Wednesday 30 November 2011

D and AD awards archive on view

Voyage through the extensive D and AD Awards Archive, as it
showcases 49 of some of the very best shortlisted work from the
first 50 years.

Join the Journey so far at www.dandad.org/50fwd or follow @dandad #50fwd for daily updates.

Monday 28 November 2011

Internship - Web Developer and New Media Assistant

Lisa Barrett, graphics graduate, has been in touch. She is now working for Sixth Story an Birmingham. Lisa wanted to announce a 4 month part-time internship with Sixth Story giving Wolverhampton students and graduates the chance to apply. The closing date for applications is December 2.

Really exciting new opportunity for a graduate wanting to gain experience in an online marketing and new media company. This would be a great opportunity for a graduate with a web design or interactive media/multi media related degree. 

This voluntary opportunity is to work within a graphic and website design agency based in the creative hub of Birmingham, Rhubarb Building, Digbeth. This voluntary internship will give you a chance to become more familiar with website development as well as SEO. Within this role you will find yourself assisting the Key Web Developer on live projects as well as the SEO of the Sixth Story website.

As a volunteer you will get a well-rounded overview of a creative agency working on various activities including mail outs, customer and competitor research.

Desirable Skills
HTML / CSS / PHP Skills
Basic use of Photoshop
Javascript / jquery
Knowledge of wordpress

Additional Company Information
Sixth Story is a graphic design and website design agency and a marketing consultancy.
Sixth Story is located in Digbeth, a creative hub within the Birmingham City Centre and is highly accessible via bus and rail links.

Suite 202 Rhubarb
25 Heath Mill Lane
Birmingham
West Midlands
B9 4AE
http://www.sixthstory.co.uk

1st International Conference on Semiotics and Visual Communication, Lemesos, Cyprus



The department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts of the Cyprus University of Technology played host to the 1st International Conference on Semiotics and Visual between 25th and 27th of November 2011.
Course Leader for Graphic Communication, Jeff Leak, was part of the organizing Scientific Committee and as well as chairing one of the sessions, he presented a paper around Semiotics, Architecture and Spatial Design with specific reference to French environmental typography.
His paper discussed the importance of the semiotics of French painted roadside advertising hoarding both in terms of it’s own moment in history and also it’s longer term legacy – what it means in the context of modern France and how these images communicate something about a sense of time, of place and culture. You can see one of Jeff’s images below:

The conference theme was “From Theory to Practice” and it aimed at exploring the broad subject of semiotics in a wide sense, aspiring to bring together researchers and practitioners who study and evaluate the ways that semiotic theories can be analyzed, perceived and applied in the context of various forms in visual communication.
The conference attracted over a hundred speakers from around the world including Australia, Brazil, Russia, Germany, Italy, Romania, Greece, New Zealand, Poland, France, Holland, Great Britain, India, USA, Oman, Mexico, Jordan, Sweden, Kuwait, Qatar, Spain, Bulgaria, Venezuela, Japan, Lichtenstein and Estonia, as well, of course, as Cyprus.

The opening key note speaker was Professor Theo van Leeuwen - Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia, who presented insightful observations and work around Creativity and Control: social semiotic reflections on kinetic typography.

You can read more about the event here:
http://www.cut.ac.cy/icsvc/
The conference was endorsed by the International Council of Graphic Design Associations 

Congratulations Kate

Readers of this blog may remember our pervious post about graphics graduate Kate Farrell. Kate is delighted to have been appointed as a designer with Redan Publishing in Shrewsbury, a leading independent publisher for the pre-school magazine sector.

Kate's first designs for Redan are now on sale. She has been designing Sparkle World, the UK's number 1 multi-character girls' magazine. Aimed at children age 4-9, Sparkle World includes stories and activities based on a selection of the most popular licensed characters, including Rainbow Magic, Polly Pocket, Littlest Pet Shop, Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony. Every issue comes with a 24-page pull-out workbook, 4-page cut-out activities or poster, a range of competitions and a free gift. "There is also a "sticker fun" sheet which helps make learning a rewarding and enjoyable experience." says Kate. The magazine is extremely popular, with a circulation of 65,281 (ABC Jan-June 2011).

Freelance Project - Ergo, Notting Hill

Digital/Interactive Designer
Freelance Project

We’re Ergo – an independently owned Brand Identity Consultancy, experts in Brand Innovation and Strategy. We work with the likes of Carlsberg, The Coca Cola Company, Speedo and Swedish Match. Based in London’s Notting Hill.

