institute for employment studies
Creative Graduates Creative Futures
Our prize winners
Here are some details about our prize winners – their experiences since graduating and what they are currently up to. We would like to thank them for taking part in the survey and particularly for giving us a short biography, and we wish them all the best for the future.
Annahita Hessami
Fashion Design and Clothing, and Surface Design – London College of Fashion and London College of Communication
I spent seven years studying both Fashion Design at LCF and graduated in Surface Design at LCC in 2007. Two weeks after graduation, I embarked on a career in stained glass, a totally new trade. I learnt the skill on the job and am now managing a studio and producing works for churches, lodges and private houses. Although I work freelance and manage my own finances, I am thoroughly enjoying my career and endeavour to achieve my eventual goal of being an artist in my own right.
Caroline McLeod
Textile/Surface Design – University of Bolton
After graduating from Bolton University in 2002 with a BA(hons) degree in Textile/Surface Design, I decided to travel the world for a year and explore my cultural horizons. On returning from my travels I commenced on a PGCE in Secondary Art and Design Education. This was a fantastic experience and gave me a great amount of skills and new art experiences. I have been teaching ever since and love the new challenges that it brings each day. My thirst for new art skills has made me commence a part-time MA in Art education which brings new challenges for myself and which I can pass on to my pupils.
Nina Fraser
Tapestry – Edinburgh College of Art
After graduating in fine art from Edinburgh College of Art in 2004, I supported myself working in various jobs while trying to pursue an art career on the side. As time went on my passion to be creative moved towards graphic design. I felt this direction with bold graphical imagery would enhance my skills as well as my art, learning to communicate on another level. I am now doing a Masters in Graphic Design to develop an understanding of the subject as well as enhancing my portfolio. I will be graduating in August 2009 and am thoroughly looking forward to my next step as a professional within the design field.
Sébastien Chastellain
Film and Animation – The Arts Institute at Bournemouth
After graduating from the BA in film and animation at the Art Institute at Bournemouth, I worked 2 years in London as a runner and camera assistant. I worked on a few commercials and music videos but it was very difficult to find work as London is saturated. I decided to go back to Switzerland and since then I have been working for TV and various production companies as an editor and cameraman. I formed a production company with a friend specialising in mountain films such as promo dvds for ski resorts, mountain sports events and short films. I am now 100% freelance and earning my living with what I like, mountain sports.
Jason Bottomley
3-D Design – Manchester Metropolitan University
I graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2003 with a degree in Three Dimensional Design and started exhibiting my work at the London Design Festivals. This led to sales of my work to commercial and public clients. I found a lack of stability and opportunities within the creative sector, so I started to look at alternative career paths and was offered a Graduate Training Programme with ASDA, and stayed with them for three years. I then moved on to be an Account Director for Proctor & Gamble and am now working for a consultancy responsible for projects within the Home Office and MoJ. My passion is still within the creative sector and I have set up my own online business specialising in providing a platform for designers to showcase and sell their work, network with fellow designers, browse jobs and keep up to speed with events – this is totally FREE!
Andrew Mezvinsky
Fine Art – Glasgow School of Art
As a graduate with a Fine Art Painting degree in 2004 from the Glasgow School of Art, I am currently in a career that uses all the skills I gained during my course of study. While in Glasgow I gained the facilities to build my painting career. I am a full time painter and have been producing art exhibitions and projects while traveling around the world since my graduation. In Africa I produced a ‘Glow in the Dark School’ which a village has now made into its community centre … blending art and public purpose. Now I am in India preparing for a painting show in Delhi which blends the uses of Indian textiles, religious art, and 15th century tapestry techniques. Glasgow gave me a good stepping stone from where to start; I struggled as many painters have but found success and being able to scrape by on odd art jobs and showing work internationally.
Daniel Hooten (1st prize winner)
Graphic Arts – Liverpool John Moores University
I can’t believe that I have won £1000 in high street vouchers, I’m still in shock really! I graduated with a BA in Graphic Arts from Liverpool John Moores University and I am now working in Liverpool as a graphic designer with Riverside Housing Association. I haven’t really given much thought into what I will do with the vouchers, maybe an all inclusive holiday or a large TV! Anyway, thanks to everyone involved in the survey for making this happen!
Daniel Matthams
Product Design – Nottingham Trent University
I graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2003 with a BA in Product Design. In 2005 I got a job as a trainee photographer with the Nottingham Evening Post, moving up to senior photographer after completing my NCTJ at Norton College Sheffield early in 2007. In 2007 I was short-listed for the Midlands Media Awards, where I came second in the Sports Photographer of the year category and received a commendation in the News category. In 2008 I was short-listed for the Press Gazette Awards for Regional Sports Photographer of the Year, and also featured in Professional Photographer Magazine. Most recently I was short-listed for Young Sports Photographer of the Year for the Sports Journalist Awards.
