<p>We believe that high-quality education for life in contemporary arts practice is the creative catalyst for personal, professional and cultural transformation, and our manifesto includes ten propositions, written by our Principal, Professor Andrew Brewerton, that added to the themes of CREATIVE LEARNING and SOCIAL JUSTICE, define our strategic plans for the future. For our new campaign, we invited thirteen current students, recent graduates and alumni to contribute their own propositions.</p>

<p><strong>Originally from Portugal, Carlos’ family immigrated to the UK in 2002, where they have lived, worked and studied since. We catch up with the BA (Hons) Fine Art graduate to talk about his art practice and his proposition...</strong></p> <p><strong>Tell us about your practice</strong><strong>.</strong><br />My art practice is based around a more traditional aspect when it comes to painting, following the great masters of the Renaissance period, but adding my own narrative, where the audience can contribute to the final product. It’s a collaborative experience, I start the piece and then I hand it to the audience to finish. I’m always in awe of how the old masters managed to capture such life and emotion in a time where colour pigments were not as strong or diverse as today. I’ve always pushed myself to create more realistic work, from pencil sketches of portraits to large-scale paintings.</p> <p><strong>Tell us about your proposition.</strong><br />Emerging artists are often faced with the question what do you want from this degree? What sort of pay are you looking at? How much will you get a year? I want to answer all those questions with positivity, no matter how much your art pays you will also be rewarded in other ways by working hard for the thing you love.</p>

<p><strong>Why did you choose to study at </strong><strong>the college</strong><strong>?</strong><br />I studied Fine Art at Plymouth College of Art; I love the knowledge of not knowing, and when you start the course you quickly come to realise there is so much to learn. The thought of studying on a course where I would be pushed to my creative limits was a big influence for me in making my decision of where to study.</p> <p><strong>What’s it been like living in the city?</strong><br />I found that in Plymouth, everything and everyone is so relaxed and easy-going, but when it comes to actually getting something done, it gets done properly. This was a highlight for me, it’s a culture and work ethic that I found myself settling into very easily. I enjoy working hard, coming up against a challenge and persevering until it falls into place.</p>

<p><strong>What advice would you give new students</strong><strong>?</strong><br />For anyone considering creative study the one piece of advice I would give is study hard, but play harder. It’s important to love and enjoy what you do, have a passion for it. I’m taking a year out to gain some experience and gather inspiration before I start my Masters degree, with the aim to then complete a PhD.<br /></p><h4>Speak up and create your proposition.<br />Draw or write yours at <a href="http://www.whatsyourproposition.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">whatsyourproposition.com</a></h4><ul><li><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-fine-art">Find out more about our BA (Hons) Fine Art degree.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/manifesto">Read more about our campaign on social justice and creative learning.</a></li></ul>