We’re working on a project that’s in need of an experienced and creative digital/interactive designer. Our project requires someone with exceptional front-end design skills, you’ll be imaginative and will be responsible for the look and feel of the overall user interface. You’ll need to be conversant in creating CSS, and supplying files in the appropriate format to our back-end team. We are building an interactive game (not a traditional website), so the design of it requires a slightly different approach. You’ll need to be constantly thinking of the user’s experience. Examples of this type of work in your portfolio will be hugely advantageous.

We’d love to see samples and get an idea of your background, so please do send your details through to Selina at potential@ergo-id.com
www.ergo-id.com

Friday 25 November 2011

Letterpress Induction Workshops at the Black Country Living Museum



Visual Communications students and alumni are invited to participate in letterpress induction workshops at the Black Country Living Museum with the Museum's artisan printer, Ken Dworak. 


As the print workshop is small, places are limited to 3 students/alumni each day. The sessions, are a wonderful opportunity to get inky fingers and learn about this exciting form of printing. Run on January 16, 18, 19 and 20, the workshops begin at 11.00am – please wear old clothing.

To book you place please contact Julie Green, Visual Communications administrator. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. (J.Green4@wlv.ac.uk)

These sessions have been generously offered by the Black Country Living Museum and are free of charge, plus they include admission to the Museum. Participants will be expected to make their own way to and from the Museum. Location details and information about parking and public transport links can be found at:

http://www.bclm.co.uk/where.htm

Please note booking is essential

Fontfabric

Fontfabric, an independent type foundry launched in 2008 by designer Svetoslav Simov, is now following us on Twitter. 
Based in Sofia, Bulgaria. the goal of Fontfabric is to create high-quality fonts that will serve as a good base for any designer project whether it be web or print. Every week, a new and totally unique font is rolled out of production and can easily be purchased or in some cases downloaded free of charge.

Take a look at the range of contemporary fonts available at:
http://fontfabric.com/about/

Thursday 24 November 2011

Ubuntu Font Family - free download

The Ubuntu Font Family are a set of 9 matching new libre/open fonts. The development is being funded by Canonical on behalf the wider Free Software community and the Ubuntu project. The technical font design work and implementation is being undertaken by Dalton Maag.

Both the final font Truetype/OpenType files and the design files used to produce the font family are distributed under an open licence and you are expressly encouraged to experiment, modify, share and improve. The typeface is sans-serif, uses OpenType features and is manually hinted for clarity on desktop and mobile computing screens.

The scope of the Ubuntu Font Family includes all the languages used by the various Ubuntu users around the world in tune with Ubuntu's philosophy which states that every user should be able to use their software in the language of their choice. So the Ubuntu Font Family project will be extended to cover many more written languages.

2012 Young Creative Chevrolet Competition


The 2012 Young Creative Chevrolet Competition is a pan-European arts competition nurturing talent and building business acumen for young designers and artists across Europe. With cash prizes available and an opportunity to work with the most influential professionals in the industry, this is a fantastic chance for all emerging artists in the early stages of their career. You can find out more about Young Creative Chevrolet here:http://www.youngcreativechevrolet.eu

Next year Chevrolet will launch seven new cars and the theme for 2012 competition will be in keeping with the launch. The brief will revolve around Chevrolet’s 'Make it Happen campaign' and participants are encouraged to interpret this message in imaginative and unexpected ways.

Entrants (both individuals and groups) are asked to respond to a creative brief across one of five disciplines including: fashion, photography, video and visual art and the more unique the project the better. 

There are two levels to the competition, first a national round in June and second a European round in July culminating in an awards show in October announcing the overall winners within each category.

All the national winners will be awarded with cash prizes of up to £1,000 and the first place winners will be invited to the European finals. There, they will be judged against other country finalists for a cash prize of up to €4,000 and a chance to work with top professionals in their disciplines. This is the ultimate prize for any budding artist looking to get a behind the scenes look at top companies in their industry.

Since its creation in 2007 the Young Creative Chevrolet competition continues to attract not only more students, schools and countries, but heightened media attention and jury members who are well-known leaders and innovators in their fields. This year’s 2011 awards ceremony was attended by English fashion designer, Wayne Hemmingway, one of Europe’s most respected graphic designers, Neville Brody and nominated Academy Award Film Director, Lucy Walker.

