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2 3

CONTEXT

I would like to take this opportunity of welcoming you to Fast Forward>> produced in the Faculty of Art and Design at Swansea MetropolitanUniversity (with contributions from Swansea School of Glass). Foundedmore than 150 years ago, the Faculty (or Swansea School of Art as itwas known) has a distinguished tradition; described in Peter Lord'sThe Visual Culture of Wales as 'the most successful and prestigiousart school in Wales'. We are based in the multimillion pound 'ArtSchool' in the heart of Swansea's city centre, which houses excellentfacilities, some of which are unique in Wales. We focus on creativityand employment.

This magazine is all about employment and what we do here to helpyou achieve your career aims and the job of your dreams. It has beenwritten and designed by staff, graduates and students, who all offertheir experience of the ‘real world’ of art, design and media. It is fullof helpful suggestions for those of you who are just starting out onyour creative education and is also intended for those of you about tograduate. The magazine supports modules, such as ProfessionalStudies for Artists and Designers; Exhibition; Marketing and SelfPromotion, and the External Liaison Project, which enable us to bevery successful in preparing our graduates for their professionalcareers.

I would like to thank all the contributors: the writers, the Illustrators-Ryan O Dare, Lee Court and Karl Mountford; the Designers-DarrenGreen and Danielle Peevor; the Researcher and Editor- Kim Wills, andeveryone who helped make this publication possible.

I hope you find this magazine really useful and wish you good luck inyour future careers.

Professor Andrea LigginsDean of the Faculty of Art and Design

WELCOME

04ON YOUR BEACH

06MAKING THE MOST OF...

20THE VALUE OF ANEXHIBITION

22AN INTERVIEW WITHTOM POPE

24CERYS ACKLAND

26LAUNCH OF A BRAND

28YOUR HERO ISYOUR MENTOR

30DOES FREELANCING PAY?

34LIFE-LONG FRIENDSHIPS

36ORIEL BACH

38JOINING THE DOTS

40SHAPING YOUROWN FUTURE

42COMMISSIONS

43DIRECTORY

04 20

18

28

4 5

“Enthusiasm drove me; I was on a roll, on amission, and didn’t stop for anything. You’vegot to be in the mind set that nothing is goingto stop you.”

The idea evolved from a Professional Studiesmodule taken across all Visual Communicationcourses where students from Graphic Design,Illustration and Design for Advertising werebrought together to propose a ghost businessventure called ‘Dirty Beach’. This cross-disciplineenvironment inspired creative discussions whereideas evolved from the collaboration of differentcourse knowledge. The outcome, as a result ofenthusiasm and pitch, was that the team won theRobert Owen Cup, a competition named after aWelsh philanthropist that involved the preparationof a business plan that students could present toa bank in order to launch and/or further abusiness concept. At that time the idea was toraise money to do beach clean ups using theteam’s design skills. The other team membersmoved onto their own individual projects butMegan’s passion and devotion for this cause,coupled with the interest of a business consultanton the panel of the Robert Owen Cup, helpedMegan to take it further and On Your Beachwas formed.

What makes Megan’s design work unique is thateach image is made up of pieces of litter,cleaned, flattened and fed through an old-fashioned print press. “It has been important tokeep the ingredients list of all the images that Imake so that the story comes alive. By keepingtrack of the beach and the date when the rubbishwas collected, people can relate to it.” Megan gother inspiration from the lifestyle gained by movingto Swansea, where she made the most of thebeautiful coastlines.

On Your Beach comprises three interlinkingelements to engage with as many differentaudiences as possible through workshops, thesales of high-end art, commissions and surfbrand clothing. “Really what I think On YourBeach exists to do is to work closely with peoplewho are already doing amazing things and offer acreative side to it. When it comes to rubbish, wecan see it but if we touch it then we could maybemake it better.”

Due to the nature of the Illustration course,Megan was able to write her own Major Projectbrief during her third year and this enabled her tocombine her design work for On Your Beach withthe criteria of her degree. Megan also receivedsupport through the University for the launch ofOn Your Beach. “Commercial Services and CIRIC

linked me up with different businesses. Shut Upand Start Up offered me the support of othergraduates who had already started up their ownbusinesses. I obtained funding from the Princes’Trust. The Textiles Technology project inCarmarthen, and a design firm in Pembrokeshirehelped me to develop the surf wear and otherproducts through digital image wrapping.” All ofthese contacts were made throughSwansea Met.

Megan was also invited to attend Beach BreakLive 2010, a festival for 15,000 students held 18miles away at Pembrey Beach, which boasts 500acres of parkland, 2,000 acres of forestry and 8miles of white sandy beach. “Students picked uplitter from the festival around them and came tovisit the stall where they made animals out oflitter. People who claimed that they didn’t havea creative bone in their body were sat down fortwo hours making human sized dinosaurs andlittle tree frogs which, as a result, kept the areaclean.”

Megan gained many skills from her Illustrationcourse that have been crucial for the success ofOn Your Beach as well as being transferrablewhen employed as Artist in Residence.

Working on your own initiative: “I had to takemy own initiative in streamlining the focus of thebusiness when the others decided not to be partof it. I had to come up with the design processitself, designs, imagery and what I wanted it tobe about.”

Engaging clients and people: “I do a lot ofnetworking events such as Swansea Foundationand Business Forum for small businesses inSouth Wales.”

Networking Skills: “We (Dirty Beach)represented Swansea Met when we went toStudents and Free Enterprise (SFES) in Londonwhere we found out more about students runningtheir own businesses and helping communities.We also attended the National Consortium ofUniversity Entrepreneurs in Cardiff. Theopportunities are there if you choose to use them.I had to develop the ability to ask for help in orderfor my business to expand. I had to learn to bevigilant with emails and keep up contacts,reminding people that I am there and welcomingtheir input, support and help. It’s always ongoingand I have now developed different networks foreach part.”

Interpersonal Skills: “During the ProfessionalStudies module I had to interview local surf boardmakers. I was really nervous at the time butwouldn’t think twice about it now. We wereencouraged to do a lot of external exhibitions andI did three during my final year which involvedspeaking to visitors about my work andpractice…. On Your Beach clothing involved beingable to pitch my products to sell at local shopssuch as Angels and Demons in Mumbles, the FineArt commissions involved working with the peoplebehind different venues to exhibit and sell mywork, and the workshops involved teachingchildren and adults and working with localcouncils to keep them going.”

Organisational Skills: “Degrees help you workunder pressure in a structure and to a time-frame

which is something I have maintained byputting pressure on myself to work to

my own deadlines.”

Collaboration, teamwork and knowledgeexchange: “The cross-disciplinary project meantwe had to find a way to work together anddevelop a business idea. Every exhibition involvedgroups of 7-8 people pulling together to makeartwork, prepare spaces and work with galleries.I wouldn’t have accessed the people or places toexhibit without Swansea Met.“

Visual Presentation: “The exhibitionsaccelerated and improved the presentation ofwork and the spaces it is to be put into. When Ivisited high-end restaurants to ask whether theycould sell my Fine Art pieces, my portfolio neededto be very professional and therefore I employed aprofessional graphic designer to design my logo.I am continuously improving with every new bodyof work.”

Writing Business Plans: “Writing a businessplan in Professional Studies was a brilliantexercise because we also had feedback. It wasuseful to see the depth of business plans andwhat they covered, which was an essential lessonwhen it all became very real.”

Costing and pricing strategies: “The coursetouched on timesheets and pricing work but Ilearned a lot from trial and error, taking risks andimproving. Art is subjective. In London peoplewere buying the original collagraph prints for £70,which is just a picture of flattened rubbish. I havereduced my costs through experience, poolingresources and learning where to print.”

Writing Contracts: “Commercial services putme in contact with Venture Wales to look at mybusiness plans and contracts in order to protectmy rights when undertaking individual projectsfor people.”

Confidence: “My confidence has grown throughcompleting my degree and creating On YourBeach from scratch, and I have loads to do herein Swansea before moving on. I feel like I havestarted again and built a new identity and life,and it feels like a bit of a mission in a reallygood way.”

Motivation: “The Illustration course brought inpracticing artist speakers, working with agents orfreelancers. Listening to them convinced me thatI wanted to work for myself and I wanted to workfor something I created. I spent the whole ofSeptember, October and November working solelyon designs, working every day and every night.”

Taking risks: “You have to have the confidence tostick with it. There is the risk of not meeting nextmonth’s rent but there will be some monthswhere you can pay for a few months rent at once.The risk is just going at something like selfemployment or running your own business,knowing that there will be quiet times as well as

good times.”Getting insight into Megan’s journey prompted thequestion of what her advice might be for someonebranching out onto a creative business ventureand her answer was simply to involve those withexperience. “Don’t be too precious about youridea because I think it held me up at times,thinking that someone else may spoil it! As soonas you start letting go of it and start to share it orask for advice your idea snowballs. It is definitelya positive thing involving other people; it is justfinding the right people to involve. So don’t holdonto your creative idea too tightly.”

Megan continues to strengthen the brand of OnYour Beach and engage with audiences youngand old on environmental issues, whether theywear the clothing, buy the prints or make things inworkshops. “I came to Swansea with nothing, theexperience of the degree and everything thatcame with it has given me this great big thing thatI can’t walk away from and that I will work with,with passion, for the rest of my days!”

Megan Evans graduated in 2010 with a 1st Class BA (Hons)Illustration Degree, she became Artist in Residence and alsocompleted her Masters. In addition to this Megan left SwanseaMet with a multifaceted business called ‘On Your Beach’.Describing the venture as a rollercoaster, Megan says “I didn’t want to put anything on hold which meant that Icompromised on sleep.”

6 7

Let us be clear, writing a CV is not rocket science, neither need it be

complicated or confusing, as long as you keep these few simple things

in mind.

1. First of all, think less 'what I wish to say', and think more

'what do they need to know', and be sure these ‘need to

knows’ are clearly linked to the opportunity for the company

or organisation to succeed in its endeavours. You are the

solution to their problems.

All too often cv writers aim to tell everything in one big hit, but these days thatis unrealistic, as few employers have the time or desire to read complexdocuments that are difficult to decipher, they simply need to find out as muchas possible in as short a time as they can. That is why we always suggest toour students that they prepare what we call a 'concise cv', as well as a full one,which should only ever be a page or two anyway. The concise cv should beviewed as the employer's peep in the shop window, and what should be in thatwindow is what they want to see, in the order they want to see it. This meansthat to do well, you need to research the employer and learn to understand whythey need someone like you before you can even start.

2. Every CV is a temporary one.

As we now know, every employer will have different needs and the reason theyneed to take someone on is to solve a problem that they have. For you, thismeans that the research that you have undertaken will most likely differ witheach new application, as your primary aim is to show that you are the personwho can solve it (and more). Most people see their cv as a fixed document,don't fall into that trap! Be prepared to create a master document and to adaptand adjust it to each new opportunity as it arises.

3. Think like an advertising exec with something good to sell.

In advertising and marketing we use something called the AIDA principle andit's very useful when designing your cv and laying it all out. ‘A’ stands forattention. Does your cv stand out? Even if it is in a pile of over 200? If it doesn'tthen it's game over already as it won’t be picked up and seen. Once you havetheir attention, have you got the points over that will interest them most? ‘I’stands for interest, so that's the next step, and it should then lead to our ‘D’,the desire to know more and to want to interview you! Finally, ‘A’ is a call toaction. Can they get in contact easily and is all the relevant detail there to enablethem to call you in to discuss the next steps at an interview?

