Here are the three posters I will be exhibiting at my end of year show at LCC. Though originally I (along with many other students) had much grander plans. Given that we live in a democratic society and we are fortunate to be entitled to freedom of speech I have decided to express my disappointment about how the end of year show is panning out. This may turn out to be quite a rant…

We were asked to create a piece of work for the end of year show that had a “WOW” factor and generally it was pretty much an open brief. Students were coming up with fantastic ideas which were encouraged during tutorials, many of those ideas became reality, which has been great to see.

Now however, we face the reality of fitting 88 students creative endeavors into one moderately sized class room. Whilst the majority of other courses across the university exhibit their students work in the purpose built galleries, entrance hall and much larger ground floor studios. We are resigned to a room on the third floor at the back of the university building. Given that this course is an FdA and not a BA, I can understand that we would not get any of the prime locations in the university.

But we also have to share our room with the 3rd year top up course which is a full BA degree, now this is something I don’t understand. These 24 (aprox) students should be able to exhibit their work in one of the more prime locations alongside other BA courses.

With such a tight squeeze into our room it will be no surprise to discover that our once “WOW” projects have had to be shrunk to fit. Hence why I am now exhibiting the three posters above, though originally I had intended to show my three films on the old stripped monitor you see in the poster, attracting attention at first to the object and then to the moving image work. Now every student can only show a maximum of three posters along with moving image work (if applicable) being shown in a big compilation on a screen with no sound, there will be a few computers connected to the internet where people could look at the moving image work with sound (I hope). But this doesn’t come close to my original plans, especially as I commissioned three musicians to make the music for my films which will now predominantly be shown in silence.

The show hasn’t happened yet and it may not end up being the disaster I anticipate, but I had to write this to communicate my frustration and I speak for other students who feel the same. I am also fully aware this type of thing goes on at other universities as I witnessed it first hand just the other week, but it’s hard enough trying to get noticed in this jam packed industry with out having universities not communicating coherently to the students when the goal posts have moved. 

This is by no means a reflection of the course in general, we have fantastic opportunities working on live briefs and are given freedom to create the best work possible, with support from the tutors. But I feel something needs to change in time for next year, so other students won’t have the same frustration and unnecessary anxiety.

If you feel I have over stepped the mark or agree with this rambling rant, then please email me to express your point of view.

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