There is no cost at all to register for the competition or to submit an entry. All entry details including the registration form can be found online at www.youngcreativechevrolet.eu

Willie Doherty Exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery

You are invited to the exhibition launch of 


Willie Doherty
Wolverhampton Art Gallery

24 Nov 5.30pm - 8pm
Derry-born Willie Doherty is internationally renowned for his video installations and photographs, which refer to his experience of living in a divided society.

The Gallery presents Doherty’s first exhibition in Wolverhampton in collaboration with Matt’s Gallery, London. Two film installations are shown alongside a body of photographs from the 1980s and ‘90s, selected with the artist. 

Hear Willie Doherty in conversation with Fiona Bradley, Director of The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh.

The Gallery are delighted that the exhibition will be officially opened by Diane Lees, Director General of Imperial War Museum.

Also showing
Wolverhampton Society of Artists
The Black Country in 10 Objects
Olympic Posters: Pop and Publicity



Images: Still from Ghost Story by Willie Doherty, detail from Buried by Willie Doherty. All works courtesy of the artist; Matt’s Gallery, London; and Alexander and Bonin, New York.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Digital Artist opportunity

Freelance Digital Artist 

Inter-Action are looking for digital artists to produce work for display on their mobile multi-arts centre – The Fun Art Bus. The deadline for proposals is December 1st and proposed works must fit within the guidelines for ‘The Space’ detailed below.

The Fun Art Bus will tour housing estates and town centres within Greater London for the Olympic Year (2012/2013) and intends to visit major cities in the rest of the UK in the following year (2013/2014). The vehicle itself is a specially converted Routemaster which will be fitted out with video screens on the side, exhibition spaces inside and a proscenium arch theatre on the top deck. (For further information see www.inter-action.uk.com and click on the Fun Art Bus button).

In the first year your work could be seen by up to 221,000 people on the bus itself, and many hundreds of thousands more via the external screens.

Proposals must take into consideration the criteria for The Arts Council and The BBC’s joint project, ‘The Space’, guidelines for which are available at http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/pdf/thespace_guidance_notes_final141111.pdf .The work will be unpaid unless Inter-Action are succesful in obtaining funding via this scheme.

Digital works for all devices will be considered.

Contact info@inter-action.uk.com for more information

Online Designer - Kitbag Manchester

Creative Online Designer

An opportunity has arisen with the UK’s leading online sports retailer in Manchester, an exceptionally creative Graphic/Web designer is required to join their creative team, working with their Lead Creative Designer across a range of exciting campaigns both online & off-line for the biggest names in the sports industry who include: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Barcelona & real Madrid are but a few.

You will be a mid-weight creative Designer who is able to adapt your skills to both online & off-line campaigns. A self motivated and driven designer is required to work closely with brands and guidelines and create year round creative for an increasing portfolio of sports industry clients. You will have a strong skill-set, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and HTML/CSS. You should have an impressive portfolio of personal & professional design samples and be able to demonstrate these.

Working with other designers on the team, you will have your own clubs to work on and demonstrate a keen eye for their guidelines and style. You will be required to work on material across websites, print publications, on-line advertising, email marketing, retail and digital outdoor.
Organisation & communicational skills are key as you will work closely with account managers and representatives from the clubs.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in this fast paced sports industry for one of the uk’s leading online sports retailers in the Manchester area.

Contact: p.barker@kitbag.com

Graphic Designer / Teacher - London

Graphic Designer / Teacher

Shillington College London is looking for a passionate graphic designer to pass on their practical skills and knowledge to the next generation of creative talent.

You don’t need a teaching qualification but should be an exceptional designer and have nothing but passion for the industry.

This is an ideal opportunity for a top-flight designer to work with a great team, guiding enthusiastic students in a fun and dynamic class environment.

Full or part-time positions available.

You should have strong communication skills, an outstanding design portfolio, experience with InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, four or more years industry experience and Diploma / Degree qualification.

Please send a PDF of your portfolio (or link to a portfolio site) along with your CV to: teach@shillingtoncollege.co.uk

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Designer - Ranch, East London

Designer

Ranch are looking for an experienced designer.

The applicant must be versatile and flexible, have strong print, typography, branding and design for web skills.

You will be working on projects from start through to artwork and liaising with clients, printers and programmers.

The applicant must have a great understanding of InDesign, Illustrator and PhotoShop.

Please send a PDF no more than 8MB to info@ranchdesign.co.uk

Due to the high number of applicants we won’t be able to get back to everyone.

