Bedfordshire celebrates its many 鈥楥reative Sparks鈥
Thu 13 January, 2022
As part of Universities UK鈥檚 (UUK) latest campaign, the 亚色视频 is highlighting how it has contributed to creative excellence despite limitations and disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Through the 鈥楳adeAtUni: Creative Sparks鈥 campaign, UUK is encouraging higher education institutions to showcase recent creative talent and achievements with the aim to help to enact a fair value assessment of creative courses in higher education. The initiative will also help to build awareness of how universities are producing the much-needed talent, innovation and skills required for the UK鈥檚 creative industries to remain world-leading.
鈥機reative Sparks鈥 launches on 13th January 2022 and the 亚色视频鈥檚 鈥Luton: Brimming with History鈥 exhibition has been selected as one of the campaign鈥檚 leading examples of creative brilliance in the East of England. Displayed in windows around Luton鈥檚 Hat District, this exhibition featured a variety of research-based pieces by second year Art & Design and Photography students which explored the heritage of the town鈥檚 hat-making trade. Due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the exhibition was designed to be viewed and enjoyed safely by the public from outside, turning the Hat District鈥檚 cobbled streets into an 鈥榚xternal gallery鈥.
Dr Carlota Larrea, Head of School of Arts and Creative Industries, is proud of how the University fosters creative talent and connects it with the local community. She said:
鈥淚 have been impressed with the resilience and dedication of our staff and students during the pandemic, and with the growing links between the 亚色视频 and its local communities. These links encourage essential creativity and collaboration.听
鈥淚n the last two years we have continued showcasing student work, be it online or physically. This is because we are well aware of how important arts and culture are for people 鈥 particularly during tough times 鈥 to explore, make and enjoy.鈥
Emma Gill, Arts and Culture Project Manager, who works to help the University support local creatives and initiatives, finds pride in working for an institution that builds these successful and vital relationships. She commented:
鈥淥ur University is a proud anchor institution, with a broad portfolio of support activity in the cultural sector. The support we provide is important to ensuring career pathways are opened for students and local creatives alike, developing the skills needed to boost the region鈥檚 creative industry and economy.
鈥淭he Arts and Culture Projects team alone has raised over 拢900,000 for project funding over the last five years, including nearly 拢500,000 during Covid-19. We have worked with 9,000 local young people, students, and community members and delivered over 500 skills development programmes. By getting to know the local sector through this activity, the team has linked local creatives to teaching opportunities within the University, delivering over 200 hours of practical industry-focused workshops to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
鈥淚 am personally proud that behind each of these successes is a relationship that has been established between the 亚色视频 and an individual student, graduate, community member or local organisation, and a tailored journey that we went on together. Universities and the creative industries are deeply intertwined and together we can听contribute a great deal to the creative and cultural sector locally, regionally and nationally.鈥
Here are some more examples of the University鈥檚 recent creative achievements鈥
In October 2021, Art & Design students put on a stunning display in the Hat Factory Arts Centre as their 鈥楶ertinacity鈥 exhibition filled the gallery with unique pieces all created during the pandemic and lockdowns. Seven postgraduate students from the fields of Graphic Design, Photography, Architecture, Interior Design and Fine Art, who had recently completed their courses at Bedfordshire, showed inspirational determination to put on the exhibition in the face of the pandemic.
Since the first UK lockdown, the 亚色视频鈥檚 Arts & Culture Projects team have been working in close partnership with local authorities and key local charities, including听,听听and Bedford Creative Arts, to offer emergency support to community practitioners who have found themselves financially and operationally affected by Covid-19.
Over 拢300,000 of funding has been injected into the county鈥檚 creative industries thanks to the University, including 拢54,070 from Arts Council England following successful bids supported by the University鈥檚 Arts & Culture Projects team.
Two University students volunteered their time and expertise to give a local Barnardo鈥檚 charity centre a colourful transformation.
Raluca-Mihaela Grosu and Marta Plizga from the School of Art & Design created a stunning external wall and patio display, giving families who use the centre the opportunity to use a new climbing wall and play a giant game of Snakes and Ladders.
The University鈥檚 School of Art & Creative Industries has announced a strategic relationship with video content management and delivery platform, Octopus TV.
Through this partnership, Film, TV and Media students have been able to direct, film and edit professional content with industry insiders for Octopus TV to broadcast. One of the interviews which students were able to film was with the award-winning Hollywood director, John Stevenson, who discussed working with stars including Jack Black and Angelina Jolie, and why he thinks animated film, Kung Fu Panda, was such a success.
The Arts & Culture Projects team has been busy working on programmes funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund aimed at enhancing community heritage projects, developing cultural partnerships and building the capacity of local practitioners and organisations to continue delivering their fantastic work.
The Heritage Impact projects offer a number of supportive benefits for local creatives, including training programmes, stipends for living and project expenses and help with submitting competitive project grants. Applications to the next round of the programme opened in January 2022.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the University鈥檚 Dance Beds summer school went mobile in 2021 with 亚色视频 academics and students visiting schools directly to deliver exciting dance workshops. In total, 178 hours of dance were taught to over 200 pupils in the area.
The summer school was established through the support of Arts Council England and the University鈥檚 Research Institute for Media, Arts & Performance (RIMAP) and is dedicated to developing and supporting young dancers in every genre from Bollywood to Hip Hop.
Discover more of the 亚色视频鈥檚 鈥楥reative Sparks鈥 by following the press office on and .
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