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You are in > NACHE > Publications > Ceramic projects in the RSA competition - do we want to see them reinstated? . |
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Ceramic Contemporaries Exhibitions, past, present and futureNache Seminar | The Manchester Metropolitan University | March 25th 1999 Ceramic projects in the RSA competition - do we want to see them reinstated?Nache Seminar | Bath Spa University College | November 4th 1998 The potential for use of museum collections in ceramic higher education courses, with particular reference to the Victoria & Albert Museum Spiral ProjectNache Seminar | Edinburgh College of Art | March 11th 1998
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Ceramic projects in the RSA competition - do we want to see them reinstated?
PreambleThis seminar was arranged in response to a request from NACHE members. It was both to inform members and engender discussion about the RSA ceramic competition and also competitions and projects in general. A series of questions were outlined and circulated to members beforehand to form the basis of the seminar and to provoke thoughts and questions for an open debate. Delegates from eighteen NACHE member courses participated and this paper is a report of the seminar which will be circulated to the complete membership.
Nache Seminar reportVenue Date Topic Opportunities and ways of making links with industry and other professional bodies - competitions, projects, work experience. Aims
IssuesThe RSA competition - do we want to see it reinstated? Opportunities and ways of making links with industry and other professional bodies - competitions, projects, work experience. A series of questions are outlined below that may form the basis of the seminar and,or following debate. Hopefully they will also serve to provoke further thoughts and questions!
Competitions in general:
Summary of points raisedAn important part of the ceramics course at Central St. Martins is the experience it provides in ‘ceramic product design’. The course has established links with industry and contacts in the design world and is continually creating new opportunities for student projects and competitions. Kathryn Lawrence was invited to discuss this aspect of the course, how it is organised and its value to the students. She also expressed her own thoughts on the RSA ceramic questions and how they might be reinstated. Angela Atkinson talked about the Churchill competition and showed examples of work that resulted from that particular competition. She also discussed her views and experience of competitions in general and their educational value. A brief summary of the presentation given by Kathryn Lawrence. 2nd and 3rd year students at Central St. Martins are involved in professionally orientated work to give them an understanding, insight and the experience of working in the ‘real world’ of design, liaising with clients and resolving design problems. Projects offered divide into 3 types: projects/competitions similar to the RSA, designing for a specific location - client orientated Student led projects KL suggested many reasons for companies to offer projects/competitions - a good PR exercise, they want to be seen to support new designers, for philanthropic reasons, or as a means of obtaining cheaper work. Projects are taken up if they seem appropriate to the curriculum and most are seen as being of mutual benefit to both student and client. For some competitions there is a management fee and the money is split between the course, the winner and work development costs. A similar arrangement happens at the RCA. Amongst the competitions cited were Churchills, Tilescape and a number of other less well known examples. KL felt that many beneficial and successful relationships with companies have been created through these competitions providing useful contacts for future projects. One such example was a Cancer research project/competition where the selected design involved the student working at Hathenware thus gaining technical skills, experience directing work, working within a budget and finally the professional exposure of the work at the end. Client orientated projects at Central looked at 4 different themes with briefs set and interim meetings held over the duration of the project. Those involved included Heals interior design and Conran contracts; Janet Fitch -accessories; Paul Cooper -garden design and a TV chef. For the presentation of the work the students are encouraged to find an appropriate alternative venue to a normal gallery space. Most people will become involved for no payment but some especially freelancers are paid VL hrs. The importance of putting ceramics in a wider context was discussed with the potential for project proposals and contacts made with companies not usually associated with ceramics - Ocean mail order co; Poole lighting; Inflate; Authentics plastics. In such cases briefings are often done by Fax. An emphasis is placed on students making professional contacts while working on a project to get an external viewpoint or opinion, and they are encouraged to make connections and contacts themselves. Students are often surprised by the response they get for projects they have initiated - A Cyberware tableware project was picked up by Cyberware, a glaze weave database by Cookeson Matthey. RSA - KL contacted Helen Ainsworth from the RSA and the following points were made: sponsorship is examined annually; a three year contract is preferred; money involved is between £5000 and £10,000; there is an awareness about work needing to done in ceramics; Peter Alan of Royal Doulton is vaguely interested. A brief summary of the presentation given by Angie Atkinson. Angie Atkinson works with 2nd and 3rd year students at Loughborough where the Churchill Student competition is an optional project. Churhills are a leading mass producer of low cost tableware and the competition is purely about surface pattern and is a ‘paper exercise’. It is a lot of work for the company to organise but what they get out of it is innovative design, PR promotion. The students from Loughborough who select to do this project usually come committed to the brief. The work will be done over a 6 to 8 week period with regular weekly team meetings where ideas are discussed and a range of solutions emerge. The Churhill project may be a different and contrasting activity to a students personal work and something that is run alongside.Through this project students 2D skills improve immensely and they learn a good deal about presentation. Interestingly it is not always the first class student who may win the competition. The good outcomes are that the project has led to work being put into production and also offers of employment on leaving college. However the overall standard of entry nationally is questionable; colleges possibly need to be more selective with what goes out to prevent such a project closing. Open Debate A paper written by David Sanderson (Staffs University) was circulated at the beginning of the seminar outlining some background information on the RSA and the BCC. (see attached) It was generally agreed that some form of national competition / project was of benefit to students for numerous educational reasons - generating an awareness of ‘ceramic product design’,working to a specific brief and deadline etc. If the competitions where appropriate it could provide industry with an idea of what new talent was emerging - potential designers, new innovative design etc as well as good PR for the company. It seems that one of the problems with the survival of competitions is the cost of sponsorship and in the case of the RSA the standard and suitability of the work submitted. The organisational aspect of competitions is huge. Churchills target specific colleges to work with, presumably to ease this problem and to be more confident of the standard of entry. If the RSA competition for ceramics (previously sponsored by the BCC) were to be resurrected who might be alternative sponsors? Top slicing by the RSA puts off small companies. The prestigious ‘Royal’ title is a good incentive to sponsors. Looking to the retail sector might be a possibility. The nature of the prize was questioned - is a placement appropriate? courses can usually organise for placements to happen. Travel awards might be a valued alternative. Should the brief be broader - breadth of interest to attract students. There is the potential for interest in working with new materials; different levels of design activity;commemorative work; architectural, and so on. About half of the member courses present at the meeting have competitions or projects with a company built into the course, others regularly encourage entry into competitions. For Modular courses this can be organisationally complex. Colleges could look elsewhere for sourcing projects competitions - a retail manufacturer; M&S;Ikea etc or go overseas. Making links and organising the details of projects is extremely time consuming and in that respect having the RSA project was useful in making life slightly easier!. It was finally agreed by those at the seminar that they wanted an RSA question but with broader briefs set within a wider context.
Recommendations
Seminar participantsClaire Twoomy Edinburgh College of Art Micke Hose University of Cardiff Dennis Farrel University of Wolverhampton Jane Gibson Bath Spa University College Felicity Aylieff Bath Spa University College David Harper University of Central Lancashire Alex McErlain Manchester Metropolitan University David Scott Loughborough College of Art & Design Phil Sawdon Loughborough College of Art & Design Angela Atkinson Loughborough College of Art & Design Martin Smith Royal College of Art John Webber Staffordshire University Alan Whittaker Liverpool Hope University John Ford London Institute Camberwell Lara Scobie Dundee Kathryn Lawrence Central School Sue Pryke De Montford University Leicester Daisy Faucett De Montford University Leicester
Report by the Nache events committee 1999
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