<p dir="ltr">Highlights from the shoot include work by 18-year-old photographer Jules Dean, from Yelverton, whose shots of 17-year-old Fashion &amp; Textiles student Sony Rigby, modelling a project from the end of her first year, would be at home in any modern fashion magazine. Other featured photographers included 17-year-old Tyler Gosling from central Plymouth, 18-year-old Lauren Hickey from Estover, 18-year-old Sienna Hayward from Eggbuckland, Lauren Mills, 17-year-old Anastasia Krasopoulou from Devonport, and 18-year-old Vicki Taylor from Ivybridge.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jules Dean said: “This whole project was a very new experience for me as a photographer. I’ve got some experience of portraiture and taking photographs of friends, but not photographing people who I didn’t know. The experience of shooting with strangers was a great way to develop new skills like directing models, and essentially telling people what I needed from them. I’ve grown in confidence as a result and subsequent photo shoots have felt a lot easier, because of those skills I developed in working with models and following a client brief.”<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Tobie Loates said: “One of the greatest benefits of choosing a creative Extended Diploma at Arts University Plymouth instead of A-Levels is that students learn together as part of a creative community, where opportunities like this are possible every day. When photographers, filmmakers and fashion and textile designers work side by side on the same campus, this offers endless possibilities to work on the same kind of projects that young creatives are likely to be hired for right out of school. As well as making new friends, learning how to fulfil a client brief to deadline and how to work professionally as part of a team, the outcome of these projects is that students leave with strong portfolios of work, showing off their skills in multiple areas, including this sort of fashion photography.”</p> <p dir="ltr">For parents guiding students through the post-GCSE decision-making process for September 2024, this collaboration gives an insight into some of the skills cultivated through the UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice programs.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">In 2023, 33% of Extended Diploma students at Arts University Plymouth achieved a Distinction, exceeding the national benchmark for this qualification. Initial feedback from first-year students in September revealed an impressive overall satisfaction rate of 97%, up from 95% in 2022, spanning across all Pre-Degree courses. Particularly noteworthy is the unanimous satisfaction among UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice students specialising in Photography, Fashion &amp; Textiles, and Graphics, Illustration &amp; Game Arts, with 100% expressing contentment with their courses at Arts University Plymouth.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Visit the <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/pre-degree">Arts University Plymouth website</a> for a full list of creative Level 3 courses that are recruiting for Autumn 2024 and make an excellent professional alternative to A-Levels in a mainstream school or college. The next dedicated Pre-Degree <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/open-days">Open Day</a> for students and parents considering where to go after GCSEs will be held in Arts University Plymouth’s Palace Court campus on Saturday 20 April from 11am to 2pm.<br /></p>