95%*of ourgraduates arein employmentor further studywithin sixmonths ofgraduation.*94.8% HESA/HEFCW PerformanceIndicators 2012/13

Important Information:Things you need to know this term

Open Days 2014Our next University-wide Open Day will be held on Saturday 25 October. You can read more about what happens at our Open Days in this newsletter. Make sure your students don’t miss out on an essential part of their HE research by encouraging them to book a place online atwww.southwales.ac.uk/open-days.

Free Unibox mobile appThe University of South Wales Unibox app features videos, photos and top tips showing students what it’s like to study with us. There’s fun stuff like playlists and quizzes, as well as films and pictures of student life. Students can customise the news feed by selecting their favourite subject areas, including drama, film, and design. Our lecturers and students talk about their projects and areas of interest, which will help students with their HE research. The free app is available on Google Play and the App Store.

USW comes to you!A number of Creative Industries academic staff are available to visit your school/college to run subject-specific sessionsfor Year 12 and 13 students (or equivalent). Sessions can be tailored to meet the requirements of your students and thecurriculum. Please email schools@southwales.ac.uk, and we will contact you to discuss your requirements.

October 2014

Dear colleague,

In this Autumn edition of the University of South Wales’s Creative Industries newsletter, you’ll finddetails of our forthcoming University-wide Open Day and what to expect on the day, as well asdetails of the inaugural Make Business Happen Awards. You can also read more about the eventsstaff and students have attended over the summer, including the National Eisteddfod andGreenman Festival.

We will be holding our annual Year 12 Creative Industries Taster Day in the Spring Term, and arepleased to announce that the provisional date is Friday 17 April 2015. To register your interest for thisevent, which is often over-subscribed, please email: schoolsandcolleges@southwales.ac.uk

We are aware of the need to work more closely with schools and colleges, and have a team ofacademic staff who are available to deliver subject-specific sessions at your institution. If you wouldlike to be kept up-to-date with the activities and services University of South Wales’s CreativeIndustries staff can offer to schools and colleges, or for further information on any of the itemscontained in this newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01443 654 299 orschools@southwales.ac.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Rebecca JonesStudent Recruitment Officer

Creative Industries Newsletter | 01443 654 299

Why did you choose creative and therapeutic arts?At college, I wanted to find a practical way to use theart skills I had developed whilst helping others. Ifound out about this course in a careers meeting atcollege, and the values of the course fitted myeducational needs perfectly. When I applied, onlytwo universities offered degrees in therapeutic arts.I have found the course very enjoyable, and therewards of fully committing to the course areendless! The art module is my favourite part of thecourse as it involves projects with creativeoutcomes. It also gives you the opportunity toindependently research what the therapeuticbenefits are in each project, and gain anunderstanding of a particular client group whilstdeveloping your art skills.

Tell us about any work placements you’veundertaken.In the first year, I worked in a community arts centrein Cardiff doing pottery with disabled adults. In thesecond year, I worked in a primary school withchildren on the autistic spectrum -- all students arerequired to do one school setting as part of thedegree.

Towards the end of the second year, you get theopportunity to discuss where you should be placedfor your final year. I had a very strong direction formy learning, as I wanted to learn about thetherapeutic benefits of art workshops with theelderly and dementia sufferers.

This was inspired by my grandmother who hasdementia, and I wanted to learn techniques andapproaches for benefitting her everyday living.Interlinking the placement alongside mydissertation allowed me to not only understand,but also to practise working in a therapeuticmanner with the client group. I feel that I havealready benefitted as I’m able to inform my familyabout the difficulties everyone will be facing, andthe importance of little mementos of thedementia sufferer’s past. This in turn has led to aboost in confidence in my practice which hasgiven me the courage to pursue a career in careand the therapeutic arts.

Tell us about your career plans.The work placements have been an essentialelement of the course and have given me a boostin my practical ability. They have also providedme with the opportunity to show a potentialemployer the skills I have gained and obtain areference to aid my career choices.

When I graduate, I hope to gain paid employmentand work experience in care and other settings. Ialso want to build on the understanding of art’stherapeutic benefits by studying art therapy in acouple of years’ time. I would not have feltconfident enough to do this prior to studying thisdegree.

Harvey GardnerBA (Hons) Creative and Therapeutic Arts

Star Student Ceryn Celebrates First Class Honours

BA (Hons) Journalism student Ceryn Lawless

celebrated in July after graduating with first class

honours. The 21-year-old from Llantrisant received

her degree along with hundreds of Creative

Industries students at the ceremony held in St

David’s Hall, Cardiff.

