Step up to HE

At Hereford we hold events that allow younger people from colleges to come and experience what life as a higher education student would be like.

Today we had students come who were interested in all types of things, some want to take a gap year to consider their options, others want to go on to do a foundation course and others want to go and study prosthetic make up and set design! But they all have one thing in common........... They all enjoy making.

Today we talked to them about life as a student, what it takes and how to go through the interview process. We then got stuck into the fun bit of the day, spaghetti bridges! The students had to build bridges over a river of tin foil, using only spaghetti and masking tape!! We had prizes for the strongest ( we test all the bridges for durability with a couple of slabs of steel and maybe and anvil if that doesn't do the trick!) prizes for the most creative and the finally, the best design!!

Here are some images from the day, everyone had fun and Del and I were the judges and we gave out boxes of chocolates to the winners!

Kate and Del

Creative spaces

So, another day is over here at HE and the building has been rather busy, every one is getting on with process workshop and design work. This space is inhabited by one of our second year Contemporary Applied Arts students who is doing beautiful work based on maps, using a variety of materials to interpret the information she has gathered. This is part of of a module called Design Development. I find it so interesting how students can start with similar primary research and end up in totally different places!!

Developing a visual language

So, as you know, I love looking around the desk spaces and it was great to see some of the work that has been produced by our first years. They are studying a module called 'developing a visual language' in which they explore different ways of expression. Drawing is so fundamental for communication, so this is a really interesting module which explores mark making!