Stanmore’s very own prestigious Media and Arts Awards!

Staff and students at Stanmore College revolutionised the end of year Art and Media student awards’ by gracing the event with a prime Academy Awards’ ambiance; coloured dimmed lighting and music timed to precision built up to dramatic tension as the names of award winners were announced.

The inaugural event, which was the highlight of the year, entitled ‘The Marshals’ was attended by students, their friends and family and staff. It proved to be a fantastic celebration of the learners’ work as the students proudly accepted awards presented to them by the teachers and tutors who diligently saw them through the year. This was the grand finale of a number of days during which students’ work – displays based around films, games, sculptures and magazines were exhibited.

Once again, Art and Media students at Stanmore College have progression pathways in place for September, whether to higher level education at Stanmore College, university or otherwise. Student, Melanie Martin told us she had received a Distinction Grade in the Level 3 UAL Extended Diploma in Animation and Design and was now looking forward to undertaking a BA Hons Degree in Animation at the London College of Communication. Speaking about the exhibits of her artwork, Melanie said ‘it was really scary having lots of people come and see our work! The standard of work was really high this year’. When asked about her experience at Stanmore College, Melanie referred to the help and support she received having played a big part in why she enjoyed her time at Stanmore so much.  

Alex Fulea had studied the Level 3 UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production and Technology and had also achieved a Distinction grading. When asked about future plans Alex replied “I plan to get as much experience as possible and slowly work my way up to the film industry. I would recommend Stanmore College because everything the College offers us, as students, is good. My time here has been great and I achieved the grades I needed thanks to the help of the staff. The whole experience was among the best I’ve had’. Alex has secured a place at the University of Lincoln to study for a BA in Film Production.

The aim of the exhibition was to showcase the level 2 and 3 1st & 2nd years’ final project artwork. The level 2 students were given a brief to produce an object to be sold in a gallery or museum shop with ‘Layers of London’ as the theme. They researched aspects of London life such as travel, ethnic diversity and geography along with developing creative solutions for a product design. The final artworks included a diverse range of artistic disciplines being used to produce items such as ceramic vessels, t-shirts, chairs and educational puzzles.

The first year level 3 students were told to work to their strengths and use techniques, materials and methods that they used throughout the year and to research personal themes relating to the project brief. They developed a similar project but were given the more creative freedom which had to be backed up by in-depth research and detailed planning of how to present their work to an audience. The completed exhibition was mind-blowing for the large turnout of guests who had the pleasure of visiting it before and after the awards’ ceremony.

The exhibition also gave the UAL external examiners a good chance to view all of the work completed this year and the Art Department enjoyed excellent feedback on grades, particularly for second year students. Over half achieved distinctions as final results.

Student, Diana Gurau said she had absolutely loved her level 3 Art and Design study programme and was now looking forward to starting at UAL Camberwell where she would be studying three-dimensional design. Zainab Al Majmai is off to UAL St. Martins to study Graphic Design after which she plans to undertake a Master’s degree in Graphic Design and open her own studio. Meanwhile, during the summer Zainab is going to try and get her driving licence and travel around Europe.

Finally, it seems only right to finish with mention of the actual winners of The Marshal Awards:

Safia Karim – Best in Film FMP

Naqiyah Rajbhai – Best in Independent Media Research

Denisa Maxinese – Best in Sketchbook Presentation

Adam Shirvani – Best in Attendance

Kacper Zyski – Best in Graphic Design

Cristina Pop – Best in Animation

Jay Peshawaria – Best in Game Design

Assa Khalilpour – Most Supportive Student

Aaingel Nathan – Best in Employer Engagement

Diana Gurau – Best in Art & Design FMP

Zainab Al-Majmai – Best Exhibition Space Presentation

Melanie Martin – Best Academic Improvement

Maria Marin Velez – Student’s Choice FMP

Rose Guerzon – Student of The Year

As for the students’ reactions following the event; in addition to singing the praise of art and media teachers, technicians and personal tutors and, of course, the Head of School, Stephanie Chittenden, comments included ‘it’s all to play for and fun as well as hard work’. Whether or not the College’s Marshal Awards mirror the prestigious BAFTAs or Oscars, it certainly did increase motivation to work and had the contenders guessing about nominees and, ultimately experienced the glory associated with honoring some of the most interesting and thought-provoking college work of 2017/18.