4. Creative people expect Creativity to shine through.

Typical cvs are rather boring and are often typed up very traditionally. For thecreative job, you need to show that you can think not only about what they need,but how your creative inputs will help to lead the company to new innovationsand ideas. Forget rules, simply think easy information access and ways to standout. For example, I still have my tin can entitled 'full of beans' with an ingredientslist that told me all about the applicant. I have never felt able to throw it away,as it was one of the most creative cvs that hit my desk, but it also told meeverything that I needed to know.

5. If it isn't working rethink it.

Get feedback every time if you can, as once you know why you didn't get to theinterview stage you can revisit the areas that need your attention. Oh, and don'tlet me forget to mention that asking for feedback not only shows initiative, itgets attention and might even put you back on the pile if someone drops out orthe job isn't offered to someone in round one!

6. Spelling and Grammar.

I’ll close with something an ex student sent me on this, as I think it says it all.

“On my second day my boss put a cv on my desk from a new graduate…basically it was everything you said not to do - we all agreed it was rubbish! …long, irrelevant, full of typos…and with no visual identity they didn’t stand achance …what more can I say but it is MEGA important to nail that cv as itreally is the shop window that the employer looks through to see how capableyou are.” (Anne – Graduate of BA (Hons) Graphic Design).

Making the most of your

CurriculumVitae

Making the most of...

8 9

Swansea Met supports

entrepreneurship in all its guises, from

developing our students ‘right brain’

entrepreneurial skills, eg. creativity,

through helping commercialise ideas.

Simply put, we see this as taking your

ideas and helping to make them a

reality.

Our Enterprise team at Swansea Met

includes academics, business mentors

and graduates, so we can offer tailored

support for students whatever their

discipline.

“Tell us your ideas and we will call onsuccessful graduates to answer yourquestions. It is our entrepreneurialgraduates who make the offering atSwansea Met quite unique, it is ouralumni (ex students) experiences thatguide our thinking and help shape thesupport we give. The lecturers thereforebecome reflective learners and are ableto shape lessons so that they fit withinthe industry our students will move into.Additionally, graduates return to us withtheir newfound information in order topass it on to our students throughpresentations, mentoring and newcontacts.”

Kathy Penaluna

Room 404:

Room 404 is Swansea Met’s Enterprise

Zone. A room that facilitates the

exchange of sought after and up-to-date

literature for events and a place that

promotes business materials such as

business cards, leaflets, signposts,

services needed ads, etc.

Room 404 can be used for business

meetings to support and build

relationships between students and

graduates from different courses in order

to utilise their skills and share expertise

within a Swansea Met network. This

knowledge exchange accelerates the

development of enterprise start-ups and

contributes real practice to CV’s and

portfolios, raising their profiles within their

industry and increasing their prospects

when looking for employment. It’s a way

of learning a lot more than you can on a

single course, and helps you to be far

more adaptable and flexible too.

If you are a graphic designer looking for

an accountant, or a motorsports student

wanting to learn how actors present

themselves so well, then you can either

leave a wanted ad on the notice board,

or pick up the business card.

Business Start-Up SocialEnterprise

As part of Sara Holden’s MA in Visual

Arts Enterprise at Swansea Met she was

required to complete an example

proposal for funding for an arts based

project or initiative, demonstrating how it

would meet the funder’s criteria.The

application was so successful that, with

support from Swansea Met, Sara was

able to obtain Arts Council of Wales

funding to help deliver Sculpture by the

Sea’s first project. Further bids for

funding supported by Swansea Met were

successful and Sculpture by the Sea

U.K. is now sponsored by a variety of

organisations including the Arts Council

and Countryside Commission for Wales.

Swansea Met’s Enterprise Manager acts

as treasurer for Sculpture by the Sea

U.K.

Sculpture by the Sea specialises in art

workshops and festivals for schools and

communities and is now recognised as a

good practice example in ‘outdoor

learning’.

“We couldn’t have done it withoutthe help and encouragement fromSwansea Met…. They continue togive advice and support freely …”

Sara Holden www.sculpturebythesea.co.uk

One of the biggest problems that recentgraduates face when looking for work is nothaving enough experience. The reason that theydo not have that experience is that they can’t getthe work to get the experience needed to get thejob. A no win situation!

So how do you put yourself into a WinWinsituation?

One solution could be to volunteer your talents toan organisation or industry that you would like towork for.

Working for free is hardly ideal, however you mayfind that you:

• learn the skills needed to succeed within the industry;

• confirm your ambition to pursue a career in such an industry;

• gain the experience your CV is lacking, and • obtain a good reputation and perhaps a

recommendation to accompany your CV to your next interview.

Graduate Veronica Sanchis Bencomo graduated inPhotojournalism at Swansea Met in 2010 andfound herself in a situation where she neededmore experience. “When I was in Swansea Met Iwish I had been more proactive in terms oflooking for internships or looking to volunteerduring the summer to gain as much experienceas possible because, as soon as you finish, youare not a student any more. Wherever you gothere is the question of your experience. As astudent on an internship it becomes very, veryvaluable when you are a graduate.”

“When looking for employment it has a lot to dowith who you know. You have got to work hardand be good at what you do. Volunteering helpedme to get to know the right people.”

Veronica volunteered for Brighton Photo Biennial(BPB) which is the largest and most excitingcurated photography festival in the UK and, with60,000 visitors in 2010, was one of the bestattended in the world. “When I first moved toBrighton I did research into all the possible ways Icould put in practice photography. Luckily,Brighton Photo Biennial was looking forvolunteers. I contacted the organisation in order toattend their first introductory talk. I submitted aCV and covering letter explaining my maininterests in volunteering for BPB.”

“I was assisting while Martin Parr curated theexhibition. Martin Parr is a very big internationalphotographer and I was honoured to be able tomeet him and it was very inspiring to be part ofthe BPB team. The exhibition was huge and manywell-known photographers got involved.”

“The main skills that I learned from BPB wereorganising spaces and making the most of a largespace on a small budget. I gained experience incurating and setting up and many other things.Having done that in university it helped build myconfidence. By volunteering I have been exposedto different responsibilities and situations and thathelped me to get good references which havehelped me to get jobs.”

When applying for jobs and attending interviews itis very important to be able to talk about yourwork. “If there is something that Swansea Metpushed it was context, why you are doing it,questioning your work. As a student I didn’tunderstand it but I think when you go for aninterview they do ask ‘Why are you doing this?’‘Who are you researching?’ and ‘Why is thatperson influencing you?’ When you do yourdissertation all the self-questioning and analysisis very important. You may not practice it everyday of course, but when it comes to interviews itis good to have the preparation Swansea Metgives you to be able to answer those questions.”

Volunteering has assisted Veronica in movingcloser to her goals and she is now working for acommercial photography studio, Packshot, basedin London. “I initially started as full-time assistant,but very recently I’ve been promoted to a JuniorPhotographer. I’ve been learning a lot more aboutstudio lighting and Photoshop and I’ve gainedmore experience dealing with clients.”

“I think it is very important to find out what youreally want to do as a photographer and to havean understanding of the industry that you want towork in after University. I would advice students towork hard on their personal advise, but along sidethat try to get as much work experience as youcan. There are a lot of opportunities such asinterning, volunteering or assisting.”

Making the most ofVolunteering

“75% of employers agreed theywould prefer to recruit someonewith volunteering experience.”

www.yourfuturechoiceaction.org

Making the most ofGraduate Knowledge via Swansea Met’sEnterprise Support

Illu

str

ation: R

yan O

’Dare

11

Incubation Space

Another service available to students and

graduates is to occupy a room at

Swansea Met rent-free for one year. One

of the many benefits of occupying a

room within the University is that new

entrepreneurs are neighbours to lecturers

with specialist knowledge in many fields

such as accountancy, marketing and

design.

For example, in 2008 a group of Surface

Pattern students started a business

called SI:SU, up-cycled fashion, using

vintage fabric. They used one of the

rooms at Swansea Met to make

products and found the rent-free, inner-

city space invaluable during the first year

business start-up. Working within

Swansea Met offered SI:SU contacts

such as CIRIC, Swansea Met’s Creative

Industries Research and Innovation

Centre and SI:SU were featured on BBC

2’s Working Lunch, ‘business news you

can use’.

“I found the course tuition supportand commercial services reallyhelpful and friendly and I still seeKathy Penaluna now. The time as agraduate at Swansea Met helped meunderstand what to do and what notto do when starting up a business.”

Helen Stewwww.maiyafashion.co.uk

Helen has now started up a new

business called Maiya that uses high end

organic, Fair-Trade and vintage material

focusing on a more glamorous higher

market. In February 2012 the Maiya

Label was exhibited in

the Ecoluxe London

exhibition show

during London

Fashion week.

Entrepreneur In Residence

One of our Entrepreneurs in Residence is

Jo Ashburner. Jo first established her

company NooNoo designs in 2004

shortly after graduating from Swansea

Met with a first class degree in Surface

Pattern Design. It was whilst studying at

Swansea Met that Jo developed her first

range of products which incorporate free

hand machine embroidered child art

using drawings by her son Zac. Her

company went on to employ 28

people, manufacture overseas and

distribute world-wide. In 2006, Jo was

awarded Business Woman of the Year by

Grazia Magazine and O2. A string of

design and product awards have

followed. The company is built on

principles of the ethical manufacture of

ecologically sustainable and ‘clean’

textiles.

Jo is now an Entrepreneur in Residence

and pops in to provide motivational and

inspirational advice, being both role

model and ambassador. She assists our

students and graduates by offering her

experience and contacts within the

industry by, for example, matching

products with retailers.

“… I couldn’t have done it anywhereelse… I was totally crushed when I firstcame to Swansea Met, with every steeplearning curve in design and business Iused the experience as the rock on whichto rebuild my life…”

Jo Ashburnerwww.noonoodesign.com

Intellectual Property Awareness

Our Commercial Services department

works with graduates to gain up-to-the-

minute information on essential

Intellectual Property issues, for example,

registering trademarks for your new

business and avoiding the pitfalls of

copyright. This shared knowledge is then

passed on to current students, so it

improves new businesses skills for

everyone.

Swansea Met 2011 Graduate Greg

Bombroffe, Creative Director of

Retrosexual Clothing, and his partner

Gareth Morgan, Solutions Director,

recently had to learn about and

understand registering trademarks in

order to launch their new brand,

Retrosexual.

“You can purchase your trade mark bygoing on http://www.ipo.gov.uk/, wherethere are 45 classes of goods available.Our clothes and name are now securedand we are going to secure theRetrosexual Design for wall art next andthen Retrosexual Records.You also have to buythe trademarksin

differentcountries, so Europe

is £800 and the USA is£1500. Without a trademark in

those countries our name could betaken, so we have to buy the trademarksbefore we trade overseas.”

Greg Bombroffe www.retrosexualclothing.com

Giving back - Alumnipresentations

Many graduates give talks and

presentations that help encourage and

inspire students. They give practical

insight and advice and offer contacts and

networks to Swansea Met. Lecturers

invite graduates from different fields and

different levels in order to offer insight

into the ups and downs of different

journeys, from the challenges of recent

graduates, to the increased responsibility

of successful business owners and/or

managers. They don’t pull punches and

the level of honesty is invaluable, so as a

student you get a chance to ask in-depth

questions to those who are just a bit

ahead of you and can connect easily

with you and your studies.

Support Mechanisms – Dropr.com

As you can see, Swansea Met students

know first hand what is needed in order

to get their talents out there. New

breakthroughs by our graduates are

utlised by current students such as the

software Dropr created by graduates in

Multimedia, Mateusz

Cyrankiewicz and Noel

Lynagh.