Ceryn said, “I loved every minute of my course. It

covered all aspects of print and broadcast

journalism, with multimedia always at the

forefront of our studies. I enjoyed the fact that a

lot of the work was practical, which allowed me to

create content independently and gain hands-on

experience. I also enjoyed studying media law,

which I never expected to enjoy so much! The

course has helped me develop my writing and

communication skills, as well as develop my

contacts through networking in the industry.”

The highlight of Ceryn’s time at University was

creating a 10-minute documentary called

‘YouTube Famous’ as her major final year project.

Offering an insight into the world of those who

have become online celebrities, the documentary

explores our definition of celebrity and what it

means to be famous.

She added, “I’ll take away so many good memories

from my time at the University of South Wales,

including our final year trip to London, where we

visited BBC studios and Radio 1 – a great insight

into the world of broadcast.”

Ceryn is now working for ELF Cosmetics as part of

a GO Wales-funded placement, which includes

beauty blogging, marketing and TV production for

the company.

Ceryn Lawless, BA (Hons) Journalism graduate.

I have found thecourse very enjoyable,and the rewards of fullycommitting to the courseare endless!

“ “

Harvey Gardner

I enjoyed the fact that a lot

of the work was practical,

which allowed me to create

content independently and

gain hands-on experience.

“ “

For more information, visit www.southwales.ac.uk/schools.

The group organised and hosted highlightsfrom the Gŵyl MAP (an annual Welsh-mediumdrama festival, organised by University staffand students) at the ‘Drama Shed’. This half-day event included readings and productionsby students from institutions across Wales.

Sherman Cymru also hosted their annual‘Script Slam’ competition, choosing the sixbest scriptwriting entries received during theyear. Each entry is read by professional actorsand directed by professional directors. Thisyear, for the first time, all six dramatists werefemale, four of whom were recent graduatesof the University’s Welsh-medium theatre anddrama course.

Every year, the National Eisteddfod allocatestimeslots to the University of South Wales toshowcase graduate work. Elgan Rhys, whograduated in 2013, and Gethin Evans, whograduated in 2011, performed theiroutstanding production 'Llais/Voice’ twiceduring Eisteddfod week at the on-site theatre.Elgan and Gethin’s theatre company‘Cynyrchiadau Pluen’ also took theirproduction to the Edinburgh Fringe Festivallater in the month, where they receivedexcellent reviews.

Dramatist and senior lecturer, Sera MooreWilliams, also performed a reading of herlatest play, ‘Y Pethau Mud’ at the ‘Drama Shed’.

Theatre and DramaStudents Shine atthe Eisteddfod

Lauren Clarke, a second year interior design student, was selected to workat Paramount Interiors in Cardiff as anAssistant Interior Designer over the summer.

Paramount has been working with theUniversity since 2013, to support second yearBA (Hons) Interior Design students with theirend-of-year project. The company offers aninsight into the world of office interior design,and the University provides an opportunityfor the company to work with some up-and-coming design talent.

Student Secures Paramount Work PlacementThe second year final project offers students anopportunity to work on two briefs set byindustry. Every student presents their initialproject proposal to the directors of designpractices, and each student chooses one projectto develop and present as their final projectoutcome. Paramount visited the University toreview the final project presentations. As aresult, four of the students were invited tointerview for the eight week placement.

Interior Design Lecturer, Heddus Davies, said,“This was a great opportunity for Lauren to getfirst-hand experience of working on real designprojects within a professional environment.Every student has benefited from this process,giving them an insight into Paramount and theirwork, as well as the chance to present theirideas and designs to professionals from theindustry.”

Managing Director of Paramount Interiors, NigelRoberts, added, “We are renowned for keepingup with current trends in office design, and havefound mutual benefits in partnering with theUniversity. The young designers add great value

“This was a great opportunity for Lauren to get first-handexperience of working on real design projects within a professional environment.

“Green Screen at Green Man FestivalBA (Hons) Film staff and students were on hand atthis year’s Green Man Festival in Crickhowell toinspire festival goers at their makeshift productionstudio, aptly named the ‘Tent of Dreams’.

Festival-goers were given the chance to make andstar in their own creative music video, or produce afestival themed documentary. Visitors to the tentwere also introduced to state-of-the-art greenscreen technology. Participants were able to visit themoon and even ‘meet’ themselves as part of thisgreen screen activity.

Lecturers and current students were on hand toassist with the filmmaking and editing, and also toanswer any questions about studying film at theUniversity of South Wales. Each of the filmsproduced were screened at the cinema tent to anaudience of 1,000 people.