Creatives Fair

Visual Communications students are busy selling their designs at the popular, Creative Fair in the foyer of the School of Art and Design. A range of hand made Christmas cards seem to be firm favourites and are selling well. All proceeds will go towards the final show

Monday 21 November 2011

The Conqueror Typographic Games 2012

Conqueror, the global premium paper brand from Arjowiggins Creative Papers of Paris, France, announced its Typographic Games. This graphic design and typographic poster competition issues a challenge on the theme of sport and on the phrase:
"It’s not what you win, but how you conquer it."

The top 50 designs for the "Typographic Games" will be judged by an international panel of designers in London in May 2012. Typographer Jean-François Porchez will head the jury of leading typographers and designers.

There is no entry fee.
Eligibility
Open to designers, printers, students and other creative professionals from around the world.

Prize
Gold, Silver and Bronze medals will be awarded and the Gold Medalist will win two tickets to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

In addition to the top prize VIP trip to the Olympic Games, there are customized Nike shoes for five Silver Medalists. Global exposure for all of the winners will include a special booklet distributed with an international design magazine and an exhibition in London in June 2012.

http://www.conqueror.com/typographicgames/

DESIGNerd

DESIGNerd is an intensely geeky trivia game created by Australian designer Kevin Finn. There are currently three sets, each with 100 questions written by someone well known in the industry— namely Kevin Finn, Steven Heller & Lita Talarico and Stefan Sagmeister. There are plans for architecture, fashion and product design versions. 

If you are interested, start saving now, as it's quite highly priced!

Saturday 19 November 2011

Junior Designer - Deep, London

Deep are looking for a…
Junior Designer
We have an opportunity for a Junior Designer to join our busy studio located on London’s South Bank. We work with a huge variety of clients from international luxury brands to small start-up companies. Our new workmate should be at home working as part of the creative team or by themselves, taking projects from initial briefing through to delivery, have a keen eye for detail and typography. A passion for both on and offline design is essential with examples in your portfolio. We have a very hands-on approach, so confidence, enthusiasm and good social skills are important as you will be dealing with clients and suppliers as you grow in the role.

Experience in the following programmes is essential:
Photoshop
Indesign
Illustrator

Please email your portfolio to
tim@deep.co.uk

Friday 18 November 2011

Design and share your own fonts


Fontstruct is a free online tool for building fonts based on a grid. It's possible to achieve a pretty wide variety of styles. Make your own or download some of your favorites shared by others. (Setting up a free account is required.)

Thursday 17 November 2011

Part Time Student Jennifer Collins

There are a considerable number of part time students within the Visual Communications division and it’s always interesting to learn more about their working lives outside University. Jennifer Collins is enjoying studying within the second year of the Graphic Communication course. Here is an insight into her working life:
What is my role as a Medical Illustrator? 
A medical illustrator is a professional artist or photographer with extensive additional training in medicine and science who creates visual material to help record and disseminate medical, biological and related knowledge. Medical illustrators not only produce this material but function as consultants and administrators within the field of bio-medical communication. 

What type of work do we do? 
We provide an extensive Clinical and Non-clinical Illustration service at The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, also covering the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford and The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Our emphasis is based around the patient experience, ensuring the patients' visit to hospital is as informed as possible. We achieve this by producing up to date patient information leaflets, creating informative poster demonstrations to alert the public to any current issues within the hospital and generating the trust newsletter, spreading information, good news and achievements of individuals and departments within the trust. We aim to keep our users up-to-date with current activities within individual departments and the trust as a whole. 

Medical illustrations, whether photographs or other illustration media, are used as an aid to diagnosis or a record of a patients condition. 
They can appear in:-
• patient records and other related clinical work
• medico-legal photography for solicitors and the police, these can be used as evidence in court cases or to support claims for compensation.
• medical textbooks,
• multi-media educational presentations
• medical advertisements,
• professional journals,
• instructional video tapes and films,
• computer-assisted learning programs,
• exhibits,
• lecture presentations,
• web design,
• learning resources,
• general magazines
• programs for television. 


A growing demand by patients to better understand their own bodies and medical options has expanded the need for medical illustration. In addition, increased need for medical illustrations and models to educate juries during courtroom presentations has expanded the medical-legal subspecialty of medical illustration.

