Student design talents on display in public exhibition

11 October 2017

Postgraduate design show opens at UCLan

A free exhibition displaying the creative talents of more than 70 designers from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has opened to the public.

The MA Show 2017 in UCLan’s PR1 Gallery showcases final work of postgraduate students from a variety of courses including animation, ceramics, fashion, graphic design and interior design.

Highlights include smart lighting for motorcycle helmets to reduce road accidents, a clever twist on mid-20th century board games and a large structure made of bed sheets and duvets for people to relax in.

MA Interior Design student Julie Holgate transformed an assortment of vintage suitcases into a selection of mid-20th century board games with accompanying seats. The moveable creation allows people to play chess, draughts, rollerball and a skittles based game called toptafel and is designed to be placed at locations with a high footfall.

"I wanted to create something which allows people, both young and old, to socialise together in a fun environment."

The 37-year-old, from Whalley, said: “I wanted to create something which allows people, both young and old, to socialise together in a fun environment. I can imagine it at a railway station where people have time on their hands and can interact together.”

Product design student Adam Stansfield is hoping to make a difference to the number of road accidents motorcyclists are involved in with his innovative design.  The 24-year-old has created modular magnetic lights controlled by the rider’s smart phone that can be attached to existing helmets and link up with Google Maps.

He commented: “I used to be a motorcyclist myself so I am well aware of the dangers of driver in-attention.  The helmet lights work cleverly with Google Maps so that, for example, the lights automatically flash when the driver approaches a junction.”

Surface pattern student Lisa Ryan, from Burnley, used donated bedsheets and duvet covers to create Calming Flow. The items were crocheted together to create an eye-catching safe space for people to sit and relax in an inclusive area.

The 45-year-old, who has also had work exhibited in Gawthorpe Hall and Burnley Mechanics, said: “When I stand next to a river I find the running water makes me so calm and I like how all my senses are alert so I wanted to reflect that feeling in my work.”

MA student Yasmin Dadabhoy
MA student Yasmin Dadabhoy

"This fantastic exhibition is a showcase of such a diverse range of work and it makes me very proud to see these students step up to start their creative careers."

Andrew Ireland, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “It’s really amazing to see such fantastic work on display which has been created by our very talented students. This fantastic exhibition is a showcase of such a diverse range of work and it makes me very proud to see these students step up to start their creative careers.”

The courses represented at the exhibition are MA Animation; MA Ceramics; MA Children’s Book Illustration; MA Fashion Design; MA Fashion and Lifestyle Brand Studies; MA Fashion and Lifestyle Promotion; MA Games Design; MA Graphic Design; MA Interior Design; MA Product Design and MA Surface Pattern and Textiles.

The MA Show is open to the public weekdays 10.00am – 4.00pm until Thursday 26 October and images of students’ work is available on the UCLan Flickr gallery.  For further information email Jane Souyave or call 01772 893379.