Jesse Alexander
Photography – Surrey Institute of Art and Design
After graduating from the Surrey Institute of Art & Design in 2004 with a degree in Photography, I began my career as a freelance commercial photographer. I have continued to develop my practice and recently completed a postgraduate degree in Documentary Photography. I contribute written features and criticism to various print and online photography publications, and have undertaken part-time teaching work too. Although sustaining an income through the visual arts can be challenging, I cannot imagine myself working in any other field, and I am glad to be applying the investment of my academic studied positively.
Kathryn Thomas
Fine Art – Plymouth University
After graduating from Plymouth University in 2003 with a degree in Fine Art, I have exhibited in group exhibitions annually and have sold original paintings as well as Giclée prints. In 2003 before graduating I began to work at Royal Albert Memorial Museum to deliver creative activities to children within their education and outreach programmes. This experience led on to similar projects for Exeter City Council, various galleries, theatre groups, festivals and charities. I am currently involved in a Big Lottery funded community art project with the City Council. I am now partly self-employed and building a strong base for all my creative work, including on-line opportunities for selling art and craftwork. I continue to paint, have an interest in hand knitting with involvement in a few small craft shows.
Stephen Bromley
Interior Architecture – Kent Institute of Art and Design
Since graduating in Interior Architecture from Kent Institute of Art and Design (now University for the Creative Arts) I decided to further my knowledge of design and take a part-time course in garden design, whilst working for a large landscape design company. Since completion of the course I started up my own business in 2008 called Broomhill Landscaping, specialising in designing, construction and maintaining of landscape gardens. I now hope to expand the company into new and exciting areas.
Tracey Spencer
Specialised Make Up – London College of Fashion
I am a graduate make-up artist from London College of Fashion at the University of the Arts London, specialising in make-up, hair and styling and a qualification in fashion and media make-up. Since 2004 I have worked for Mac Cosmetics as a make-up artist taking on the role as Assistant Manager. I have exceeded set certifications and successfully passed exams designed to improve my capability and ability for representation on the behalf of Mac. I love my chosen career and the passion for my job is forever growing. I still keep in contact with the University and have made many special friends while in the make-up industry.
Lee Brooks (nee Collier)
Graphic Design – Nottingham Trent University
I graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2004 with a degree in Graphic Design. Upon leaving University I freelanced for a design company in Nottingham for a few months before getting a job as Designer at Hallmark Cards. In 2006 I was promoted to Design Manager – managing a team of designers producing cards, wrap, gift bags, calendars and diaries. I quickly got used to managing large projects and working to very tight deadlines. In January 2009 I made the life-changing move of emigrating to Canada and was extremely fortunate to get a job as a Production Manager with one of the leading design agencies in Nova Scotia, which involves tracking projects and managing designer’s workloads.
Elly Hodges
Graphic Design – Bath Spa University
After graduating from Bath Spa University with and honours degree in Graphic Design (specialising in Interactive Multimedia), I found a job working as an Interactive Designer for London based online agency, Skyron. I wanted to work closer to Bath, and discovered Squeeze, an online marketing agency based in Bradford on Avon, joining the team as their designer and began work on a huge range of digital projects for diverse clients in education, electronics and communications, the charities sector and online poker! Now in my fourth year with the company, we have recently merged with London based advertising agency DCH; bringing in an even more varied client base.
I am enjoying my career and feel so glad that I was able to apply the skills that I had studied for. I freelance in my spare time and normally work on smaller projects for small businesses – it’s great to apply the skills that you learn within the agency to your own work. The projects that I work on normally involve varying degrees of illustration, animation, layout design and web production.
Hannelore Baxter
Textile Design – Chelsea College of Art and Design
After graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a BA in Textile Design, I worked for three years as a Visual Merchandiser at an established department store in East Anglia. During this time I also carried out freelance work designing accessories and I designed my own range of leather baby shoes. Then in 2006, I enrolled on the graduate teacher programme in Norfolk. When I finished in 2007, I worked as a teacher for one year and I now work as a lecturer at City College Norwich, as a Course Leader on the Foundation Diploma in Art, Design and Media, and the National Diploma in Textiles. I still work freelance in my spare time designing accessories, textiles and silver jewellery. I used my prize money to buy a new ipod.
Other winners include:
- Kirsten Briggs, 3-D Design, The Arts Institute at Bournemouth
- Ralf Heckmann, Interior Architecture, Kent Institute of Art and Design
- Catherine Currie, Interior Design, Glasgow School of Art
- Matthew Alcock, Product Design, University of Northampton
If you would like to add your profile to the website and to the research, please contact Emma Pollard or Wil Hunt. We are looking for short biography of about 150 words or so, and a high resolution picture of you or your work would be much appreciated.
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