BA (Hons) Production Design for Stage & Screen graduate Connor Curran is this years Moments of Wow Award winner! In response to receiving the award he said he was “extremely proud, as the standard of work from our class this year has been excellent so there was a lot of competition!”

Connor said he chose to apply to the school because “the university and course facilities were better than others I had visited, and our course seemed to offer much more freedom to explore different avenues and techniques than others. The course has been brilliant. The staff are always happy to give advice on our work or career plans. We have received numerous work experience opportunities during our time here which have definitely helped in securing work outside of university.”

Connors work which is based on the Tardis wowed visitors at our summer shows he explains “the concept for my FMP was to create a Tardis console from Doctor Who reimagined in the style of gothic cathedral architecture, incorporating elaborate stone arches and stained glass. It was a challenging process, utilising a number of large-scale building techniques that I had little experience with as my previous work has all been on a much smaller scale. The mechanism to raise and lower the central column was particularly challenging as it was much more engineering based than anything I’ve done previously. I’m extremely happy with the finished outcome and thrilled with the positive response it has gotten from both visitors to our Degree Show and followers online.”

Connor commented that his “favourite part of studying here has definitely been the large-scale projects I’ve been able to work on, such as the “Sleuth” set built by our class in second year, and my Final Major Project. Building on this scale is a very rewarding experience and is something I would not have the space or facilities to do in my workshop at home.”

His next steps include developing his business, “I plan to work freelance, continuing to take on commissions via my business, Pointy End Props alongside work in the TV& Film industry.” When asked what his favourite thing to do in Hartlepool is he replied “probably going to Seaton Carew near the end of the year, when the weather is good and our deadlines are behind us.”

His advice for new students on the course is “always be open to exploring new areas of work and developing new techniques, and take any work experience opportunities that come your way”

Keep up to date with Connors work on his Instagram @Pointy_End_Props  and his website. If you are interested in a career in set and production design our BA (Hons) Production Design for Stage & Screen degree programme is a fantastic pathway to gain the skills, opportunities and the knowledge needed to carve out a successful career in the stage and screen industries. Find out more here.