Degree show time for the fine art students at the University of Chichester
It’s final-year degree show time for the fine art students at the University of Chichester, a time of great pressure but also great excitement as they look back over all that they've achieved over the three years and look forward to all that lies ahead in careers that are just beginning.
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00:00 Good morning, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers, and now
00:06 we're just coming up to one of the most exciting things in the academic calendar at the University
00:10 of Chichester, is the 2024 Fine Art Degree Show. It's at the Bognor campus from June
00:17 6th to June 12th, and then it moves to the Oxmarket in Chichester from June 25th to July
00:23 7th. Lovely this morning to speak to two of the participating graduating artists, Debbie
00:29 and Belle. Now Debbie, tell me what you've gained from your time in Chichester, because
00:33 you've come to it as a mature student, which is a brave thing to do in the first instance,
00:38 isn't it? What have you gained, do you think, from your time here?
00:42 Yeah, I do feel very brave actually, but I've just gained so much the last three years.
00:48 It's been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to come into higher education at my age, but
00:55 the whole experience has just been one of constant engagement, brilliant tutors, fantastic
01:02 cohort of students. I've just been so exhilarating to see my journey and my own development.
01:08 I just feel like I'm not really ready for it to stop. I just want to carry on.
01:12 You are considering a Master's.
01:15 I am considering a Master's because I just don't, I feel like I'm on the edge of something
01:19 exciting on the start of a new journey and I just want to carry on now. I feel like I'm
01:25 finally doing what I was meant to do.
01:28 But Debbie, you're a different artist now to what you were three years ago, do you think?
01:32 Oh, totally. I was actually more figurative and probably quite traditional in my approach.
01:40 And now I would say I'm bright, bold, much more abstract. I use a little bit of mixed
01:46 media. So sometimes there's collage in there. Sometimes there's always acrylic, oil and
01:53 oil stick. In some way I use charcoal, pastels, as I said, bits of collage as well. Anything
01:58 that sort of captures the essence or notion of memory, that's what my work is about.
02:03 Fantastic.
02:04 So, yeah, and it's very different from what it was before.
02:07 Fantastic. And Belle, it sounds like you've had a similarly positive experience of your
02:12 time in Chichester.
02:13 Yeah, it's really kind of a lot.
02:14 It's been good, hasn't it?
02:15 Yeah, it really has. It's a very personal experience to get a lot of one to one support
02:21 here. So I feel like I've grown, my confidence over the last three years has grown massively.
02:27 We talk to as an individual, as an adult and actually as a professional throughout three
02:33 years. And it's yeah, my confidence has definitely increased since being here. And yeah, I've
02:39 developed as an artist and hope to continue to do so.
02:43 And the lovely thing, Belle, is you were saying that you struggled, didn't feel totally in
02:47 your right zone at school, but you absolutely have done in Chichester, haven't you?
02:52 Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I definitely struggled at school and didn't find it was the right
02:56 environment to be engaged, like engaged and creative in. Whereas here, it's just I feel
03:01 like I can be my own person. I can do exactly what I want to do and thrive on it. And yeah,
03:06 it's a really incredible experience. And it's everyone that has made that experience as
03:11 well as the environment. It's a beautiful place to be in.
03:14 So what were you Belle when you arrived and what are you now as an artist? What has been
03:18 your journey do you think?
03:20 So coming out from A-level, I was very much a portrait painter, hyper realism, predominantly
03:27 in oils. And since coming here, I've completely changed my approach, very much process based,
03:33 more of an abstract sort of feel, hugely based around colour. I love my colour, inspired
03:39 by nature and yeah, just enjoy the process rather than getting too caught up on what
03:45 something looks like. So yeah, and I think that's definitely the confidence that's caused
03:49 that.
03:50 And Belle, Tim, your tutor was explaining to me the marking system and there's a lot
03:55 hanging on your final degree show, isn't there? Are you nervous about this? Is there pressure?
04:01 Yeah, there's definitely pressure. We're now last week in the studios, last few days in
04:06 the studios. And yeah, it's been a bit of a crazy sort of buzz here in the last few
04:11 days. Everyone's sort of panicking to get things done and to a good standard. So yeah,
04:16 I'm nervous and nervous about the grading, but I hope that I've done enough to achieve
04:22 a good grade. So yeah, it's...
04:25 I'm sure she has.
04:28 And Debbie, whether you're nervous or not, it's your husband who summed it up. He said
04:32 before you started, you needed to find your joy again. He's now come out and said you
04:36 have found your joy through doing this. That is a lovely thing to say, isn't it?
04:41 I have definitely found my joy and to see everyone, friends and family come to the degree
04:46 show too, I'm really excited about that. It'd be a chance to show your work off and say,
04:51 look how far I've come. I do post things on social media and some of the reactions are
04:58 like, you never used to paint like this or what's happened? But it's the joy. It's this
05:04 is how I want to paint. I feel as if I was trying to fit into another mould before. Now
05:10 I feel like I'm being me. And I think if you can say that about yourself.
05:14 Yeah. And Debbie, the real thing is this past year has coincided with your two children
05:19 being students as well in different subjects.
05:21 Yes, very different subjects.
05:23 That must be a fantastic bonding experience.
05:26 It is. Especially my daughter's on campus. So that's been quite strange because we pass
05:31 each other a cup of coffee. Hi mum! And her friends say to her, I can't believe your mum's
05:38 at uni. That's so cool. But it has been a really great experience.
05:44 Fantastic. Well, really lovely to speak to you both. All good wishes for that final year
05:49 degree show. I hope it goes brilliantly and good luck with your future careers. Thank
05:53 you.
05:54 Thank you very much. Thank you.