ASPIRING artists with designs on the future are to be given expert help to achieve their goals.
Cleveland College of Art and Design, the only specialist art college in the North East, has employed Patrick Chapman, as dedicated head of employability and enterprise, to ensure that students are given the essential skills to achieve their career ambitions within the creative industries.
Before joining CCAD Patrick, who has had a wide-ranging career in both the public, private and third sectors, worked as a freelance consultant and educator on support for creative businesses and the development of creative teaching and learning in schools.
Patrick’s background in, and love for, the arts has seen him co-own and manage an award-wining commercial art and craft gallery, and lead the world’s largest creative learning programme for schools.
“The focus of my role here at CCAD is to help all our students to succeed in securing employment when they graduate or to give them the advice and support they need to be able to set up their own business enterprise,” said Patrick.
“All of our courses already have a real focus on vocational aspects and my job will be to enhance what CCAD currently offers as well as increasing the opportunities for work experience and live projects by finding new industry partners and placement opportunities.”
With its already impressive links to industry many of CCAD’s current students and former graduates have undertaken work placements with some of the country’s leading names in fashion, including Alexander McQueen, Zandra Rhodes, Nicole Fahri and Chrisanne, the costume designers for Dancing on Ice and Strictly Come Dancing, and for TV and Hollywood films including, Harry Potter, Batman, The Paradise, Vera and CBBC.
“This is a call out to business across the region and UK including companies that are not just art and design based,” said Patrick.
“There is a great deal of untapped potential, not just in the North East but across the whole country, and I want to get as many companies involved with CCAD as I can. The evidence shows that companies who work with students, either on projects or placements, gain real benefits in productivity and new ideas - businesses would be enhanced by the skills of our students. This type of partnership is also about building the workforce these companies will need in the future.
“At CCAD we produce graduates who have a great creative mindset and who really express themselves; students whose learning is embedded in the way industry works will be ready to go straight into the workplace.”
As well as looking to engage employers to work with the college Patrick and his team will also be providing students with a range of services to plan their own personal career development.
“All our students looking to develop their careers will get one to one support, special tutoring and networking opportunities,” said Patrick.
“We will be introducing a number of seminars and master classes and bringing in entrepreneurs to talk to our students, as nothing speaks louder that people who have already set up their own enterprises.
“Our young people have big aspirations and clear vision. Here at CCAD we are suited to meet those aspirations and to help our students move into the industry or become the new generation of designer/maker entrepreneurs.”
For more details contact (01642) 288888 or log onto Cleveland College of Art & Design website at www.ccad.ac.uk.