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Marie Therese Shortt - graduate Success

After graduating from the University of Wolverhampton with a BA(Hons) in Graphic Communication in 2004, I moved to Holland for two years to pursue a Master degree in Humanitarian & sustainability design at the Design Academy Eindhoven. A year later I returned to the UK to Coventry University to complete my MA in Media Arts. During that year I set up a design studio, ‘Unlearn Grafics’, in Norway together with my partner Joana. After my studies I also went travelling around the world for a year, and continued to work as a freelance graphic designer while travelling.

Since 2008 Unlearn Grafics has continued to blossom and we have been working on a great range of projects, from web design, wall art, graphic design and illustration to animation, as well as teaching web and graphics courses. We have kept our company small and the learning process never stops as we rarely say no to new types of projects, no matter how challenging. This enables us to keep in tune with new technological and creative developments and continuously develop our design skills.

At the moment I continue to work freelance for Unlearn Grafics and under my personal company name Shortt Design, and I have just returned to the UK to pursue a PhD at the University for the Creative Arts. It is exciting and quite challenging already. My project is on mediating cross-cultural differences in human behaviour, through documenting and visualising greeting rituals in multicultural cities.

To see further example of my work please visit
http://unlearn-grafics.com and http://shorttdesign.com


Tuesday 15 November 2011

Ben Kelly exhibition

Illustration lecturer, Ben Kelly will be exhibiting his latest paintings at the Gateway Gallery Macclesfield from November 18th - 16th December. Prior to opening, Ben's works have totally sold out. This exhibition previews on 17th November from 6.00-9.00pm

Ben's show is described by the gallery as "An exciting exhibition from one of the North’s most exiting young artists. Ben Kelly is the first artist since L.S Lowry to win the prestigious Football in Fine Art Prize and since then has seen his reputation soar as a formidable figurative artist of the northern school."
http://www.gateway-gallery.co.uk/exhibitions

Gateway Gallery
Macclesfield Gallery
9 Prestbury Road
Macclesfield
Cheshire, SK10 1AU

B-Hive, win one of 30 paid placements


B-Hive can give you a head start in the competitive jobs market – by bringing together Birmingham’s leading creative agencies and big brands B-Hive are giving you the chance to present to the industry’s most successful PR, Marketing, Creative and Digital professionals. Impress them and you will secure one of the 30 paid work experience placements on offer at some of the most high-profile players in the Midlands. B-Hive is open to all students who are currently in their 2nd, 3rd/final year of study, as well as graduates from 2010. The competition is open to all students from West Midlands colleges.
There are 5 categories to B-Hive, Marketing, Public Relations, Advertising, Graphic Design and Web Design. Each area offers a specific professional challenge. Download PDF's from: http://bhive-creative.com/enter-bhive This years projects will be available from early December.
if you think you have what it takes then more information can be found at:
You can also find lots of other useful information too, such as which employers are involved, advice from key industry experts, and details of what last year’s winners have been doing since their B-Hive success.

Creative Fair

The Christmas Creatives Fair is taking place on 
Tuesday 22 November from 10.00am in the 
SAD foyer. 
Visual Communications students will be having a stall to sell their own hand crafted cards and designs. All proceeds will go towards the final year degree show fund.
Please tell your friends and relations, as visitors to this event are more than welcome.

Monday 14 November 2011

Helen Sweeting - 48 Sheet

EC- arts would like to invite you to Artist Helen Sweeting talk and exhibition on Thursday 17th November 6pm at UNIT B 48SHEET PROJECT SPACE, PARK STREET, DIGBETH B5 5JD

Helen Sweeting is a photographic artist based in Wolverhampton. Since 2001 her work has featured in a number of publications and she has completed several residencies and commissions.

The artist will discuss her creative journey, International shadows, and her grandmother’s house. The talk will incorporate the development of major themes and concepts’ within her practice as a photographic artist.

http://www.ec-arts.com/category/news/

Enabling digital collaboration: Crossing the digital divide

A one day event to explore how the cultural sector can exploit digital technology, innovation, knowledge and skills to improve their audience development, organisational operating process, raise their profile and collaborate across sectors to develop new product practice and partners.

Held during the Digital Week November 14-18 2012 the event will complement a series of activity by multiple partners to demonstrate the leading edge technology emerging and how all sectors can benefit from intelligent, informed commercial application of digital technology.

Hello Culture aims to broker and promote the use of digital technology for cultural organisations and enable and facilitate cross and intra sector collaboration to develop new audiences for cultural activity and develop new ways of working.

http://www.helloculture.net/
http://www.helloculture.net/speakers
http://www.helloculture.net/node/117
http://www.helloculture.net/blog

Alumni Reunion

The friends you make at university are friends you keep for life and at our first ever Alumni Reunion we are bringing you back together with graduates from across the years.