“Dropr is a portfolio platform for artistswho want to expose their work withminimal fuss. Incorporating the latestonline technology, Dropr offers a widerange of well-thought out features in anattractive easy to use interface. Dropr isthe first portfolio solution to offer fullmultimedia support, allowing users tokeep their images, video, audio, text andinteractive work all in the one place -finally bringing together all onlinemedia.”

Noel Lynaghhttp://dropr.com/

Shut Up and Start Up

Shut Up and Start Up is funded by the

Welsh Government and is an

entrepreneurs club founded to help

encourage graduates and

undergraduates from Swansea Met to

pursue their own business ventures. The

club is entering its fourth year in 2012. Its

mission is to offer no-nonsense business

advice from local business people,

helping its members gain the confidence

to start a company. The club operates in

a seminar format, with one or two key

speakers giving attendees the chance to

hear anecdotes from people who have

the experience of starting their own

business, followed by a question and

answer session and a chance to

network.

Graduates and Undergraduates starting

their own businesses meet every 3rd

Wednesday, in Room 404. Students

utilise Springboard, the online support of

Shut Up and Start Up.

http://springboardsmu.tumblr.comhttp://www.smu.ac.uk/shutupstartup

Business Breakfasts

In Wales, the creative industries have

been identified as a key driver of

business growth. Swansea Met has

encouraged local businesses to work

with their students claiming that by

working with a university, they could have

access to a wide range of resources to

support and develop organisations.

“The creative industries businessbreakfasts are open to students,graduates, start up businesses andestablished businesses alike and are agreat way of not only finding out aboutcurrent developments and supportavailable in the sector but moreimportantly to meet and network withcolleagues from that sector”.

Lisa Lucaswww.smu.ac.uk

Expertise

One of Swansea Met’s aims is to create

professional people with specialised

expertise, and it is always a pleasure to

work with such graduates.

“I got a lot of help from CommercialServices when I was still studying suchas mentoring, and guidance on businessplans, grants and funding. Ben WyethPhotography has been established forfive years now and last year I did areally nice job for Swansea Met where Igot to meet interesting undergraduateentrepreneurs in order to produceposters for Commercial Services. It isnice to stay in touch.”

Ben Wyethwww.benwyeth.co.uk

10

Some important points to finish on: not all students want to start theirown businesses straight out of Uni, so we offer the chance to pop backand get help for up to five years after you graduate. In any case, youmay not want to be self employed but the simple fact is that many ofour graduates will end up working for small business and enterprisingpeople – so understanding how it all works is invaluable experience forthat first interview, not forgetting how helpful it can also be to climbthe career ladder that little bit faster too.

12 13

Student involvement in theseactivities also varies widely and caninclude paid employment, workplacements and volunteering as wellas carrying out a variety of externalprojects as part of, or in addition to,their courses. Students soondiscover that there are many provenbenefits to be gained throughexternal engagement that are inaddition to the obvious and mostwelcome financial rewards.

Getting involved in any externalactivity also provides an idealnetworking opportunity. It’s aboutmaking new contacts, meeting andengaging with new people fromdifferent cultures and backgrounds,and making new friends. Often it’ssimply about enjoying a new activityand actually having fun whilstgaining that valuable life and workexperience.

Wherever possible our students areencouraged to be involved in a widerange of projects that engage withbusiness & industry. For many ofthese students this is the first tasteof industry-related work experience.Working in a particular industry orbusiness sector opens up a wholerange of new opportunities andinsight into various careers, andexposure to different types of jobsand roles can inform and influencecareer choices, providing muchneeded direction.

Several exciting projects areimplemented under the umbrella ofCIRIC, the Faculty’s CreativeIndustries Research and InnovationCentre. These include video andapplied arts, and often these providevaluable learning opportunities towork on a range of projectsalongside experienced industry

professionals. For example, studentshave worked on feature films and TVpilots, and with product designersand fashion companies.

CIME (Creativity & Innovation inMicro Enterprise) is a EuropeanINTERREG project that is centeredon the development andimplementation of creative andinnovative practices into MicroEnterprises. Following extensiveresearch, CIME developed and is inthe process of delivering anextensive and intensive four-tieredtraining and mentoring programme.The whole project is about comingup with and exploring creative waysto deliver and develop skills. Oneidea led to the recruitment of two ofour Illustration students as ‘VisualMinute Takers’ for the Masterclasses. The idea proved sosuccessful that the students are nowin the process of setting up theirown company. Other students havebeen actively engaging in workshopsrelated to Idea Generation & ProblemSolving, Product & ServiceDevelopment and CreativeMarketing. For example, Design forAdvertising students were employedto work with individual businesses tohelp them generate creativemarketing ideas. Severalparticipating students continue toengage with the businesses theyhelped support.

For the last 6 years, from Novemberto February, the faculty has run thepopular Saturday Art School.Children and adults from the regionare given the opportunity to attendfree courses in Drawing & Painting,Textiles, Photography, TV/VideoProduction, Graphic Design, StainedGlass and Ceramics. Studentinvolvement includes being

employed as tutors and assistants orvoluntary placements in the varioussubjects. This engagement providesthem with the opportunity to gaininsight and experience in a teachingenvironment and several of thestudents have been inspired to go onto gain teaching qualifications.Others considering teaching havedecided it’s definitely not for them!

Experience of working in a differentenvironment can often lead to agreater understanding of one’scapabilities, strengths andweaknesses. It builds self-confidence through facing anddealing with challenges and socontributes greatly to personaldevelopment.

This year is the 14th anniversary ofthe Arts in Action ResidencyScheme. Coordinated by the faculty,the programme delivers up to 17arts projects annually in localprimary and secondary schools. Todate, students from Art & Design orHumanities have delivered a total of152 individual projects. This is oftenthe first time that students carry outpaid work within their variousdisciplines in the wider community,enabling them to share theirexpertise within a supportedframework. Recruitment requires the

student to submit a project proposaland attend interview as part of theformal application process.Successful projects have beencarried out in a variety of mediaincluding textiles, photography, bookillustration, site-specific fine art,theatre costume and design,printmaking, ceramics, glass andgraphic design.

Swansea Met has a long history ofworking in partnership with the ABMUniversity Health Trust to provideopportunities for a variety of projectsin local hospitals and varioushealthcare settings. Recentlystudents engaged with the trust on amajor development scheme at CefnCoed hospital that involved theconstruction of new intermediatecare units and facilities on the site.NHS staff, architects and designerswere keen to integrate art works intothe design in order to enhance thepatient environment.

The development consists of an 18-bed ‘slow stream’ facility and two4-bed ‘step down’ units as well as anew 60-bed mental health unit forolder people. The ‘slow stream’mental health rehabilitation serviceprovides treatment for patientsexperiencing an acute and oftenongoing episode of mental illness,

guiding them to achieve goalstowards independence within asupportive environment. ‘Step down’units provide skills learning and thetransitional support between acutecare and the return to the widercommunity.

Students were encouraged to carryout extensive research intoappropriate imagery for this type ofpsychiatric care facilities beforesubmitting proposals for bothinternal and external works. A largenumber of artworks were selectedby a panel consisting of staff andpatients and were purchased by thetrust. Work included photography,prints, paintings and drawings, wallhangings and sculpture.

Participation in any external activityrequires commitment and initiativefrom the student, which in turn canenhance and demonstrateemployability. In order to competeeffectively in the current economicclimate, it is crucial that graduatescan provide evidence to employersof the transferable skills theypossess and many of these can begained and demonstrated throughexternal engagement. A CV is anopportunity to market oneself and tostand out from the crowd whenapplying for jobs. Being able to

present a CV that demonstratesinitiative in addition to academicachievements is essential.

These are just a few examples ofengagement activities that haveprovided our students with theopportunity to exchange, developand gain new skills. As well astechnical knowledge studentsacquire core workplace skillsincluding teamwork, goodcommunication, projectmanagement, planning andorganising and an awareness andunderstanding of how organisationsoperate. All this contributes to theability to demonstrate that crucialexperience that employers look for.

Sometimes though, engagement isjust simply about gaining lifeexperience, a sense of achievementand the understanding thatcontributing to society and theindividuals that make up that societyis something satisfying, worthwhileand valuable.

Making the most ofCommunity Engagement

The faculty of Art & Design at Swansea Met has a longhistory of engagement with the community in which itexists, including the private, public and voluntary sectors.The type of engagement varies, for example, carrying outresearch, learning and knowledge exchange, enablinginnovation in industry and support, development andgenerating opportunities for a variety of individuals andcommunity groups.

Arts in Action

Saturday Art School Cefn Coed CIME Visual Minutes

14 15

Even in the days of high employment whena career-related job was sometimes waitingfor you when you graduated, workexperience and internships were still highlyvaluable. As a photographic student in the70’s I was lucky enough to have 6internships, two arranged by my Universityand four that I arranged myself for vacationperiods. They included the Natural HistoryMuseum, Kew Gardens, London Universityand Sussex University’s design/AVdepartments, a map-making company andthe ILEA Television Centre. I didn’t get paidfor any of these positions but all thisexperience led to my first employment andwithin two years I was working as adesigner for the ILEA, this time with asalary.

In today’s climate internships are even moreimportant as they provide you with real life workwithin your type of industry and are great for CVs.Sometimes a placement can even help you to geta foot in the door for a full time position or free-lance work. Within the creative industries thereare a large proportion of sole-traders who work ona freelance basis so often work-experience, at thepresent time, may by shadowing or assistingindividual artists, media producers and designers.Within your degree programmes you willundertake an external project with an organisationsuch as a company, charity, art gallery etc., whichmay entail working on site, or within theorganisation. Also, often within the programmes,there are live-briefs for clients. The followingsuggestions (and they are just suggestions) mayhelp with this type of project as well as short andlong-term work–placements and internships. Wealso have in the faculty the Creative IndustriesResearch and Innovation Centre (CIRIC) whichhouses several projects that work with thecreative industries and provides work experienceopportunities for students.

Before you get there

1. Find out as much about thecompany/organisation/individual as you canbefore you get there. The organisation will bemore impressed if you’ve taken the time to findout about them. If you can, find out about whatyou will likely be doing. It is unlikely that you willbe working on anything exciting for at least amonth but you will be part of a creative team,however small a part that might be.

2. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Make sure youknow how to find the place on the first day, checkparking, bus/train times etc and arrive early, evenif it means hanging around for a while. Take anotebook, a diary or IPad/phone and somebusiness cards and/or self promotional material,although it is unlikely that anyone will want to seeyour work within the first few days.

3. Practice the likely technologies you will beusing. At university there is time to explore andexperiment with new technologies and software.

Making the most of anInternship or any work experience I have had three internships: one of which was

for Keass in China. Graduates today have toaccept that internships will come beforepermanent employment and the process ofgetting acquainted is a slow one. Colleagueswere working on projects so it was importantthat I fit in where needed, such as doingresearch before I was given a feature wall todesign. The important thing is that you showyour commitment, passion and drive. Theconnection in China gave me the confidence tosecure my next placement. It is definitely allabout leaving that lasting impression.

Grace Ironside

When you are employed/freelancing you don’toften have that chance, so someone with thoseskills is really useful to have around. You can oftenmake your mark by knowing the latest versions ofPhotoshop, Illustrator or even Microsoft Office andcan problem solve using them.

4. Wear the right clothes suitable for aprofessional environment, meeting room orlocation. This is a difficult one, it is for theprofessionals too, as you may need to go straightfrom a client meeting to a muddy, windsweptlocation shoot.

While you are there

5. Although you are usually not getting paid inmonetary terms, it is always worth rememberingthat the company/organisation is doing you afavour by allowing you into their professionalworld. You are being paid in time, which is themost expensive commodity in the workplace.

6. Watch, listen and take note of howcolleagues do things, even the simplest things likeanswering the phone. Learn from everything andeveryone around you.

