmmaker</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Mia Hammond is a filmmaker who joined Pre-Degree after making films with her drama club. They have used the last two years to explore, experiment and develop their identity as a creative. Mia wanted to use their skills to share a story based heavily around their own experiences, and those of many queer people. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Mia’s final major project, Going Out, is a short queer narrative following two young lesbians as they navigate coming out to the world around them alongside their relationship with each other. Mia wanted to create representation created by real members of the LGBTQIA+ community with the experiences and knowledge that can’t just be acquired through research. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Mia hopes to progress onto undergraduate study at the University of Salford, studying Film Production.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design-famp">UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Performing and Production Arts</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/elysianmolly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@elysianmolly</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">18 year old Molly Mabin is an aspiring actor who has explored many different types of performance such as theatre, puppetry and voice during her studies. Her favourite type of acting has been screen acting and she aspires to become a screen actor in the future.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Her final major project, ‘Paint Her’, is a short film following the themes of freedom, release and escape. The psychological short, collaboratively made with other students in her cohort, follows the narrative of up and coming artist Alice who is grieving the death of her toxic ex boyfriend Sam. Her intense loneliness spirals into a whirlwind of psychosis and obsession, pushing her to invent an hallucinated ideal version of herself, Francis. The film focuses on how grief can affect mental stability, and how isolating yourself can intensify those emotions.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Molly is progressing to Arts University Bournemouth to study a BA in acting.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">There are still a limited number of spaces available to study in Arts University Plymouth’s Pre-Degree & Sixth Form campus starting in September 2023 for school leavers who are waiting to receive their GCSE results. Courses include UAL Level 3 Extended Diplomas in <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design">Art & Design</a>, <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design-photography">Photography</a>, <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design-fashion-textiles">Fashion & Textiles</a>, <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design-famp">Filmmaking & Media Production</a>, and <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/ual-level-3-extended-diploma-in-art-design-giga">Graphic, Illustration & Game Arts</a>, as well as the <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree/foundation-diploma-in-art-and-design-post-a-level">UAL Foundation Diploma in Art & Design</a>, which is ideal for applicants who want to discover, experiment and explore across a wide range of disciplines, as well as maximising their chances of gaining a First if they decide to progress on to degree-level study. To find out more about how to apply before the end of August, to arrange a campus tour or a conversation with Pre-Degree & Sixth Form teachers, email <a href="mailto:admissions@aup.ac.uk">admissions@aup.ac.uk</a>.<br /></p>