Whether you graduated this year or more than 10 years ago, our reunion will be a party to remember. Catch up with old friends and meet new ones, share your experiences of Wolverhampton, and see how the University has changed since you left us.

The first Alumni Reunion will take place on Friday 3 February 2012 from 7.00pm at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. Tickets are free, but booking in advance is essential.

This FREE event includes the following:
• Drinks reception
• Buffet dinner
• Close-up magician, Kris Krendo
• Blues Brothers Tribute Group, The Full Shabang
• Late bar and disco until 1am

Booking form:

Vernon Tang - Graduate Success

Graphics graduate Vernon Tang is now Marketing Manager at Intercad, Melbourne Area, Australia. Intercad is a leading 3D CAM/CAM sales consulting, training and support organization in Australia and New Zealand. With 7 offices spread across Australia and New Zealand, Intercad is today Australasia’s number one supplier of the industry-standard SolidWorks platform.

Visit http://intercad.com.au/ to find out more.

Since graduating, Vernon has been working across a truly international base with involvement in projects including the Launch of Iran’s first Interactive TV Network, successfully coordinated efforts of joint ventures with partners from Malaysia, Iran, Dubai & Turkey and management of content for the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) JAMJAM ONE Channel targeted at some 2 million Iranians residing in the US. Vernon has also worked on the launch of the first Malaysian assembled generic desktop and laptop computers, BLUEDOT, to Iran worth a total of $8 million US.

Friday 11 November 2011

Placement - Appetite, London

Graphic design placement
Appetite is a brand creator and developer, providing the clarity and inspiration to stimulate change and success. We see, imagine, and create brilliant brand opportunities that transform organisations and deliver commercial breakthroughs.

We are looking for an enthusiastic young graphic designer for a placement at our studio in London W1. The successful applicant will work with our design team on projects ranging from brand identity to literature and digital. Great layout and typography skills essential, past placements in similar studios is a plus.

To apply please send work samples (not exceeding 5mb) to jobs@appetiteuk.com.

Creative Artworker - Tribute London

Creative Artworker
We’re on the look out for a creative artworker to join our team! You’ll need at least 12-18 mths experience in a full-time artworking or design roll. You need experience sending artwork to print and making it factory friendly. An absolute attention to detail with typography / layout and the ability to take a creative concept and roll it out across a whole product range. You’ll be an artworking superstar with a portfolio to die for, and want to get stuck into commercial work as well as being involved with unique projects in the luxury sector. If this sounds like you then drop us an email with your CV and portfolio to james@tribute-london.com

Intern - Blackbridge Communication, Shoreditch

Digital Design Intern
Blackbridge Communications is an advertising agency, specialising in people comms, strategic PR and brand communications.

We are looking for an enthusiastic digital design intern with knowledge of Photoshop, Flash, HTML & CSS and an interest in computer science, web based technology and social media.

You will gain experience in:
• The design/ creative process within the fast pace of an agency environment.
• Exposure to a broad range of web design and development from banner animation to back-end CMS and social media campaigns

4 weeks – currently hiring for November/December
Full time (negotiable)
Travel expenses only

Please email francesca@blackbridge.co.uk with a short covering letter and your cv/portfolio.

Technician, SAD University of Wolverhampton

Technician, Equipment Store 
Part time 25 hours per week - term time only
Salary £19,822 - £21,652 pa (pro rata for Part-time)

School/Dept School of Art and Design
Location: City Campus


The School of Art & Design is looking for a Technician to work in its photographic and video equipment store. You will need to have knowledge and experience of photographic, audio and video equipment and be able to advise on its use and safe working practices. You will be familiar with environmental control and inventory management. You will also have interpersonal and communication skills necessary to work effectively with staff and students, and a strong commitment to customer care. The ability to work without supervision is essential as is the ability to work as part of a team. 

Reference A5746
Closing Date 2 December 2011

Digital Marketing Manager

University of Wolverhampton Digital Marketing Manager, Marketing and Communications (City Campus)Salary £31,798 - £37,990 pa

If you are passionate about the digital world then we want to hear from you. The University of Wolverhampton is a place of knowledge, innovation and enterprise. These principles underpin our strategies in learning and teaching, in research, and help us to engage with the business world.