7. Make yourself as useful as possible, evenwhen the work is really boring (notice I’ve put‘when’ and not ‘if’). If you can be trusted to do theboring work well, this may lead to moreinteresting projects and possibly the opportunityto present your portfolio, show-reel etc. Whateveryou are doing there take it really seriously, asmistakes could have significant consequences.

8. Don’t use social media sites unless it is partof your job and don’t make personal phone calls,except at lunch on your own phone, even if theatmosphere is really laid back. Someorganisations have a really strict policy on this.

9. Continue to be on time and reliable even ifothers in the organisation are not.

10. Ask for feedback about your contribution andbefore you leave the internship, if possible, ask forprofessional opinions on your practice/universitywork and careers advice.

11. Enjoy.

Afterwards

12. At the end of the internship, write and thankthose involved and stay in touch for example sendan invite to your degree show. Let us have yourfeedback about the placement, how you benefitedand whether your experience would help otherstudents.

Professor Andrea Liggins, Dean of Art andDesign, Director of CIRIC.

“The glass department gave me confidence toapply to different competitions and as a result Ienjoyed a 40 week internship as a part of theAward for Excellence, travelling around someof the most prestigious stained glass studios inBritain and Germany. Since finishing theplacements I have been working for ReyntiensGlass Studio in London, on a project for theHouses of Parliament.”

Megan Stacey, BA (Hons)Glass (Graduated 2010)

1716 1716

Ulrich (2008) created five rules of

leadership that help summarise

the responsibilities, roles and

characteristics that lead you in the

direction of being a successful

manager.

Strategist – Shape the future

In the beginning of a person’s life most willbe provided by family or carers, after thatyoung adults usually have to put clothes ontheir own backs, food on their own table,support their own adventures and make theirown success in order to keep the wolf fromtheir own door.

Shaping your own future, creating your ownvisions and pathways has never been moreimportant in order to improve your standardof living. Shaping the future is the first rule ofleadership according to Ulrich (2008) and itstarts with you.

“I went straight into work from school andfelt trapped working in a call centre foryears. At that time I was editing videos formy family and loved it, so I returned toeducation to persue my dreams.”

“Swansea Met taught me self-belief which isthe bedrock of everything a person does. Iwas empowered by the course and the goodmarks and feedback pushed me to just gofor it. My tutors gave me the confidence toenter competitions and apply for jobs Ithought were too advanced. That confidenceis something that really helped duringinterviews and I’m happy I didn’t waste timedoubting and just went for it.”

As a result of returning to Swansea Met,Oanis has been working for Dragon DI asmanager of the iTunes encoding team sinceApril last year. Dragon Di is a post productionhouse based in Pencoed that specialises incolour grading, film restoration, digitaleffects, digital encoding etc. “We are one ofonly a handful of Apple accreditedcompanies in Europe. My new job isfantastic, with great people and greatworking environment. Going back toUniversity is the best thing I have ever done.”

Executor – Make things happen

The second rule of leadership according toUlrich is to make things happen and getthings done. “I ensure that I know all

deadlines and work with my team to meetthem. We talk informally each morning andset out what we hope to achieve by the endof the day. It is a team effort.”

Some of the skills involved in Oanis’ job roleare time and people management, accounts,technical homework on computers, troubleshooting if problems occur and qualitychecks. “I hit the ground running. WithoutSwansea Met it would have taken me longerto learn my job.”

“I picked up leadership experience whenmaking a film for my course where we wouldgather key personnel to discuss an idea as ateam. I remember the adrenaline when Iarrived on the day to film and there wereabout 25 people waiting for me, includingmake-up artists, teachers and students. Ittook me a moment to be confident but then Ijust got on with directing everyone. Thefeeling that I had cracked it was amazing.”

The film Oanis directed during his studieswas Whippoorwill Lane which went on to winBest Horror at the National Student FilmFestival 2011 in London.

Making the most from yourLeadership ExperienceOanis Rawbone graduated as a mature student in 2010 fromSwansea Met with a first class honours degree in Video.The valuable leadership experience that Oanis gained from directingfilm during his course transferred easily into a management role.

“From working with my peers I learned to behonest and build trust which I have takenwith me to my workplace. We don’t work in ahierarchy; I rely on my team as much as theyrely on me.”

Communication is a key success factor forgetting things done in order to makedecisions, gather information, scan theenvironment, process and pass overinformation. “I learned to communicateeffectively during project work at universityand then passed that process over to myemployment. We work in a relaxedatmosphere that is conducive to goodworking practice. We get each other coffeeand ideas are talked about throughout theday. I don’t close myself off, we worktogether and address things together as theycome up and we laugh.”

Talent Manager – Engage in

today’s talent

Identifying, developing, motivating,generating loyalty and building potentialtalent, so that they develop themselves isrule three for managers and leaders. “I aimto build the aspirations of my team bycreating an atmosphere where we talk aboutour feelings and opinions openly. If youempower people it inspires them to do moreand to want to be a part of where theywork.”

At Swansea Met Oanis used the teamenvironment and utilised the resourcesaround him to promote other students’talents within his projects. “When you are inUniversity there are so many resources andskilled people that you can ask. The potterydepartment helped with a clay asteroid andthe Surface Pattern course created somecostumes and props. I saw Karl Mountford’swork and thought it was fantastic so askedhim if he would be interested in collaboratingon a film. We are working together now, Karlis doing the illustrations for my first book.He’s an amazing talent, he does fantasticwork and will go on to great things”

Human Capital Developer – Build

the next generation

Rule four requires that you identify longer-term workforce plans of future talentrequired for future success.

“As with most businesses, opportunities foremployment is born from requirements. As acompany grows its requirements change and

that creates job opportunities. If you areinterested in working for a company, do yourhomework, find out as much as you canabout them and what they do. Workexperience is a great way to introduceyourself to a company and for you to observewhat you could possibly bring to the table.”

“I have contributed to some change sinceworking at Dragon Di in developing differentways of doing things in order to upscale,such as producing new software thatenables us to take on new clients.”

Personal Proficiency – Invest in

yourself

Rule five focuses on character. The Greekssplit character into four cardinal virtues:courage - leading by seizing opportunitiesand dealing with challenges; temperance -leading with personal humility; justice -leading selflessly by doing what is right, andwisdom - leading by applying knowledgeand experience to current situations. Addedlater were: hope - leading by sincerelyarticulating a bright future especially whenthe circumstances look bleak; love - leadingby demonstrating a genuine concern, andfaith - offers positive core valuesdemonstrated through actions. (Eastman2010)

“It is really, really important to be team-orientated, possess a positive attitude andwork well with others. I am determined,whether directing films or managing people,to ensure people enjoy the workingenvironment and become proactive. Yourattitude always comes through; we look forthis in interviews as you can train people upif they have the right attitude. I believe thatSwansea Met helps to create positive,proactive and happy people who get thingsdone. I have belief in myself and my abilitiesand it was Swansea Met that gave me thatconfidence.”

“Ensuring that I am flexible and able to workaccurately in a fast paced environment alllinks back to the environment set up. If aproblem arises in the morning it is tackled bythe afternoon. I think it important foreveryone to muck in. If I have a problem Iask them and vice versa. Leading byexample is crucial.”

“University is exciting, enjoy yourself, believein yourself and utilise everything andeveryone around you. Get involved and get

others involved. Sign up for everything andwork for free if needs be. Meet people andmake contacts. Don’t waste time, startbefore you graduate. Take yourself seriously,if you don’t, who else will? Be positive. Don’tbe afraid to pick up the phone, call thoseproduction companies, make thingshappen.”

Illu

str

ation: R

yan O

’Dare

18 19

More than aBackpacker’sPipedream

It’s no secret that gap year travel has longbeen hailed as a great way to improvecultural knowledge and broaden horizons.But gap years now are a far cry from thebackpacker stereotype of 10 years ago.CV-savvy travellers today recognise a yearout as a great opportunity to gain skillsthat will make candidates stand out fromthe crowd when it comes to reapplyingand seeking employment. Entrants whohave used their time wisely by setting offon volunteer projects and worthwhile travelexperiences will have a much greaterchance of success upon returning homeand re-entering the job market.

Volunteering abroad is an increasinglypopular way to see the world and contributeto meaningful projects. These can includewildlife conservation and community-basedprojects that give the volunteers the chanceto immerse themselves in a new culture andgain valuable inside experience. Viewing theworld through a different culture opens themind to see things differently, arousing allyour senses. Beautiful sceneries, interestinghorizons, ancient architectures andtraditional fashions, materials, patterns andaccessories really offer a chance to expandyour creative mind in order to inject newfeelings and knowledge back into your ownpractice.

For further information on Real Gap visit:www.realgap.co.uk, call: 01892 516164or email: info@realgap.co.uk.

by Will JonesMarketing Manager at Real Gap

Making the most of yourGap Year

I have taken inspiration forprojects from travelling toEuropean countries includingVenice and Prague. Takingyourself away from yourfamiliar environment canhighten your perception andappreciation of what surroundsyou. I have a passion forarchitecture and enjoyrecreating grand classicalfacades of buildings in printingand embroidery.

Harriet Pophanharipop.tumbr.com

20 21

The value ofan exhibitionshould be recognised as a prospectivelaunch pad because it could offer aneffective starting point for a career, projector freelance business.

Exhibitions areopportunitieswhere capablegraduates canpresent their bestwork and wheremarket informationflows freely.Exhibitions canenable students toidentifycompetition andengage withvisitors and talenthuntersrepresenting thedesign industry,potentialemployers, thepress and buyers.Students andgraduates exhibittheir work locally atSwansea Met, TheWaterfrontMuseum and theGrand Theatre andnationally in sell outnational exhibitionssuch as ‘NewDesigners’ and‘Free Range’. 

Prepare your selfpsychologically! You have got to be capable oftaking knockbacks because you willget them, but you must go on andkeep plugging the next one. Youhave the transferable skills thatpotential employers need, no matterwhat job you are doing.

Gavin Kirby (Lecturer)

InspirationI collect things and keep asketchbook of designs that I like anddislike in order to work out myinspirations and get things fromthem.

Laura Adams

Planning! List tasks and attach schedules tomeet your goals. Even the smallthings like drills, hammers andscrewdrivers, and you MUST NOTforget a spirit level! Checkeverything, don’t cut corners, it’s gotto be perfect.

Scott Mulanby

Teamwork Loyalty and trust came from workingtogether throughout the degree. Wealways help and recommend eachother to potential clients.

Tom Ward

BudgetingTo raise money we put on musicnights with raffles and externalexhibitions to seek donations.Sticking to a budget was tricky,making lists of income andexpenditure was essential. Weordered business cards as a groupto save money.

Rachel Adam

PromotingWhen promoting an exhibition thereis a focus on inviting the right peopleto view your work. Take advantageof every kind of media available.Business cards and post cards withcontact details are a good way ofpromoting individual work.

Rijan Tardy

PortfolioBe familiar with your portfolio andknow what you are going to say inorder to get your message across.Go through it a couple of times thenight before with family or friends tobuild your confidence.

Josh Stevens

ProfessionalismIt’s the little things, attention to detailthat produce work to a highstandard. Symmetry, consistency,space and order are importantwhen hanging work. There is a lot ofinteresting dialogue between works.Look at the space and use itspotential to make it look asprofessional and classy as possible.

Paul Duerinckx (Lecturer)

SatisfactionSeeing your work on the wall givesyou insight into how it could look inan everyday environment. It makesyou think and puts you up againstother people, and you up yourgame a little bit!

Charlotte Wood

SecurityIt is a good idea to look into thesecurity and liability insurance foryour work as loopholes in galleryinsurance could leave you withoutcover.

