Art, Design & Architecture

David Hughes, the  internationally acclaimed Illustrator, launches his latest book ‘Walking the Dog’ at Kingston University this week. David, who’s acerbic drawings grace the pages of The New Yorker, The Observer and the Times, will talk about his innovative graphic novel that is a reflection on his own life, personal demons and obsessions. He’ll also show his Opera sets and costumes for the Spoleto Opera Festival in Italy and his numerous children’s books and arts projects.

David Hughes is an artist whose work combines illustration, graphic design, photography and animation. In 2003 he received the Pentagram Award for his outstanding contribution to the art of illustration. His drawings have appeared in The Observer, The New Yorker, Esquire, The Guardian, and many other magazines and newspapers. He has received great acclaim for his children’s picture books, Strat and Chatto (1990) and Bully (1992). In 2006 he published his version of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The talk and launch will take place in the 4th. floor illustration and animation studio Knights Park Campus, at 4pm on Tuesday 23rd. February. Everyone welcome!

“What, Then and What Now…”

Kingston Animation at The Hospital Club, Covent Garden, London, WC2.

Saturday 6th February 4.30-6.30pm

BA (Hons) Illustration and Animation is excited to present a screening of animated films by some of our brightest graduates, alongside their recent professional work.

This screening will be followed by a chaired Q&A session where audience members and graduates will be invited to reflect on the relationship between education and industry.

Panel members from the School of Communication Design:

Geoff Grandfield

Damian Gascoigne

Martina Bramkamp

Catherine McDermott

Lawrence Zeegen

This event will be a fascinating insight into the creative development of new animation talent from Kingston University.

Elina Street, BA(Hons) Filmmaking student has been accepted by the British Film Institute Exhibitions Department as the first to take part in our new internship programme partnership.  Commencing in February until April 2010, three days a week for two months.

Dan Jones, BA(Hons) Filmmaking student is close to finalising dates for an internship in the British Film Institute Archives Department commencing in April, two days a week for two months.

Both programmes will be the first of ongoing, annual internships in these two British Film Institute departments (archive and exhibitions) offered through the BA(Hons) Filmmaking course.  The Faculty is delighted for both students.

Exploring Care Home Design

An Overview and Blueprint

An exhibition of work funded by the Audi Design Foundation with the Design Research Centre Kingston University London at The Building Centre.

The display presents the key research findings, solutions and a blueprint for future dementia care home design.

Thursday 18-27 March 2010, 9.30am – 6.00pm

The Building Centre, Lower Ground Floor Suite B, Store Street, London, WC1E 7BT

George Butler, a former Kingston University illustration student has teamed up with The Times to publish his illustrated travel blog as he attempts to travel the 8,500km overland from London to Libreville, the capital of Gabon, over the course of the next 6 months.  George, who graduated in 2007, was initially introduced to reportage illustration on a Kingston University trip to Manhattan where he “learnt how drawing can take you inside a situation and in a community in a way that photography, on the whole, does not”. Armed with pen, ink, watercolour, pencils and as much paper as he can carry, George is hoping to record the countries he travels through  as honestly as he can, believing that pen and paper “allows you to be discerning and understanding, and to record things over time”.  To keep up with George’s travels, his blog can be found at www.timesonline.co.uk/sketch

Inspired by TV talent shows, the Dream Lab challenge was launched in China by Kingston University and the British Council in conjunction with London’s Science Museum, The Design Museum, The Wellcome Trust and Bournemouth University.

www.britishcouncil.org/china-dreamlab

A series of four dramatic short films, See Something, Say Something, animated by two recent Kingston University graduates, have won a BAFTA at the recent British Academy Children’s Awards ceremony hosted by presenters Dick and Dom.

Ben Wright, 25, and Will Milton, 24, who met on their first day at University, designed the overall aesthetic, including characters, backgrounds and animation for the films while working at Bold Creative. The design agency, which specialises in social projects, interviewed four children about their experiences of bullying, and their deeply moving, brutally-honest stories were then animated by Kingston graduates Ben and Will, and can be seen at http://www.vimeo.com/7704547

They use a combination of hand-drawn and computer animation.

“The challenge was to tell the stories in a way that would appeal to other young people, but which ensured the anti-bullying message hit home,” Ben, from Guildford, Surrey, explained, who had his own experience of bullies at school. “When I was 8, I was picked on for having freckles. My mum told me that if I laughed about it, the bullies would either leave me alone or become my friend. It worked, and I still use this advice in my everyday life.”

