The Barbara Hackwood Prize for Outstanding Creative Development Award recognises the BA (Hons) Fin Art student who has shown the most progress and development during their three academic years with us. It is made in memory of Barbara Hackwood, who was a much-loved member of the professional services staff at the Northern School of Art who also had a fine art degree.

This year two of our students won the award Joe Lyttle and El Gleghorn because; “both students have progressed equally during their studies and both have worked hard to find their voice and their artistic language. They have each radically developed their practice, particularly in their final years, with one student moving from two to three dimensions and the other from photography to the moving image.”

We caught up with one of the award winners El Gleghorn from Sunderland, to find out more about her time studying at our school:

• Home town and school/college you joined from:

I’m originally from Sunderland, but moved to Hartlepool after receiving an unconditional offer to study Fine Art at The Northern School of Art. Before that I’d just finished three years at Sunderland College, where I got my Diploma in Art and Design.

• Why did you choose to study at The Northern School of Art?

To be totally honest, I was having trouble with where I was living at the time, and wanted to get out of the horrible headspace I was stuck in. I always wanted a career in fine art, so I applied to various universities, and eventually selected The Northern School of Art. Thankfully I ended up enjoying it, specifically my second and third year of my studies.

• How did you find your degree programme? 

Overall quite good for the most part, in terms of my actual practice I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and I think I’ve been given a decent level of encouragement. I just had to remain persistent with it. I wish there was more of a feminist scene in the uni though, but I’m working towards getting that done! So, we’ll see what happens there.

I found myself with more opportunities than what I would’ve had if I didn’t come to uni and just went straight into working full time. We’ve just had the 2024 degree show and I’ve been in two other exhibitions last year. I’ve done other exhibitions and even commissions outside of the uni environment too. So I would say it’s been quite good really, I feel like I know what I’m doing, and I’m very confident talking about my practice.

• Tell us about your FMP project.

The whole piece is called ‘The Feminist Bakery’. It’s a series of 12 cake sculptures, each one celebrates a woman that I’ve been inspired by and researched throughout this whole feminist journey I’ve been on during my time at university.

The piece aims to show gratitude towards these women, and to celebrate them for what they’ve done for me and put into the world. I’ve discovered these women, researched them and things they’ve been involved in. I’ve been so heavily inspired by them, so I’ve made these cakes to be like – thank you so much!

I’m planning on trying to send some of them out to some of the women. I’m a contextual / multi-media artist, so I work with whatever I see fit. I don’t have a certain way to do something, a lot of people think I’m a sculptor now but I’m not. If I have an idea, I’ll think of materials that work best with it, and I’ll do the experiments and see if it does. Thankfully I was able to execute my idea for my FMP successfully. I just let myself be free, and work with whatever I can. I’m quite skilled in different things. I’ve done a lot of stuff over the years, which definitely came in useful when making my work.

• You are one of our award winners, congratulations! How did it feel to win your award?

Absolutely crazy and shocking, like one of those moments in life that doesn’t feel real until it’s over. I was not expecting it at all. I got told via an email that I’d won the award, and that there’s a cash prize and I just sat in shock for a few minutes. It means the world to me because I’ve always struggled thinking I’m not good enough, but if I’ve won an award then I must be.

I do think it proved to me that I’ve done something good, and that my work is worth something, and that’s been recognised by the school with the award. So I’m very proud to have my name on one of the awards, and grateful that it will be on display on campus until next year.

• Whats your favourite memory of your time at the school?

One of my favourite memories within my practice would be when I came into second year and had no idea what to do, one of my lecturers Tony said ‘well you’ve always been interested in feminism, why don’t you delve into that?’ I think if he never said that maybe I wouldn’t have stayed in education, and I wouldn’t be standing here today. I owe a lot of thanks to Tony so – thankyou Tony!

I also really enjoyed professionally establishing my practice, like creating my instagram and website. Gaining that type of knowledge and being able to present your work online is very important. Outside of the school, I enjoyed just meeting people during freshers and first year. I’ve got some life long friends now so I’m very thankful that the nights out were a thing, and that I was able to talk about art with people who also love it as much as I do.

• What are your next steps?

Next stage in my career is to do the MA Arts Practice here too, i’m very excited for that. I never thought I’d get to level 7 when I was at level 3! I’m moving into my own house and building my own art studio in there, so I’m just aiming to define the path I’m going down, and get the professional qualifications I want in order to keep making art for the rest of my life.

• What is your favourite thing about the area?

I like how free it feels. I can do what I want, wear what I want, express myself in ways I see fit. Most parts of the area are lovely too, the marina is gorgeous and I like how the building that I study in is quite close to the marina. We’ve had times when we’ve gone down there for drawing sessions in first year during landscape studies, so that was nice.

• Any advice for future students applying to the school?

For the people applying to fine art, follow your heart, don’t let yourself do something that you don’t want to do because you think it will get you the grades. Find passion in what you want to do, find a good way to execute it and you’ll be fine! Allow yourself to fall in love with what you’re passionate about.

Keep up to date with El’s work but following her Instagram. You can also check out her website.

If you are interested in a career in fine art our degree programme is a well established and dynamic course, that offers students the freedom and resources needed to define their practice. find out more about BA (Hons) Fine Art now!