Leezann Davies

NetworksDuring New Designers we teamedup with Portsmouth University andtook part in a ‘Live Art’. It was greatto mix with other students andexchange experiences. Peoplecame and watched, it was achance to do something out ofpassion. We have since been askedto create the Swansea Met stand forDesign Your Future which hasopened up different opportunitiesand business ventures.

Dave Long

22 23

In 2008 Tom Pope graduated from SwanseaMet with a First Class Honours Degree inPhotography in the Arts.

He then went on to complete a one year residencyat Swansea Met and has since graduated fromthe Royal College of Art. Tom has exhibited workat the Royal West of England Academy of Arts andin the Mission Gallery Swansea where he was thefirst prize winner of the Open Exhibition 2008.During Tom’s time at Swansea Met he enteredevery photography competition that was relevantto his practice and this enthusiasm led toadditional exhibition opportunities. In NewSensations 2007 Tom’s entry went on to beexhibited in other exhibitions for the rest of theyear. Recently the Deutsche Bank Awards 2011presented Tom with a £10,000 prize to producemore work, coupled with a business mentor whowill help him to become self-sufficient and live offhis own practice over the next few years. “It’s

about doing a lot of everything: workshops,commissions, selling work, talks and exhibitions.The £10,000 is going to allow me to be able towork in a studio for the next year, working on abig project and hopefully I can exhibit that projectand sell some of the work. If you want to sell yourwork then you have got to exhibit it.”

Tom has always wanted to be an artist and exhibitwork and he gained valuable information onfinancing and obtaining funding to exhibit outsidethe University during his external project. “Onemodule requirement was to undertake an externalassignment outside the University, in industry. Afriend and I planned a venture whereby weobtained funding to go to San Francisco to makea photographic project using the largest Polaroidcamera in the world.”

“Exhibitions are quite intense and I know howimportant they are at the moment for meeting

people, you need to be very sociable. Privateviewing is all about a social place for networking.People go to exhibitions to see artwork but theyalso go to see friends in the art world, which arevery small circles. The viewing public consists ofart collectors and buyers; there are people whocould offer you funding or residencies andworkshops, and this is where it all happens. Face-to-face time enables you to meet artists, curators,collectors etc, so I think that is what exhibiting isall about. I try to do at least one exhibition ayear.”

Tom’s check-list consists of everything frompresentation to working with galleries, organisingpeople and assistants, explaining what you areshowing, invites, mailing lists, printing, takingwork to framers and organising AV audioequipment. “I normally stop making work a monthbefore and it all kicks in naturally these days;dealing with people and working against

deadlines is not the easiest, especially in the artworld. I normally have about ten things to doevery day for about two weeks. It is quite intense.It’s project management at the end of the day.”

“It is good to see your work presented in a waythat you envisioned or wanted it. When you’re inthe studio it is on the wall, tight and compact. Youhave to come up with ways in which to presentyour work in galleries, with more space andbigger walls, seeing if that vision works and if theidea is successful. It is always good to finally getthere, to see where your work is destined to be.”

Looking back on his success Tom believes thatliving in Swansea as a Swansea Met studentreduced the pressures upon him in the beginningto become a good photographer and good artist.In Swansea he was free from expectation andencouraged to do what he wanted and find hisown techniques. “I was told to bring in a new

piece of work to every ‘crit’ or tutorial, so that iswhat I stuck by, it just continued working. Mylecturers never told me that I couldn’t tryanything, they let me try it all and that freedomand method of working was the most importantthing for me and I have taken those skills with meto the Royal College of Art.”

Tom’s main research areas are performance,repetition, time and public space. His workcomes from how these four areas link together.Much of this work has stemmed from hisdissertation while at Swansea Met, where heresearched how photography documentsperformance, the photographer’s relationship withperformance, how the photograph becomes arecord of the performance and then continues tobecome the performance so that it continues toperform. “My practice and work is still based onmy dissertation and my continued research stemsfrom that dissertation.”

The advice Tom has to offer fresh photographersis to “have fun and find yourself, find what youlike doing. People in the industry like to wait untilstudents are in their third year when they are at apoint where they are able to exhibit or they have afinal show. It’s similar in MA as well, galleries andcurators are interested in talking to us but theydon’t want to see our work until a few weeksbefore the final show.... so, in the first year don’tlisten to anyone, do what you want, find your ownmethods, enter the competitions that are right foryou and don’t stop! If you’re an artist you can’tstop making work, it’s a 24-7 job, it takes a lot oftime and a lot of sacrifices but the rewards makeit worthwhile”

An interview with

Tom Pope

“If you wantto sell yourwork then youhave got toexhibit it.”

24 25

“The inspiration for the suit cameprimarily from technology. I takethings apart! I took a broken televisionapart and created three to fourdifferent designs from the six circuitboards found inside that television.

I also did my dissertation on theassociation of the suit as masculineand how it could be perceived thatwomen become stripped of theirfemininity when they wear the suit.This is something I take intoconsideration when designing suits fordifferent clients.

I would love to have my name inmen’s fashion and to see my designson the catwalk. I recently visitedLondon Fashion Week and it was soinspiring, they were already showingtrends for the next two years, whichwas incredible. I got a realappreciation for the garments andbeing able to see the detail andstitching along with the atmospherewas fantastic.

Fresh out of university, the first thingyou realise is that it is up to you tomake new contacts and exhibitingyour work is the best way to do that.Of course, if you win any competitionyou gain acknowledgment, howeveryou learn more from taking part andmaking important decisions whenworking on your own brief to start your

journey as an independent designer.The tutors at Swansea Met werebrilliant at preparing us for workingindependently when we leave.

I concentrated all my efforts on theEnd of Year Show. I was verypassionate about my designs and thatcame through when talking to visitors,tutors and the examiner. I made surethat I worked on my design for thefinal show daily to ensure it was of avery high standard. I think that passionhelped get me into New Designerswhere I made contact with Shiu-KayKan the Managing Director of SKK, aninnovative lighting shop in London thatprovides perfect lighting for uniquedesign requirements.

Shiu-Kay Kan asked me to make a suitthat incorporated LED lighting to beexhibited in his shop in London. SKKinvited 150 people to the exhibitionincluding a variety of clients, Japanesepress, filming companies, RoyalCollege of Art tutors and more. Mydesign was one of five that includedtwo fashion designers; two animationdesigners and one graphic designer toproduce work integrating innovativelighting. By working with SKK on thisproject I have a better understandingof LED lighting and the many differentstyles available. In order to moveforward with my design I willincorporate copper wire to connect the

lights, as it is less bulky and morefluid. For the SKK exhibition I exhibitedtwo jackets, one on a stand and theother was worn during the exhibitionby one of SKK employees.

Shiu-Kay Kan encouraged me to workproactively and independently. He isvery honest and has given me aplatform from which to launch mycareer by giving me key contactdetails, but he left it up to me to buildmy own relationships. One of SKK’scontacts has asked me to make a suitfor a party where the lights will besynchronized, flowing from the top tothe bottom like a waterfall. I have alsobeen encouraged to look into LEDwedding suits.

I love my work and wouldn’t ever wantto do anything else! My advice toSurface Pattern Design students wouldbe to enjoy themselves and stay openminded. I started the coursedetermined that I was going to bedoing 3D design when I graduated andended up in male fashion. Use theworkshops and facilities: the lazer andwater cutters, embroidery machineand print machine as much aspossible. The course teaches you skillsfrom traditional to technical, learnfrom them all and play with them allbecause, when you graduate, you willhave to find new contacts for thesefacilities and that costs money.”

“

”My love of technology has influenced my work in menswear

as I try to mimic different forms to create my patterns.

I am heavily influenced by men’s fashion, my work consists

of traditional tailoring of men’s blazers incorporating a new

technical design to the fabric, using embroidery and LED

lighting. By mimicking the digital frontier within the computer,

I strive to convey a new aesthetic of the man’s suit. This

incorporation of traditional tailoring and technology gives the

idea of the old and new and thereby flipping tailoring on

its head.

Ce

rys

Ac

kla

nd

Cerys Ackland graduatedfrom Swansea Met in 2011with a First Class HonoursDegree in Surface PatternDesign.

The DistributionGreg and Gareth focused next on the clothingrange, targeting one or two shops in each majorcity. Retrosexual aimed to get creative with theirpoint of sales and have created retro arcademachines with rails inside to hang their clothingrange on. “Almost a mini shop within a shop, justa rail, quirky!”

The NetworkSince the launch, Retrosexual have shifted their

focus onto the Internet in order to build theRetro music and artists’ scene. “We want tocreate a gallery for selling art andphotography. We are also working withbands and promoting events. We have usedbeer coasters that say ‘Have a drink on us!’for people to checkout the Retrosexual siteand see what we are all about.”

The FeedbackIn order to guard Retrosexual, it has beenimportant to gather feedback from blogs,customers and shops. We have a group ofmarketing students who work for us promotingevents and gathering information. One discoverywas that people found it hard to read the logo andso Greg has gone back to the drawing board.“Using marketing students has helped people bemore honest than if I was asking questions; wehave asked about the text and colours, as colourincreases recognition. We have also sent outquestionnaires to our mailing lists and have doneresearch in clubs to find out our potentialcustomers’ preferences.”

The Aspiration“As soon as you start your course you are anartist. Promote yourself from the start. If we hadlistened to bystanders giving advice and goingagainst us, Retrosexual would never havehappened. Stick to your guns. You have to swimupstream and fight against it. Think about whatyou want, keep that excitement in your stomachand just go for it!”

26 27

The Big Distinguishing DifferenceRetrosexual is more than a brand; its trademarkstands for goodness and nobility. It is a creativehub, an umbrella of vintage seventiesparaphernalia, where similar styles,attached to great values, areshowcased in the limelight toattract advocates, sharing thosesame great styles and values.Images, songs, photographs, clothingand accessories by artists,photographers, musicians anddesigners will have a meeting place toreveal their designs and share their lovefor everything that is Retro.

The Followers’ ExperienceRetrosexual’s main focus is in promoting andcreating content that is remarkable. The brandpromise for the Retro-fit range of clothing is tobe high-end. “Clothing that can be wornclubbing or skating and would not look out ofplace at a good restaurant either.” Followerswill experience quality in products that areethically and locally sourced through WRAP(Working Together for a World withoutWaste). This honesty is reflected in theRetrosexual products so that the peoplewho wear them feel happy. There is noroom for negative unjust materials forRetrosexual believe that their karmacannot allow for that.

The AnticipationGreg and Gareth used a series ofposters with limited information tobuild anticipation. The first four monthsbefore the launch stated, ‘It’s Coming!’with the Retro Symbol. “No-one knewwhat Retro was at that point!” Thesecond poster included the date, andthen the third had a list of bands and detailsof the Launch Party.

The First Impression The Retrosexual launch took place at The GrandTheatre. The free admission, central location andafternoon opening with BBQ and bands outsidebrought in a variety of demographics. “We createda buzz, Swansea people spread the Retrosexualword faster than any promotion could have.” Thelaunch was followed up with a two-week wall artexhibition. “You have to be creative. You can makesomething memorable on a small budget.”

The PromotionRetrosexual used flyers, social media,newsletters, posters and word of mouth topromote the launch. “We tried to appeal to allsenses with retro wall art, clothing and the smellof the BBQ. The great line-up of music outsidemeant that everyone was laughing and smiling.That good vibe attached itself to our brand.”

Retrosexual Launch their

BRANDGreg Bombroffe graduated from SwanseaMet with a degree in Advertising in 2011.His Retrosexual designs for his end of yearshow sold out and, with the encouragementof his tutors and the backing of businesspartner Gareth Morgan, Retrosexualembarked on a path of retro revival.