The films took two months to make, and were screened on the children’s TV channel Nickleodeon as part of an anti-bullying awareness week. They tell the stories of Marcus, a former bully; Mark and Alaskah, two children who had been bullied; and Kelly, a friend of a victim of bullying, and give an insight into the causes and effects of the problem.

Will, from Haywards Health, West Sussex, admits to being “stunned” when he first heard they’d been nominated for a BAFTA in the Short Form category. The ceremony was held in London on November 29th. “It was incredible to be there alongside famous nominees in other categories, such as Disney Pixar’s Up,” he added. “When they announced our project had won, we were ecstatic, it was pretty bizarre!”

See Something, Say Something was produced by Greg Villalobos and Martin Orton of Bold Creative, who collected the award on stage along with Jane Laffey of Nickleodeon UK. “I took the BAFTA home for the weekend and it had pride of place on my mantelpiece – I just couldn’t believe we’d done it!” Ben, who’s dyslexic, said. He also took the trophy into his former primary school, Holy Trinity in Guildford, where he gave a talk on dyslexia.

Damian Gascoigne, senior lecturer in animation at Kingston, said it was clear that Will and Ben brought out the best in each other. “They worked together on a joint project here at Kingston, and they were quite a force,” he said. “There aren’t many people in their early 20s who could produce this level of work. Here in the Faculty of Art and Design, we have intensive contact with the students, to help them develop their talent and to think creatively at a high level, and it pays off.”

Ben and Will thanked their assistant animators on the See Something, Say Something project, Ali Assaf and Rachel Thorn, and paid tribute to their lecturers at Kingston. “The University course focuses strongly on illustration, so we gained a deep, core understanding of drawing and hand-crafted approach which we applied this to the films.”

Natalie Dye, Kingston University Press Office

Naughtone, a relatively small furniture-design business who source local materials and manufacture in the UK, has worked with the combined design expertise of Professor Hilary Dalke and her team at the Design Research Centre, Kingston University London along with a recent graduate employee, to achieve greater recognition in its field. The graduate has explored the management of new product design to help Naughtone significantly improve its business strategy, whilst gaining experience of research-led business strategies and sustainable management schemes.

Graduate employee Sivan Metzer, with a first class BA in Multi-Media Textile Design, enhanced Naughtone’s company profile and design practices. Sivan applied efficient business practices to meet and exceed an ambitious 300% sales growth worked to the deadline of the prestigious design exhibition “100% Design” and handled important clients such as Co-Existence and Conran Contracts. The graduate explored luxury materials and colour trends with Hilary Dalke and furthered her expertise of technical textiles, packaging and presentation of products with Jakki Dehn. She attended the MA Creative Industries course and the MA in Spatial and Product Design under the scheme and has transferred this knowledge to Naughtone’s packaging and material design. Sivan also built up a comprehensive knowledge of manufacturing and subsequently made the company’s stock and warehouse practices more cost efficient.

For Naughtone the project established strong brand ties with new architectural clients and cost-saving initiatives whilst substantially boosting their profile; the company secured design stands at major exhibitions both nationally and internationally and were shortlisted for prestigious design accounts – both achievements that they feel represent the improvements achieved by the partnership with Kingston University London. The University researched new material manufacture and business strategy and has recently increased their academic prestige with publications for Springer-Verlag, papers for the National Physical Laboratory on ‘Measuring the Impossible’ and will make presentations on inclusive design at Cambridge University in 2010. Sivan Metzer was a full time employee at Naughtone and is finishing a Masters course in Furniture Design, planning a career in her own furniture design business following her success at Naughtone.

Kevin Waldron, BA(Hons) Illustration and Animation 2004-05 has won the Opera Prima Award at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2009.  For more information, please see:  http://www.bookfair.bolognafiere.it/bcbf09_internal1.asp?m=107&l=2&a=&ma=367&c=4256&p=107Winners2009

With sustainability gaining ground in every area of contemporary life, Design Week has taken a look at the leading campaigners for Green design, all of whom are striving to embed its core principles whenever and wherever they can and our very own Anne Chick has been recognised as being one of the leading practitioners of those championing the sustainable cause.