We are looking for an exceptional digital marketer to lead our online communication and reputation strategy - a highly motivated individual to provide both the digital and technical expertise to drive the University’s website and digital marketing activities forward and enhance the online user experience. You will have a successful portfolio of managing and developing large multi- audience websites and be responsible for managing the digital marketing team to provide innovative and creative online marketing solutions.

For informal enquiries about this role contact Raman Sarpal, Head of Marketing on 01902 322489, or email on Raman.Sarpal@wlv.ac.uk.

Reference B5704
Closing Date 16 December 2011

Thursday 10 November 2011

Born Communication are feeling 'shattered'



 
Ex-graduates Mark Yorke, Emma Chatterton and Ricky Hill who form the West Midlands based creative media company
 Born Communication have been included on the bestadsontv.com website for their latest marketing solution using QR codes.

http://www.bestadsontv.com/ad/40351/Shatter-Effect-Getting-heard

Listed alongside projects from some of the worlds biggest creative forces including Taxi, Saatchi & Saatchi, and DDB, Born's marketing poster for newcomers to the music scene - Shatter Effect has been recognised in the top 6 creative solutions for outdoor promotion

Local newcomers to the music scene, Shatter Effect needed a brand that would instantly put them at the forefront of an already crowded sector and get them noticed - http://www.shattereffect.co.uk
Shatter Effect is Ricky’s band and is supported by the newly formed Born Music - will be the band to watch in 2012. View their facebook to listen to other tracks http://www.facebook.com/ShatterEffect

Anecdote: from a possible series of freelance experiences

This is intended to be one of a number of posts documenting a range of freelance experiences. The intention is to amuse/frustrate/entertain and ultimately inform. 


Areas that will/may be covered would be setting up as a freelance, agents, art directors, working for ‘foreign’ clients etc. The anecdotes are intended to be non-consecutive. 

1. Penguin books 
This job wasn’t my first commission, it wasn’t even the first book jacket I did (Picador commissioned me to do a cover for Tobias Wolff’s ‘Hunters in the Snow’) but I had been living in London for about a month or so - picking up the odd editorial job – Radio Times, Fiction Magazine and a couple of others but I had always wanted to work for Penguin. 

Through persistence or luck I managed to talk my way into showing my portfolio to the senior art director Cherriwyn Magill. 

Penguin, at this time were located near ‘Worlds End’ on The New Kings Road and had recently re-launched the ‘King Penguin’ imprint and looking to commission work. 

Cherriwyn was a great art director for a new illustrator to meet, she had tons of experience at Penguin and Collins before that and she found the time to talk about my work and on occasions I would show new work and get some really valuable feedback. Art directors can be a mixed bunch (more on that in some future post) but she was great. 

I had been out of college for only a short period and I was still incredibly naive. I had been making work in a variety of ways predominantly in print – silkscreen and lino/wood cuts – alongside drawings and collage but I had very little access to those facilities and had to figure out a way of working that reflected my usual working methods. I did get to return and use the print area for a while but my problem was to settle into a working method without access to print. 

The technique I used for the first few covers involved a hybrid of collage and pigment - for colour and its adhesive qualities, my main problem was that I soon realised the limitations of the technique and having produced a few covers using the technique I had to amend and adjust my approach. 

I produced a series of roughs for the cover, although really they were pretty much finished artworks, as I became established as an illustrator, the need to make highly finished artwork as a rough became less essential, although I always submitted a range of ideas. 

I did get a buzz out seeing my work in the bookshops and was fairly pleased with the outcome. In ‘Penguin by Design’ Phil Baines suggests that the typography on the majority of the new King Penguins was too dominant but I think they did a good job with mine. 

‘Keepers of the House’ is a semi-autobiographical book written by Lisa St Aubin de Teran and is largely set in Latin America. Lisa was named as one of Granta’s 20 best young writers that year and wrote a number of other novels. 

Later the same year I was invited to fiction magazine’s end of year party. One of the great things about being an illustrator, for me, was the idea that I was being paid to read books and make artwork. I was delighted to be invited to the event and Lisa was there that year along with a number of other writers, illustrators and editors – they were, without exception, lovely people. I was nervous as hell and drank too much and inevitably embarrassed myself. I did work for them again and did another cover for Lisa, so perhaps it wasn’t as bad as I imagined but as I considered writing this post I remembered that awful ‘what was I thinking’ moment that struck me the next morning.