The launch was just the beginning,Retrosexual has a business plan fullof ideas!

'A brand name ismore than a word.It is the beginning

of a conversation.'- Lexicon

28 29

1. A graduate can feel like a small fish in a vast ocean. There is much to learn and guidance is much needed.

2.Direction and action can be held back by self-doubt. A mentor has thewords of encouragement you need.

3.Aim high and find a mentor who has achieved the success you seek. Ask for a reasonable requirement such asbeing able to email them once a month with no more than three questions.

4.A mentor can invite you into networks that take years to develop.

5. The law of reciprocity. Offer your mentor something in exchange for their help, which is of similar value, i.e. helping them promote theirlatest work.

6.A mentor can inform, encourage, open doors, push, guide, solve, motivate, check, redirect and collaborate. Being a mentor can be rewarding, improve leadership and coaching skills, recap on expertise and improve their own performance.

7.Stand out from the crowd, be unique,reveal your new confidence, commitment and ambition so that you can be admired.

Your Heroas YourMentor!

I needguidance

Self-doubtholds me

back

one gooddeed deserves

another

feelinggood

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Amy Teslin Davies graduated from Swansea Met in 2009 and sheimmediately started freelancing for clients who approached her fromher end of year exhibition and New Designers. At present sheworks as a full-time freelancer for a small companywhere she is still able to freelance on the side. Shehas the security of continuous work andincome with the flexibility to take time off forother work or holidays. Amy can work fromhome and has a brilliant working relationship with her ManagingDirector. Amy loves freelancing because it gives her complete controlof her life, she gets to work from home and can dip in and out ofdifferent projects for different clients. “I would say my best job hasbeen working for Shewee Ltd. They featured on Dragons Den andhave had continuous publicity through the likes of Top Gear, Radio 1and Loose Women.

Jonathon Browning is a freelance photojournalist who graduatedfrom Swansea Met in 2005. He loves freelancing because of thefreedom, being his own boss and not being constrained to a 9-5 job.He feels more in control, enjoys the flexibility and loves the travel thatgoes with it. His best job was working for Der Spiegel, a Germanmagazine, where he undertook a story about wealth in China andphotographed multi-millionaires, taking a look at their lifestyles andseeing what they spend their money on.

David LaGrange is a lecturer at Swansea Met. He graduated in1981 and worked as a designer on a ManPower Service Scheme andlater moved into freelancing. He enjoyed working as a freelancerbecause he made decent money and was able to choose the work hewanted to do. David also benefited from being able to organise hisworking hours around other commitments. David’s best job wasworking for the Ecology Exhibition for the National History Museum, aproject that lasted a year with a budget of seven million pounds.

Does FREElancing Pay?David LaGrange, Jonathon Browning and Amy Teslin Daviesall say YES, being both lucrative and achieving FREEdom!

Advantages could come in terms of being your own boss and having control over your working hours,projects and rates of pay. Freelancing, however, is also demanding in terms of time, responsibility and riskand therefore requires high levels of professionalism and organisation to succeed.

Freelance has come down to usfrom medieval times, when

knights independent of any Lordroamed thecountryside insearch ofadventure.... Freemen would selltheir skills with thelance to anymaster, whetherhis cause wasgood or bad. Becausethey were unattached, theywere known as “freelancers”.

Sir Walter Scottin Ivanhoe (1820)

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Keep designing and making projects

“It is difficult to get commissions if youhaven’t been commissioned before. Makeyour own projects to put on your website toshow you are competent and they can trustyou. As a graduate I taught English toUniversities in China and continued withphotography by taking pictures for myselfand making my own projects to put on mywebsite which I was able to exhibit onlineand sell.”Jonathon Browning

Prospect

“I had to use my own initiative to get mycareer started. Every time I returned home Iwould always go to London and try to meetthe picture editors of the broadsheets. I haveshown a project to a magazine and theyhave said that they love the story but thepictures were not comprehensive enoughand so I went out and did it again and soldthe project.” JonathonBrowning.

“When I lived in London I made as manycontacts as I could in the publishing industryand then did a lot of design for books. That iswhere the work continues to come from....”David LaGrange

Have a niche

“It’s important to not have too wide a rangein your portfolio, prepare a different portfoliofor each potential new client. Keep a tightnarrow edit, be specific and, if you do crossinto other areas, market yourself separately.”Jonathon Browning

Professionalism

“Professionalism is extremely important ifyou want to keep clients so I always makesure all my clients give me a date forcompletion. I have also learned thatcommunicating with them through everystep of the design process is key. If you avoidcommunicating and simply just email thefinished piece, who is to justify where andhow the time was spent? Regular updates

are a tool to legitimising your job.”Amy Teslin

Davies

Persistence

“I have been trying for sevenyears, since I graduated in 2005,and it is only the last two years that I havebeen able to survive from photography alone.When I was a student I would present workfor feedback, more often than not it would benegative, and I would do it again. Sometimesit would take up to four attempts before Inoticed an improvement. I then recognisedthe need to have persistence.”Jonathon Browning

Update your skills

“The design skills are important but also thewillingness to adapt to a rapidly changingenvironment. The skills learned in one periodwill effectively be obsolete in five years, soyou have to keep moving and you have toget on with people. Swansea Met studentsare taught that they have to adapt, we can’tteach them everything they need to knowand they have a fair degree of self-learning.That should stand them in good stead for therest of their career.” David LaGrange

‘In light of the economic recovery appearing only weak, the

preferred staffing option for hiring employers is freelancers,

rather than full-time employees.... The number of people in

the digital and design industry working as freelancers has

increased five-fold in the last year, meaning the self-

employed now account for more than a quarter of the

workforce.’ www.freelanceuk.com

"The lance was intimately

connected to status and

importance. Quality and

craftsmanship in Armour were

valued by knights almost as

much as efficiency."

http://preachan.tripod.com/knight

s1.html

Reinvest

“I put aside a third of my income everymonth and have a system to record all myoutgoings. Having to save just to pay off anenormous tax bill at the end of the year is adisadvantage. It’s important to keeporganised. I keep my time sheets on thecomputer and print them off at the end ofthe year. Declare everything, pay your billsand then you can sleep at night. On theother hand, getting my new Macbook Proknocked off my tax bill was very satisfying.”Amy Teslin Davies

Be a savvy and consistent marketer

“I market myself via my personal websiteusing search engine optimisers. I useLinkedIn for getting contacts and work andthe Foreign Correspondents’ Club in order tonetwork with journalists. It is often journaliststhat I get commissions through rather thanthe head office.” Jonathon Browning

Diversify

Once trust has been established in aspecialised area, creative people can usuallyadapt their talents to be used in differentfields, known as an ‘up-sell’. Packagedesigners with digital skills are in highdemand.

Work with competitors

This may seem like a conflicting habit butthe best recommendation you can get isfrom your competitor. Healthy competitionand teaming up on occasions can help youto standardise operations, methods, ratesand delivery. “In an atmosphere of goodcompetition, all competitors develop and sodoes the market.”Pandit (2005)

Jonathon Browning

“Photograph what YOU want to photograph.Do listen to your tutors and take on boardtheir comments but also keep going in yourstyle or whatever style you are working in. Ifyou have a decent image you should be ableto let the image stand for itself.”

Does Freelancing Pay?

“YES!” With persistence it does. It is muchmore global now and you can open up to alot more clients over the internet.

Amy Teslin Davies

“Do it, do it, do it! You have to work hard,maybe volunteer and put up with difficultclients but it is worth it because eventuallyyou’ll be able to choose who you work for.”

Does Freelancing Pay?

“YES!” with the communication industryincreasingly revolutionising it is more thanconvenient to freelance. It is possible toreach international clients as well as localones. With a combination of well thought outself-promotion, professionalism whendealing with clients and, of course, somehard graft, you may be on your way to a veryrewarding career.

David LaGrange

“Keep faith with yourself and keep faith withyour abilities, because there are plenty ofpeople out there who will try to put you downand you need to be able to trust what youare doing. The best advice I give to studentsis to keep faith with themselves.”

Does Freelancing Pay?

“YES! If you are willing to travel, i.e. go toLondon to get the work in the first place. Ifyou are consistent, on time and hit yourdeadlines, you will get work and you willkeep work. You’re only as good as your lastjob!”

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It is difficult not to be able to forge lifelong high

quality friendships with fellow students within

university, possibly because they are based on

fun and independence, coupled with reflected

support and knowledge exchange within

creative art practical, theory and exam

environments. Additionally, student friendships

also integrate team building and team working

relationships that work really well when they

overflow into the employment industry.

All four artists share the same

fondness for their time in

Foundation describing it as ‘a

fertile time where you feel you

can do anything’.

Emphasising that Foundation

encouraged the development

of a language for talking about

work, creative ability and

confidence. They recognised

the course’s focus on finding

the correct form for a piece of

work or gesture which could

range from painting, film,

assemblage, sculpture or

performance.

“The course promotes lateral

thinking and problem solving

as well as traditional art skills.

It’s really an intense time and

you bond with your peers,

critiquing each others' works

and meeting new friends

through artwork”.

All four artists’ individual

practices are flourishing,

winning national and

international prizes, exhibiting

Internationally as well as

developing new ways of

working and focusing on

collaborative and

interdisciplinary projects.

Working collaboratively has

helped a sharing of resources,

enabling quicker

responsiveness to queries and

increasing expertise. Being

based in Swansea has not

limited the breadth of their

practices. It has enabled

members participation with

the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

exchange project in China

and other projects in Mexico

and Germany as well as a real

desire to reinvest culturally in

their home city.

Supersaurus obtained their

studio via Coastal Housing

who are redeveloping the

High Street area as part of

Swansea Creative Hub,

offering spaces for creative

activities and development

throughout the city and in

doing so, cultivated a strong

support network.

“By offering an artist in

residence scheme we feel we

are broadening the

opportunity presented to us to

Swansea’s creative

community.” Aled

Supersaurus have also had

external support and found

that working as a collaborative

has helped; functioning as an

individual entity with a

collective CV enables a wider

scope of opportunities.

“Members of the group have

secured individual funding for

different projects including

support from Wales Arts

International the Welsh branch

of British Council, Arts Council

of Wales, the Cooperative

Group and the Taliesin Arts

Centre.” Aled

Supersaurus recommend

joining collaborative networks

like Axis, Artawe or AN

magazine and visiting a lot of

exhibitions to meet the right

people.

All four artists agree that their

biggest achievement as a

group is getting the studio

space to run and that has

helped each of them with their

individual successes. It is

definitely something they are

all very passionate about

stating that the fact they are

all still working together is a

privilege.

Supersaurus is an arts collective who met onFoundation Art & Design at Swansea Met in 2001.The group, who formed in 2010, balances individualpractice with a focus on collaboration. They haveexhibited widely both collectively and individually andhave been commissioned to undertake projects andinitiatives.  Supersaurus have taught individually asvisiting lecturers and also as a group with Foundationstudents at Swansea Met. They are all involved in theart community of Wales and play an active role inSwansea’s art scene.

Adele Vyeis winner of Welsh Artist of the Year, TimeBased Category, 2009 and is working withGlynn Vivian Art Gallery on their BookProject.

Aled Simonsis an artist/designer and winner of Welsh

Artist of the Year in 2011 for mixed mediaand has recently had a solo show at MissionGallery.

Fern Thomasis a Winner of the Welsh Artist of the Year,2009, Mostyn Open Prize in 2011 and Artsand Humanities Research Council Award.

