Alice Shilton-Hart, UAL extended Diploma in Textiles & Surface Design student at our Middlesbrough campus is the joint winner of this years Principal Award! Alice received the shared award because they, “have demonstrated enthusiasm, commitment, and passion throughout their time at the school, overcoming numerous challenges during their two years here. When they first started, they were extremely shy and lacking in confidence. With the support of tutors and student services, it has been a privilege to witness their growth. Embracing every opportunity, they put 100% into everything they create. Notably, they designed a piece for Simply Hammocks, which has been chosen for national commissioning as a pride hammock. We are exceptionally proud of all they have achieved and wish them every success in their continued journey with the Northern School of Art in Hartlepool.”

Alice, who joined our college from Sacred Heart, in Redcar said they decided to join our school for “many reasons” including that “The school offers a dedicated focus on creative subjects providing specialised education a strong reputation for excellence in creative education and has a long-standing history of producing successful graduates.”

Speaking of her experience she said “From my two years of being here, I’ve also realised that the school boasts strong links with the creative industries, offering students opportunities for real-world experience, internships, and networking that can lead to employment. she also commented that the “smaller class sizes and a more personalised approach to teaching, has really helped me receive individual attention and tailored support. The tutors get around everybody much easier.”

She also complimented the campus, saying it has “amazing art facilities, studios, and equipment tailored to the needs of art and design students, enhancing their learning experience. Being part of a vibrant, like-minded community has been inspiring and motivating for me as a student here fostering collaboration and creativity.”

And finally she noted that simply, “this college is local to me and easy to get to. I love being able to come to this college many days a week as I feel my best self when I’m here.”

Speaking of how she enjoyed her time on the diploma she said  “This college has truly been an amazing experience, and I will definitely miss it. Recently, I did a live brief for a client at Simply Hammocks, and because they loved my design so much its going into commercial, for me, this will help me a lot with finding work. I loved all the sessions in college, and the tutors are just the best they are always, so helpful and supportive.”

Speaking of her FMP project which prompted her award win she said “For my FMP, I approached this theme with a broad theme about fruits and vegetables and fast food.  It was a really good subject for getting primary, secondary, and active research. I think that I have communicated my concept well by making prints for fruit, vegetables, and fast food and also joining them together to make final pieces. I had 2 sketchbooks, each focusing on healthy eating and the unhealthy eating. Both my sketchbooks illustrate a journey from research to making tests and then making final pieces. The books are both like separate journeys because they are 2 different themes that are similar and have links. The links of eating healthier, dieting, obesity and eating disorders.”

Describing the skills developed on the project she said “My strengths and skills in the assignment were photoshop and screen printing. I’m most proud of my lemon, apple, pear screen prints as its a 5 colour way printed piece because I did a design then made it so that they could all go onto a screen so that they’d line up as best as possible. They didn’t line up perfectly, but personally, I think it looks better mismatched and is really good as it’s a more natural screen printed look. I also loved my strawberry screen prints.”

“With my Photoshop prints, I got 2 big paper rolls, 1 Burger King print design I made, and one McDonalds. I also chose 2 Photoshop fruit designs sent off to get printed onto fabric for my show. I am really happy with all my outcomes. Some challenges I had was when I was doing my strawberry screen prints they only had a4 screens left so it was much harder to line it all up properly for a large piece of fabric but the result still looked alright but would normally have got a larger screen for this.”

Speaking of receiving the principals award she reflected; “Receiving this special award has made me feel so many emotions. Being recognised for my hard work and dedication gives me a deep sense of pride and achievement, especially because I wasn’t expecting this to happen. I feel grateful towards those who have supported me and contributed to my success. Receiving this award has also really motivated me and made me feel more confident to continue at university and keep striving for excellence.It brought me so much happiness and joy being recognised, giving me a sense of celebration. I felt very surprised and over the moon, especially because I was expecting this.”

Talking about her favourite memories from the school and her next steps she said “My favourite memory of being here is being told my pride hammock is going into commercial. I have also loved having a laugh with the tutors over such great things that I’ll never forget and going on trips. Next, I’m going onto university at the hartlepool Northern School of Art for basically the same reasons, except I understand much more than when joining the northern art for college. I am really excited to continue my journey in textiles’ surface design.”

When asked what advice she would have for future students looking study at the college she said “always be open to exploring new ideas, techniques, and materials. Focus on understanding the basics of textile design, fabric properties, weaving, knitting, dyeing, and printing techniques. Spend time in work rooms, e.g. print room, ceramics, attend workshops, and studios to practice and learn as many skills as possible. Don’t miss out on opportunities. Always get yourself involved in everything that you can!

Connect with peers, professors, and industry professionals. Attend workshops and exhibitions to broaden your network and gain insights from experienced workers. Learn digital skills such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, etc. Understanding sustainable practices and materials is increasingly important in the textiles industry. Learn about eco-friendly fabrics, recycling processes, and ethical production methods. Do live briefs and connect with real-world experience as it can be a stepping stone to your first job in the industry. Document your projects and designs in a professional portfolio. This will be essential when applying for jobs or internships. The textiles field can be competitive and challenging. Stay patient, be persistent, and continue to improve your skills and knowledge.”

If you are interested in studying textiles a degree level find out more about our UAL Extended Diploma in Textiles & Surface Design. This course is a well-established programme that emphasises skills and real-life opportunities to supports students getting the experiences need to find employment or go on to higher education. Find out more here.