John Clementson 

The New Art Gallery, Walsall

Artists' Book and Independent Publishing Fair 

12:00pm - 4:00pm
Saturday 26 November 

Join us for our annual Artists’ Book and Independent Publishing Fair where you will be able to buy your own affordable books, zines and multiples by artists from the UK and beyond.

Letterpress printing and simple bookbinding workshop 12-4pm
Book artist Simon Goode will be teaching traditional letterpress printing using lead and wood type, and participants will have a chance to print and bind their own artists' books. This is a FREE drop in workshop for adults and young people.

Talk, 3.30pm
Sarah Bodman, research fellow for Book Arts at the Centre for Fine Print Research, University of West England, will give a talk on her favourite artists’ book works.

Particpants this year include:
AHSK Editions, Andrew Law, Ante Press, Covered in Toner, FAKE Magazine, first fold, Hato Press
Hazard Press, Ignition, Ikon Gallery, Jatinder Bains, Kooky Koala, Lauren Windsor, Lizz Lunney, Royal College of Art, Sarah Bodman, Start Today Illustrations, Trigger Editions

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Olympic poster exhibition

An exhibition titled Olympic Posters: Pop and Publicity, is coming to Wolverhampton Art Gallery

2 Nov 11 - 28 Apr 12

To celebrate the exciting run up to the 2012 Olympic Games a selection of posters designed by a variety of Pop artists will be on display.

Originally created for the 1972 Olympic Games held in Munich posters by David Hockney, Allen Jones and Tom Wesselman will be on show.

You are invited to join the gallery's Artforum group to design your own olympic poster (16th November 4.30-6.30pm). Materials and refreshments  will be provided. The exhibition and this event are free.

For more information see:

http://www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/wolves/events/004762.html?category=740&name=Artforum 

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Placement at Ranch Hackney

Placement
Ranch urgently need a placement to start asap. There is a possibility this could develop into a more permanent position… Please send samples of your work and CV to paul@ranchdesign.co.uk.

Talk by Baptist Coelho

Baptist Coelho (Mumbai) Wednesday 9th November 6pm 

As part of the 48 Sheet project, EC-Arts would like to invite you to a talk
by Baptist Coelho on November 9th at 6pm. 

48 Sheet artist Baptist Coelho (Mumbai) will talk about his work and his approach to participation within his art practice. This event will be the first as part of an on-going series of events to provide a platform for artists to profile their work in relation to EC-Arts 48 Sheet project.

48 Sheet will transform Birmingham into a unique urban gallery, utilising up to 100 billboards for visual art by regional, national and international artists throughout April 2012. For more information please visit www.ec-arts.com.

Baptist Coelho frequently merges personal research with collaborations from various cultures, geographies and histories. His work begins to take the form of human-shaped media-landscapes which often contend with history, the environment, conflict, emotion and randomness. As part of his practice, Coelho incorporates installation, video, sound, photography, found objects, site-specific works and public-art projects.

This event will take place in the 48 Sheet project space on Wednesday 9th November at 6pm. For more information and to RSVP please email: info@ec-arts.com

Please RSVP by Tuesday 8th November.

Discount from Graphics Direct

Graphicsdirect.co.uk are offering Wolverhampton Visual Communications students and Alumni an extra 10% discount of everything available from their site.
Simply use the e-code BTC at checkout
http://www.graphicsdirect.co.uk

Monday 7 November 2011

Kathryn Walters - Graduate Success

Graphics graduate Kathryn Walters has been in touch. She is now running her own design company Koko Graphics based near Byron Bay, Australia. Koko was founded in 2006 and specialises in brand design, identity development, packaging and design for screen.

See more of Kathryn's work at http://www.kokographics.com.au/index.php



Party Invitation

Saturday 12th November
As part of the 48 Sheet project, EC-Arts would like to invite you to a
collage party run by Liz Rowe on Saturday 12th November.

Turn Up, Tune In, Cut Out.
Collage Party invites you to cut up and stick down. Collage Party is about having conversations while you are making.

As part of the 48 Sheet Project, artist Elizabeth Rowe (who was also involved in 48 Pilot) will be leading a collage party in the project space and talking about her work and journey towards the 48 Sheet project.

The project space will be transformed into an informal studio environment for the event. Disclaimer: prepare to get messy!

Please feel free to bring your own refreshments.

The project space is located on Park Street, next to Moor Street car park,
opposite Selfridges in Birmingham.

For more information or to secure your place at this event please email: info@ec-arts.com 
Please RSVP by Thursday 10th November.