Owen Griffithsis winner of Welsh Artist of the Year,Drawing category 2009. In 2011 he wascommissioned by Cultural Olympiad Walesto work on a project in Swansea. He is alsoa Lecturer on the Foundation Program atSwansea Met.

MEMBERS

3736

Oriel BachThe Little Gallery In Mumbles

Oriel Bach was founded in 2010 just before Leezann Davies, Katherine O’Brien andDanielle Charles graduated in BA (Hons) Photography of the Arts at Swansea Met.They came across the exhibition space, which was called the Winter Gallery, whenseeking a place to hold an external exhibition for the External Folder which was part oftheir degree.

Goal One:Re-brand

Oriel Bach’s brand image is here for theartists, a voice for local artists, keepingcommission low and rent reasonable in orderfor the artwork to be appreciated.

Oriel Bach takes 20% commission and offersreduced rent to help new and local artists,they also waiver fees for charitableorganisations. They then charge for smallextras such as exhibition opening evenings,any additional requirements, flyers and fornewly painted clinical white walls.

“We felt it necessary to change the nameof the Winter Gallery as it was definitelytime for a re-brand. As the gallery was tobe open all year round, such a seasonaltitle was no longer appropriate.”

Katherine O’Brien

“We realised that the primary goal of theWinter Gallery was a new look and,with that, a new name. I thought of TheLittle Gallery. Danielle translated it into‘Oriel Bach’ in order to have Welshassociation and Kat added the Slogan‘The Little Gallery in Mumbles.’”

Leezann Davies

Goal Two:Renovation

The first time Leezann, Kat and Danielle sawthe gallery the place was dark and dingy, thecurtains were closed and it had browncarpet.

“Being proactive and with the help ofMumbles Development Trust, the gallerywas given a massive facelift with newflooring, lighting and additional wallspace added. We have had the privilegeof working with professional artists and,on more than one occasion, we have hadfeedback from exhibitors congratulatingus on our attention to detail and ourability to organise and display work.None of this would have been possiblewithout the keen advice we receivedfrom our tutors. From our first year, wewere taught the importance of howsimply displaying your work can makeor break your piece and when you get itright, I mean absolutely right, then theconcepts behind your work can shinethrough.”

Katherine O’Brien

Goal Three:Network

Oriel Bach is the only gallery in MumblesVillage for hire and this means they have aunique selling point of exhibiting differentwork on a sometimes weekly basis. Localartists leave their cards which has enabledOriel Bach to build relationships and increasenetworks.

“Our degree taught us to keep a visitor’sbook so we could gain feedback andbecause of the seasonality of Mumbles,we also keep a daily footfall count so wecan identify the busiest periods as well asallowing us to see if any new marketingtechniques we’ve implemented areworking. The feedback we’ve had hasbeen fantastic and even the mostcontroversial of works has causedthought provoking conversations aroundthe village.”

Katherine O’Brien

“Raising awareness of Oriel Bach andsocial networking has also helped withour personal work. I now freelance withAmmanford Theatre Company, Mess UpThe Mess, teaching photography toyoung adults, and Kat is working withSwansea Met Students.”

Leezann Davies

Goal Four:Promotion

Oriel Bach started using Facebook, Twitterand local networks and maintained arelationship with Swansea Met.

“It was essential that Oriel Bach wasable to build awareness of newmanagement and work practices to localpeople and visitors in order to create ourown reputation and image. Kat did afew talks at Swansea Met and I emailedproject briefs for free exhibitions. Bothmethods were very effective and essentialfor Oriel Bach to progress as an artorganisation.”

Leezann Davies

Goal Five:Curating Exhibitions

Recently, and due to the increasedvolunteers at Oriel Bach, Leezann, Kat andDanielle have been able to be more proactivewhen planning exhibitions. To curate art workfrom a variety of sources to meet a projectbrief involves assembling, cataloguing,managing and displaying artistic collections.Oriel Bach has also been able to assist theirvolunteers in curating exhibitions of theirown.

“It has been amazing seeing Oriel Bachdevelop and grow. At the start we had topractically beg for artists to give us workto exhibit on a commission only basis. Itwas fun and exciting but it left us withlimited time for advertising. Now we arebooked out for two years and we can vetthe work two months in advance. Weask artists to supply us with at least fivejpeg images of their work and a writtenproposal of how they intend displayingtheir work. This allows the whole teamto know what the work is about andhelps start the ball rolling withadvertising, press releases, catalogues,promotional materials, etc.”

Leezann Davies

Goal Six:Profits & The People

Oriel Bach is now starting to make smallprofits. They are fully booked two years inadvance and have promising forecasts. Theyhave seen an increase in its volunteers and,by offering reduced rent on exhibition space,many exhibitors have stayed working withOriel Bach and offered their time, expertiseand enthusiasm to make a contribution towhat Oriel Bach stands for:THE LOCAL ARTIST!

“Owen Martin came to us to exhibit andsigned onto our team as our IT man. Hisgenius in technical knowhow hasimproved our social networking, givenus a website and domain orielbach.com,blogged us, tweeted us, along with fixingcomputers, maintaining links withSwansea Met and offering an abundanceof brilliant ideas.”

Leezann Davies

“We have built on the skills learnt in University.Our combined external folders still form the corepart of the gallery with the only difference beingthat they now take up an entire filing cabinet and

are forever growing!”

3938

Entrepreneurial Learning

It is very important that we teach students to be able

to ‘learn to learn’, but personal reflection can be

difficult to evaluate and grade. We use design

principles such as ‘divergent production’. This

technique requires the students to come up with

multiple solutions and to reflect back on how they

came up with them, being able to ‘join the dots’ as to

how they make creative connections to solve

problems. This is a skill for life and once understood,

is a natural way to approach any new problem or

opportunity-driven situation.

Brain research tells us that we get our best ideas and

most creative ideas when we are relaxed. What is

important is to get the students to gain confidence

and to develop their skills so that they have reduced

stress levels when they need to be innovative. This

approach has to be carefully developed step by step

throughout the course, for example, with lots of

pitching of ideas and sharing experiences. Other

approaches include changing timescales and

changing briefing details, so the students get used to

being more flexible and adaptable. 

Students get curious and learn through a process of

discovery and experiment. Theory is often explained

after the students have experienced the results for

themselves – the theory lecture comes after the

actual experience, it explains to students what

happened and why, so that they can make sense of

their experiences.

JOINING THE DOTSCreative Connectionsfor Solving Problems

Practice makes Perfect

The company was shocked that

I knew what I was talking about

and was able to get new clients.

Swansea Met prepared me for

these situations by encouraging

me to take part in live briefs with

real businesses. Plus the skills

learnt showed employers that

new graduates could be

important additions to

their businesses in a

rapidly changing market

place.

Fitting in

The Advertising and Branding

degree gave me a unique view

of the media industry. If you

understand how a business

operates and succeeds, then

you know where your skills fit

into the jigsaw puzzle. Big

companies are on the decline in

many areas and lots of new

companies are emerging, so if

you understand the motivational

factors within a new business

you are streets ahead of your

competition.

Understand your colleagues

I think it is important to learn about

skills that are used by your

colleagues and businesses around

you. Being able to use the correct

terminology improves interpersonal

skills, as effective communication is

key. Having a background

knowledge of marketing, admin, the

design process and printing makes

it easier to communicate.

Professional Studies teaches these

valuable skills that are transferable

in many industries.

Under the skin

Learning to sit ‘under the skin’ of a

brand is the vital key.  When

representing a client it is important to

communicate with them

regularly to identify with their

brand and promote the correct

message. This involves presenting

the problem to my CEO and

pitching solutions back to my

client. A lot of time is spent researching

and writing features to meet the criteria

in the brief.

Sharing Experiences

Staying in contact with

graduates help Swansea Met

lecturers become reflective

learners as shared experiences

help modify lessons, keeping

them up-to-date with the current

industry. Two way process

Communication is the most fundamental part of my

job which involves presenting my client’s message to

the public but also the public views to my clients. 

One of Swansea Met’s 2010Advertising graduates,Siobhan Eyres walkedconfidently into her new roleas Public RelationsConsultant for Cuban Eightand praised The AdvancedCreative Enquiry module forpreparing her by sharingexperiences through livebriefs and close connectionswith indurstry.

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SHAPING YOUROWN FUTUREWHEN REFLECTING ON THE INTERVIEW UNDERTAKEN WITH RHIAN HULLIN, I

COULDN’T HELP BUT FEEL INSPIRED AND CONNECTED. ON ENTERING THE

WATERS CREATIVE OFFICE I IMMEDIATELY FELT COMFORTABLE AND WELCOME;

THE ATMOSPHERE WAS RELAXED BUT BUSY, FRIENDLY BUT PROFESSIONAL AND

YOU COULD DEFINITELY FEEL THE BUZZ OF CREATIVITY AND CONCENTRATION.

One of Rhian’s roles as Waters Creative Directorinvolves building a dynamic team by staying activeand involved with team moral and empoweringemployees to take ownership of their roles toincrease performance and potential.

I was able to see that Rhian was approachable fromthe onset and that she holds natural and pleasantleadership qualities and it was also notable thatmany of those qualities, though now enhanced,seemed to have originated from her time as aGraphic Design student at Swansea MetropolitanUniversity.

Waters Creative is a design and marketing studio,dedicated to integrating business strategy withcommercial impact, in an inspired and memorableway. It has built its reputation on visionary ideas,exceptional creativity, strategic thinking, personalservice and a “Can Do!” attitude.

The team brings a wealth of experience and successin graphic design, marketing and communications,spanning over 20 years, to a satisfied client base.

[ Personal Skills ]

It was important that Rhian was able to shapeher own future and this course of action startedin university where Rhian ensured that shecompleted as many external projects as possible.“The experience of working with customers andcompanies whilst pushing myself to understand theirrestrictions and expectations helped to developprofessional communication skills and build links. Ialso made sure that my lecturers understood thepath that I wanted to take.”

It was those external links that led Rhian toWaters where she became a designer.“It was only by becoming a junior designercompleting the day to day tasks, and continuallymeeting expectations, that lead me to mydirectorship at Waters Creative.”

Standing out is an essential attribute to success.“You have to have something a little different tooffer. Personality is key. Of course, your results areimportant, but you have to be able to portray andexplain to a client why and how those ideasflourished and where you plan to take them. It’sabout building relationships, it’s the individualsapproach to things that gets the job done in myexperience.”

Again the Marketing and Self Promotion modulewas highlighted as key in developing thequalities needed within the industry to achievecompetitive advantage.“The regular tutorials and commercial companytalks and presentations that emphasisedexpectations from graduates were a massive help.Also, experiencing assignment deadlines helped toensure you understand deadlines when you arefaced with them.”

For a graphic designer, structure and timeframesare key.“You work backwards constantly from a print slot, sotimesheets and time management are vital. You willlearn to time jobs through experience. Unfortunately,six weeks to develop a logo isn’t a luxury that you’refaced with once you’re in a company. I have noticedthat these time restraints make you work harder.”

[ Skills ]

When Rhian’s role progressed to one where shehad to consider other people, different roles,tasks, deadlines and personalities there was aneed to identify and develop new skills such as:

Developing staff loyalty“You have to give back what they give you. No-oneis made to feel like they’re not performing andemployees aren’t pushed to a state where they can’tcope. We try to build the team by boosting morale inthe office, the odd pizza once a month, drinks afterwork. This all helps to make them feel valued.”

Increasing motivation“Everyone gets days where they find it tough, so weshow them the testimony of their work. It’s aboutfeedback, customer comments and working withthem to work through any issues they may havewith a particular project. At Swansea Met we wereencouraged by good feedback, in return, producedmore work. I now put this into practice at work.Encouragement is key.”

