An inspiring collection of artwork, fashion, film, games and digital media projects took centre stage as West Nottinghamshire College celebrated the creativity and achievements of its students at this year's Create Exhibition.
Held at Nottingham Trent University’s Mansfield Hub at the college’s Derby Road campus, the annual showcase welcomed visitors including family members, friends, students and staff, who came together to celebrate the work produced by learners across the college's creative curriculum.
The exhibition, on Wednesday 24 June, featured work from students studying art and design, commercial design, image- making, fashion, film and television, digital media, digital arts and games design, alongside impressive pieces created by learners on the college's Engage and Engage Plus programmes.
Creative arts teacher Lisa Barker stands proudly alongside a selection of artwork created by students on the Engage programme who exhibited at this year's Create Exhibition.
Visitors explored an eclectic mix of paintings, prints, sculptures, fashion garments, interior design concepts, character design, comics, digital illustration, games design, film and television projects and interactive displays, demonstrating the breadth of talent developed throughout the academic year.
Exhibits produced through Create Digital – a design-focused learning company where students work on live commercial briefs, gaining valuable real-world experience while developing a professional portfolio.
Concept boards and final designs by commercial design students.
Among those exhibiting was second-year commercial design student Evie Grace Woodward, 18, whose striking fashion piece was inspired by a visit to Masson Mills in Derbyshire. Using fabric purchased during the trip, she created a co-ordinated outfit accompanied by mood boards documenting her creative process.
Evie said: “I'm very pleased with how it's turned out. Compared to what I was making when I first started the course, it's so much more advanced. It's been nice to see my skills developing.
“College has been amazing. I've really enjoyed being able to be creative because that's what I like doing best. I've been given the freedom to express myself, which is something I never really had before.”
Evie plans to spend the next year modelling before deciding whether to progress to university and pursue a career in the fashion industry.
Commercial design student Evie Grace Woodward shows college principal Andrew Cropley MBE her fashion piece, inspired by a visit to Masson Mills and created using fabric purchased during the trip.
Image-making student Matthew Randall, 38, showcased a dramatic mixed-media installation inspired by fashion designer Alexander McQueen, photographer Tim Walker and illustrator Aubrey Beardsley.
Created using Indian ink, charcoal and crocheted elements mounted within refurbished vintage frames, the piece explored the changing stages of life through fashion-inspired figures.
Matthew, who has secured university offers to study fine art and hopes to build a career in the creative industries, said: “I'm really proud of the finished piece. When you're working on something for so long it's difficult to appreciate it, but coming back and seeing it in the exhibition has made me realise what I've achieved.
“Friends and relatives have taken different things from the work. Trying to create something that connects with different audiences is quite difficult, but that's part of what makes art so interesting.”
Image-making student Matthew Randall showcases his mixed-media installation, which explored the changing stages of life through fashion-inspired figures.
The exhibition also highlighted contemporary themes explored by first-year image-making students through artist-designed zines – small, self-published mini magazines that combine artwork, photography and writing.
Felix Day, 17, used photography and chronophotography to examine queer identity through the theme of chaos, while fellow student Phoebe Gale-Hall explored the relationship between artificial intelligence and creativity. Her tactile, screen-printed publication celebrated traditional printmaking techniques while questioning society's growing reliance on AI-generated content.
Phoebe, 17, said: “We were encouraged to experiment with different techniques before developing our own ideas. That gave me the confidence to explore a subject I'm passionate about, using traditional printmaking methods to celebrate the value of human creativity in an increasingly AI-driven world.
“One of my biggest aims was making the zine as accessible as possible. I wanted people to interact with it as they unfolded it, so it becomes part of the experience rather than simply something to read.”
Felix Day (left) and Phoebe Gale-Hall, who study image-making, proudly display their original zines exploring themes of queer identity and the relationship between artificial intelligence and human creativity.
Phoebe Gale-Hall’s screen-printed publication questioned society's growing reliance on AI-generated content.
Digital media practice student Sadie Shelton, 19, exhibited an original character called Saaya inspired by the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. She combined digital illustration with creative writing to depict a “compassionate yet fiercely determined” young firebender overcoming personal adversity.
Having spent almost a year developing the character using Procreate software, Sadie hopes to progress to Nottingham Trent University to study animation.
She said: “Creating my character has been really enjoyable. It's helped me become much more confident in my own creativity, and I've loved experimenting with different ideas.
“I'd love to work in the animation industry one day, whether that's somewhere like Disney or Aardman Animations.”
Sadie Shelton holds a print of her original character, Saaya, which she created as part of her digital media practice course. Her project combined digital illustration with creative writing.
Elsewhere, digital arts and games design student Dylan Meades-Clifford, 17, presented artwork for his character, Guardian, from an original comic called Adventure set in a dystopian world. Drawing inspiration from the bold, simplified graphic style of legendary designer Saul Bass, he developed his digital illustration skills while bringing the narrative to life.
Digital arts and games design student Dylan Meades-Clifford showcases Guardian, a digitally-illustrated character from his original dystopian comic, inspired by the graphic style of legendary designer Saul Bass.
Meanwhile, digital media student Aaliyah Smith, 18, displayed an anime-inspired parody comic following the fortunes of a character called Lucy whose greed after discovering a wishing well containing gold coins leads to unexpected consequences.
Digital media student Aaliyah Smith displays her anime-inspired parody comic, which tells the story of a character named Lucy whose greed leads to unexpected consequences.
Lisa Barker with ‘Eyes and Hands’ – a piece of work by Engage programme learner Morgan Aonso.
Cheshire Cat produced by Engage learner Mia Hepburn for the course’s Alice in Wonderland unit.
Engage learner Jenny Bramwell took a mixed media 3D approach to the course’s festival-themed project.
Robots made by level 1 learners in print and 3D card construction with mixed media in response to the 3D 'Rough Robots' project inspired by the work of Mark Clough.
Head of creative and digital Kerry Pilcher said the exhibition represented the culmination of months of dedication and creativity.
She said: “I'm extremely proud of every student who has exhibited their work this year. We've got an eclectic mix of work on show, from paintings, prints and costumes to game design, film and digital media.
“I'm particularly proud of our Engage learners, many of whom joined us having struggled in mainstream education. Seeing them produce work of exhibition quality after the journey they’ve been on has been a real highlight.
“The Create Exhibition gives students something to aspire to throughout the year and provides that all-important moment of pride when they see their work professionally displayed.
“It's also fantastic preparation for university and careers in the creative industries, where promoting and exhibiting your work is an essential part of professional practice.”
Mask card and paper construction by level 3 image-making student Esme Hankin in response to the Legends of Sherwood skills development unit.
Mask by Jac Croft, also in response to the Legends of Sherwood skills development unit. The final outcome was made in mixed media form and inspired by myths and legends.
Faux stained-glass work by level 3 image-making student Chloe Benger. Her creation was inspired by the work of William Morris and the stained-glass work in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Fashion and digital arts were just two of the disciplines showcased at the end-of-year Create Exhibition.