Christopher Morris, Professor of Documentary Filmsaid, “We had a wonderful time at Green Manmaking films with festival goers. We believe the bestway to learn filmmaking is through a direct hands-on approach and so, at Green Man we ran highlypractical film production workshops withoutcreative restrictions. It was a fantastic opportunity towork alongside the next generation of potentialfilmmakers and demonstrate the endlesspossibilities that can be achieved through studyingfilm at the University of South Wales.”

Students and graduates of BA (Hons) Theatra Drama, a course taught entirely in Welsh,enjoyed a successful week at the NationalEisteddfod in Llanelli in August.

and creative insight to our business whilstgaining hands-on practical experience, applyingwhat they have learnt in a real commercialdesign environment.”

Design: USW Print & Design 01443 482 677

The University of South Wales is a registered charity. Registration No. 1140312

What Happens at a USW Open Day?

For students who are considering progressing to

higher education, an Open Day is the ideal way to

find out if a university is right for them. At our

Open Days, students will get a real feeling of what

it's like to study at the University of South Wales.

There will be opportunities to explore the campus,

meet some of our current students and talk to

academic staff, as well as a chance to find out

more about the subject they are interested in.

Here are some of the highlights from our creative

industries subject areas:

IllustrationIn addition to the subject talk that will cover

graphics, advertising and illustration, students will

have a dedicated illustration session where they

can discuss in more detail the specialist role of

illustration within the creative industries.

TV and Film Set Design During this workshop, students will look at the

craft involved in the art department’s work within

a feature film or TV show, as well as the pre-

production processes behind many well-known

TV show and films.

FilmIn the film workshop, students will get to see

some of the exciting and award-winning filming

that our students have been doing. This will be

accompanied by a discussion about film-making

where students can discuss their creative ideas,

followed by a practical session with our latest

camera equipment.

ArtExplore the facilities and view examples of

students' work. Students will have theopportunity to see our Art Practice and Art and

Design studios, wood and metal workshop,

ceramics and plaster facilities, printmaking

facilities and Mac lab.

For more information and to book a place,

please encourage your students to visit:

www.southwales.ac.uk/open-days

New for September2015: BA (Hons)DanceOur new three-year BA (Hons) Dance degree,delivered in partnership with professionaldance practitioners in Cardiff, will allowstudents to study dance through the regularcreation of dance performance and projectwork. The course will operate on a simulatedprofessional model where students will study inthe context of a dance company.

This exciting new programme aims to providestudents with a thorough knowledge of theskills in dance technique, choreography, andprofessional practice. Students will explore awide range of dance styles including ballet,contemporary dance, and popular dance (eg,hip hop, street dance, and folk dance). Theprogramme will also consider the relationshipsbetween dance and other performing arts andexamine collaborative practices with drama,music and digital media.

Dance students will be based at the ATRiuMBuilding at our Cardiff Campus, but will alsohave classes, create work and perform invenues across the city.

For more information about BA (Hons) Danceor any of our creative courses, please visit:www.southwales.ac.uk/courses

The University of South Wales is proudto announce the launch of the firstannual Making Business HappenAwards.

The University has always had impressive linkswith industry, in the UK and overseas. We workclosely with major employers such as BritishAirways, Microsoft, BBC and Sony to help ensurethat our courses meet the demands of the modernworkplace. All of this contributes to our strongrecord of employability, with 95% of ourgraduates in employment or further study sixmonths after graduation.*

We also have a strong history of supportingstudents’ entrepreneurial spirit by encouragingstart-ups and University spin out companies. Our

entrepreneurship education and businessincubators make a major contribution to theeconomy. The Making Business Happen Awardshave been designed to provide an opportunity forenterprising groups and individuals to winfantastic cash prizes of up to £10,000 forthemselves and their school or college, as well asaccess to a range of business mentoring andsupport packages to develop their business, orhelp turn a business idea into a reality.

The Aspiring Entrepreneurs Award recognisesenterprising school and college students whohave an outstanding business idea that theywould like to conceptualise through theproduction of a winning business plan andcreative. The award is open to school or collegestudents from across the UK who are currentlyundertaking a level 3 qualification (AS/A-levels,

BTEC National Diploma Level 3 etc). Entries caneither be from individuals, or teams of up to fivestudents.

The judges will be looking for quality businessideas that demonstrate viability and uniqueness.The business plan will also be required to includea set of financials and a marketing plan. To findout more information about the awards and toregister for an information pack, visit:www.uswbusinessawards.co.uk

*Source: 94.8% HESA/HEFCW Performance Indicator 2012/13

Making Business Happen Awards 2015

University Open Day at our Cardiff Campus