Improving creativity“We want to enter competitions this year, designcompetitions, annual design awards and the Womenin Business Awards that are held later this year. Weare proud of what our staff do day-to-day, we wantto show the rest of the competition what we haveachieved. Entering competitions was alwaysencouraged at Swansea Met and entering themalways pushed the boundaries of creativity.”

Developing staff through training“We hold regular staff meetings to discuss the newand improved features in new versions of designsoftware. At Swansea Met we often used thismethod to discuss problems or new ideas. We haveinternal training courses and also send staff onexternal training courses, depending on the skillsthey require. I think you have to invest in your staffand look for courses that suit them and yourworking environment.”

Readying staff for future roles while continuingpresent roles“As a company, we strive to be more successful, soour staff are geared up not just to deal with currentprojects but working towards future projects, largerprojects and the talent that we bring through in thenext few years will be able to learn from the teamthat are with us already. Rachael (Director) andmyself see the importance of Business Networkingand in order for us to do this, we have to feelconfident that there is a team here that cancompletely take us to where we want to be in fiveyears’ time. It’s about nurturing and involving ourstaff every step of the way.”

Leading by example“Both Rachael and I have worked on graphic designprojects, setting things up for print, taking clientbriefs, training clients in software etc. We don’t feelwe can ask any of our team to do something that wewouldn’t do ourselves. If an employee was workingon something that I did not understand then I wouldask them for their feedback and to explain theprocess to me so that I could understand it, andthink about a better process for next time.”

“Be the professional person that you strive to be,develop your team, and never try to falter what youstand for!”

Understanding each member differently“Each member of staff has a different personalityand you have to manage them accordingly.”Swansea Met demonstrated many of the skills Rhiannow puts into practice. “The lecturers were veryunderstanding and sensitive. They made it easy toapproach them if there was a problem. We often hadto work in teams and were marked on teamwork,which helped to develop good teamwork abilitiesand understand the processes you have to gothrough to create a productive team.”

“I was also lucky enough that my ideas were takenforward for the exhibition theme and with that camethe leadership role of managing how that brand wasretained and allocating people to different roles. Itwas a leadership role that they placed you in withoutyou really knowing it. It helped with the transition,your eyes are opened so you are not just thinkingabout yourself, you are putting people in differentroles and you have to value it up at the end. Itshard!”

[ Advice for Graduates ]

You need your degree to get the interview, butyou need your personality to land you the job.“The only way of really seizing opportunities is tograb them with both hands and run with them. If youwant something enough then you have to pursue itno matter what. Have the vision that you are goingto achieve it, so you can keep telling yourself ‘Yeah Idid a really great job!’”

[ Interview Advice ]

DO be prepared and research the company.“Don’t get too overwhelmed by what the job entailsbecause the interviewer is there to tell you that, butunderstand what values the company has and howhard they have worked to keep that level of servicewith customers.”

DO be friendly, confident, personable and chatty.“When an interviewee comes for an interview youcan instantly see the qualities that person couldbring to your company within the first ten secondsyou meet them. If they are a little bit shy, a littlequiet then they may be better working in a largerorganisation/group where they don’t meetcustomers quite so much. On the other hand, theymay just need encouragement to bring out thatconfidence. Interviews are always tough, nerves arenormal, just try and say everything that you plannedon saying, so that you don’t leave with any regrets.Alternatively, leave the interviewer with somethingmemorable.”

DO prove you can stand the test of time at anorganisation.

DO smile and make eye contact.

DO have the experience and paperwork to provewhat you have done, “Shout about the externalprojects!”

DO ensure you are well dressed and there is alittle bit of freshness about you.

DO show you are enthusiastic and excited andinterested in what the interviewer is telling you!

DON’T be too down on yourself.

“We have had graduates who have said that theydidn’t like projects but you have to be enthusiastic.No-one likes shouting about their achievements, butyou are in an interview so that is the only time youare going to get to do it.”

DON’T show up late, that is a big no no!

[ Skills ]

Organisational skills “Keep a running day to dayplan of everything you work on. At the end of theweek, add up the hours you spent on the specificprojects, this will help when you come to pricing ajob.”

Understanding feedback “Customer is key. Listento their requirements, and if you’re unsure ofanything, ask.”

Taking criticism and don’t be too preciousabout your work “The designs you come up witharen’t always 100% right for the customer. Solisten to their criticisms and turn them intopositives, explain why you did what you did, andthis in turn may help them understand the logicbehind your design. If they don’t agree, go back tothe drawing board. They are a paying customer atthe end of the day.”

Communication skills “Customers often have noidea what they want. Through gathering feedback,and understanding their goals and future, we comeup with a package that is tailored to their specificrequirements. You have to communicate thatintuitively to the end user so that they completelyunderstand what they are going to achieve as anend result.”

Design skills “Keep abreast all of the designpackages that are out there, subscribe to a designmagazine, become part of a forum; if you everhave a problem with something, guaranteed,someone will always be able to use theirexperience to help you out.”

Computer based skills “Software changes rapidly,small tweaks to make a designer’s life a littleeasier are always in the pipe line, so keep youreyes open for them.”

Ability to learn on the job “Our designers areconstantly working on things that they are notfamiliar with, sometimes, you only learn by gettingstuck in and giving it a go. Don’t give up at the firsthurdle, a good designer is someone who can makesomething work, whatever the restrictions maybe.”

[ Exhibitions ]

“On a local scale, Waters Creative and many othercompanies are invited to the end of year show. Weknow what it is like to be in that position and it isreally daunting, but if someone stands out underthat pressure then you know that there issomething about them that could spur them on todo better things.”

It is important to be familiar with your exhibitionlayout so you can direct visitors. However,wandering around the exhibition is something thatcan be done before the opening. As a marketingofficer I was surprised how many students I hadtrouble finding in order to undertake interviews. Itis important that you stand by your work prepared.Use your work as a conversation starter, use goodopen-ended questions, smile, look friendly andmake eye-contact.” Kim Wills

“Yes, you are going to get people who stand thereand criticise, but you are also going to get peoplewho may see a little spark and who will take yourbusiness card and ask you further questions aboutyou and your work. Embrace it! You may not hearanything for six months but you know you stoodthere with your work prepared and made animpression.”

[ Overall Advice ]

“Get as much external experience as you can, evenif it is not paid. Allocate the right amount of time toit. Stay in touch with different students becauseyou never know when someone may need yourskills and vice versa. Keep designing! As soon asyou stop you get rusty and lose your confidence.Your head will tell you to give up before your heartand getting that job will be worth all that heartacheand pain. Getting a degree is hard work and youwant to make sure you get the most out of it whenyou leave.”

[ Portfo lio Advice ]

MODIFY YOUR PORTFOLIO TO FIT THEINTERVIEW.

SHOW IDEA FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT.

SHOW YOUR RANGE AND VARIATION OF WORK,FROM DAY ONE TO THE MOST RECENT PIECE OFWORK.

DON’T FORGET THE GAPS, EMPLOYEES WILL WANTTO KNOW THE TIME FRAME BETWEEN EACH PIECEOF WORK SO THAT THEY CAN SEE HOW MUCH YOUHAVE IMPROVED AND CAN GAUGE HOW MUCH YOUWILL IMPROVE IN THE FUTURE.

SHOW AND TALK ABOUT YOUR INTERESTS ANDHOW THEY HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WORK.

SHOW STYLES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOPFURTHER.

SHOW PRACTICALITY; PUT THAT LOGO ON ALETTERHEAD TO SHOW THE EMPLOYER WHAT ITWOULD LOOK LIKE ON AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT.

PRACTICE AND PREPARE, GO OVER YOURPORTFOLIO WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY TOIMPROVE FLOW AND WORD CHOICE WHENEXPLAINING YOUR PORTFOLIO.

KEEP BUSINESS CARDS INSIDE YOUR PORTFOLIOTO HAND OUT AT ANY TIME.

[ Experience ]

“The key is that you have had worldly experience,working in retail, interacting with customers, anyexternal work that you have done. It helps theemployer understand that you value work, and thatyou know what to do to keep your job. That’simportant!”

Swansea Met students are lucky enough to haveexternal companies setting projects:

■ Show how you managed yourself to meetthe deadlines;

■ Explain which software packages you used for each piece and why;

■ Describe areas where you pushed your boundaries and how;

State what you achieved from the piece of work:did it increase sales by 10%, improve companyimage, etc, is it measurable?

Image: © shutterstock.com/jon le-bon

42 43

Deanne Mangold graduated in MA Glass in 2008 and has sinceundertaken her own commercial work and completed many publicand private glass commissions.

Deanne’s potential in the field of ‘design’ led her to experiment in usingglass lit by artificial light. The facilities available at the department allowedher to explore both water jet cutting techniques and warm glass processesin this new glass production.

Deanne was commissioned recently to design and make a decorativelighting scheme for a new and prestigious South Wales restaurant. Herscheme included both chandeliers and wall lights. The restaurant called‘Sosban’ is owned by four prominent Welsh people, Wales and British Lionsrugby internationals Stephen Jones and Dwayne Peel, constructionentrepreneur Robert Williams and restaurateur and food broadcaster SimonWright.

Working through commission is like enteringa relationship where you are paid for yourtime, toil and talent. Increasing yourcompatibility could enhance your experienceand help the process to run more smoothly.You can offer information via your website toattract compatible commissioners by:

• publishing frequent questions and answers• publishing a personal statement to offer

insight to your personality• publishing statements to offer a better

understanding of your work • offering a good sample of your work that can

be used to identify likes or dislikes in order toreduce any gap in perception or expectation.

It is vital that you are able to communicatefrequently and openly with your commissioner inorder to identify exactly what is wanted. Ensuringthat they are comfortable questioning yourmethods is key for creating a piece that fits itspurpose.

A contract can give you the confidence to take ona commissioned job. Henry Lydiate 2007,www.publicartonline.org.uk has offered a basicstructure divided up into five phases:

• origination and fee• fabrication, fees and costs• installation, fees and costs• maintenance, fees and costs• ownership, moral rights and copyright.

Ensuring that you attract compatible commissionscan extend your portfolio and add value to yourwebsite, build links within industry and improveyour CV and reputation. Completing suchcommissions can be a rewarding and satisfyingexperience.

Commissions

DeanneMangoldMA Glass

Arran Hodgson,Photographywww.fringeartsbath.co.uk

Rebecca O Grady,Surface Patternwww.rebeccaogrady.co.uk

Oanis Rawbone,Videowww.dragondi.co.uk

Tom Pope,Photographywww.tompope.co.uk

Dalatando Almeidaand Michael Hughes,Advertising www.amvbbdo.com

Jo Ashburner,Surface Pattern www.noonoodesign.com

Hannah Downing,Fine Art www.hannahdowning.co.uk

Laura Adams,Graphic Design www.lauradams.com

Toby Huddlestone,Fine Art www.tobyhuddlestone.net

Erin Rickard,Fine Art www.artacrossthecity.com

Sibhan Eyres,Advertising www.cubaneight.com

Jenna Hions,Surface Pattern www.tigerprint.uk.com

Veronica SanchisBenocomo,Photojournalism www.veronicasanchis.com

Lianne Harrison,Illustration www.lego.com

Carly Davies,Illustration www.carlydavies.co.uk

Rhian Hullins,Graphic Designwww.waters-creative.co.uk

Jacob Pole,Advertising www.gyro.com

Luke Jones,Videowww.Tinopolis.com

Gemma Copp,Fine ArtWelsh Artist of the Year 2012www.gemmacopp.com

DIRECTORYA small selection of our graduates

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01792 481285

artanddesign@smu.ac.uk

www.smu.ac.uk