In March and April, Central Saint Martins will be running its popular 4 week Easter School, which offers a fantastic variety of subject areas to join. These courses are designed for students of all ages (18+), as well as courses for teenagers (16-18), that are looking to use their holiday as a time to develop their abilities, create a body of work for a portfolio or simply learn a new skill. Today, we are focusing on some of the courses on offer during week 3: 3 – 6 April 2018.

Colour Mixing Workshop, this all levels course has been designed to develop direct and practical ways of linking working with colour, thinking about colour and colour-mixing.

Colour Mixing Workshop, ⓒ CSM Short Courses

Fashion Design for 16 to 18 Year Olds, students on this course will be introduced to techniques, approaches to the development and visualisation of design ideas for fashion, including sketchbook work, fashion illustration, development concepts, portfolio preparation and advice, plus much more!

Fashion Design for 16 to 18 Year Olds, ⓒ CSM Short Courses

Fashion Styling: Intensive, is an intermediate level, 2-week course, covering editorial, commercial and catwalk styling, during which you will explore and practice some of the emerging roles that professional stylists play within the fashion industry today.

Fashion Styling: Intensive, ⓒ CSM Short Courses

Introduction To Packaging Design, on this beginners level course you will learn the fundamentals of what packaging design is about, what makes it different and why we need it while working on a main design project which will be taken from brief through to presentation.

Introduction To Packaging Design, ⓒ CSM Short Courses

Life Drawing With Light And Shadow, build your confidence while you cover the basic principles of light theory and shadows, how shadows are formed, how they work and how they define the form all while drawing from a life model in the studio.

Life Drawing With Light And Shadow, ⓒ CSM Short Courses

Metal And Sculpture, this course is for both absolute beginners and those with a basic knowledge of the material, that would like to learn how to safely and confidently use all the tools and machinery found within a well equipped metal workshop.

Metal And Sculpture, ⓒ CSM Short Courses

Set Design For Film And Television, this beginners course is for students that would like to gain knowledge of the processes involved when designing for a film or television production and learn more about the careers available in the art department of films or television while producing ground plans, moodboards and visuals for their portfolio.

Set Design For Film And Television, ⓒ CSM Short Courses

Silkscreen Printing, this all levels creative course embraces experimentation and celebrates the unexpected and unforeseen, in printed matter, whilst laying down the foundations for solid printmaking.

Silkscreen Printing, ⓒ CSM Short Courses

Visual Merchandising – Interiors, for students that would like to learn the fundamental principles, inspiration and techniques involved in visual merchandising for interior retailers.

Visual Merchandising – Interiors, ⓒ CSM Short Courses

Central Saint Martins Easter School will take place over 4 weeks, from 19 March – 13 April 2018. All upcoming Easter School courses can be viewed on our website. We also run a full schedule of short courses during evenings, weekends, online, and Saturdays throughout the year.

Looking to start or develop your fashion portfolio? Whether you’re looking to apply for further education, seeking a new position or even a change of career, Fashion Folio is the perfect solution for both students and professionals.

Fashion Folio is a fantastic, fun and highly intensive fashion programme where you will also be given advice about further studies or personal and professional development. Students complete projects in order to build a portfolio that represents their own personal approach and style to fashion design. The course will push your understanding of fashion and challenge your preconceived ideas of how to design garments. Visual research, experimentation and idea development, combined with unique presentation skills, will be the focus of everything you do. You will be expected to work hard, find inspiration in new and unexpected places and identify your strengths and weaknesses whilst learning to overcome your limitations.

© Fashion Folio, 2015

Broken down into three stages, each stage is taught on a progressive basis offering you the chance to potentially study for up to one academic year. Whilst it is recommended that you attend all three stages, depending on the individual, you can also apply to each stage separately, providing your work demonstrates the ability and experience appropriate to the stage for entry.

• Stage one – for students developing/revisiting their portfolios
• Stage two – for students developing/revisiting/finalising their portfolios
• Stage three – for students finalising/refining their portfolios

© Fashion Folio, 2016

In order to fully benefit from Fashion Folio you should be at least 18 years old and have some form of education or work experience related to art and design. Your Fashion Folio submission portfolio should be able to demonstrate an interest in fashion and show some fashion experience.

© Fashion Folio, 2017

If you have never studied fashion before we highly recommend doing a short course in fashion design and/or fashion drawing prior to applying for stage one.

If you are interested in applying to any of the Fashion Folio stages you can find out more about the course and apply here. We also offer full-time portfolio preparation courses in art and design, graphic design, photography and textiles. Gradates and professionals can also apply to the highly sought after innovative pattern cutting course.

In March and April, Central Saint Martins will be running its popular 4 week Easter School, which offers a fantastic variety of subject areas to join. These courses are designed for students of all ages (18+), as well as courses for teenagers (16-18), that are looking to use their holiday as a time to develop their abilities, create a body of work for a portfolio or simply learn a new skill. Today, we are focusing on some of the courses on offer during week 2: 26 – 29 March 2018.

100 Drawing Projects, this fast paced course is for anyone who wants to learn about all the possible drawing skills, techniques, materials and approaches.

100 Drawing Projects, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Ceramics For Beginners, is an experimental course designed for students that are interested in working with clay in a variety of methods and processes.

Ceramics for Beginners, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Creative Direction, attending this course will enhance your understanding of the Creative Director role, where you work on projects that mimic the work of a Creative Director.

Creative Direction, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Digital Print On Textiles, this beginners course will teach you how to design and print using a large format digital printer.

Digital Print on Textiles, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Fashion Design And Marketing, if you want to have a clearer idea of who your customers will be, and where your collections or products should be on sale, then this is the course for you!

Fashion Design and Marketing, ⓒJet

Hand-Sewing for Couture and Bespoke Fashion, perfect hand sewing skills are essential if you work in couture fashion, bridal-wear, millinery, bespoke tailoring or theatre costume production – this course will get you on your way.

Sewing, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

How To Become An Independent Curator, this course is designed to help you think critically about the role of the curator and for you to identify and establish your own curatorial approach.

How To Become An Independent Curator, ⓒSarah Sparkes

Introduction To Product Design, this course will give you a taster of what practicing product design involves.

Product Design, ⓒJet

Introduction To Sculpture, this beginners course offers an intensive introduction to a variety of sculptural techniques.

Introduction To Sculpture, ⓒJet

Jewellery Making For Beginners, in this introductory jewellery course you will learn simple and practical techniques for making jewellery.

Jewellery Making for Beginners, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Patternmaking – Level 1, on this course you will practice using specialist equipment, pattern terminology and drawing with accuracy and confidence the correct information that should be on finished patterns.

Patternmaking Level 1, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Sustainable Materials Innovation for Product, Furniture and Packaging Design, this course focuses on the generation of ideas and design thinking within the sustainability context.

Sustainable Materials Innovation for Product, Furniture and Packaging Design, ⓒRob Thompson

Central Saint Martins Easter School will take place over 4 weeks, from 19 March – 13 April 2018. All upcoming Easter School courses can be viewed on our website. We also run a full schedule of short courses during evenings, weekends, online, and Saturdays throughout the year.

In March and April, Central Saint Martins will be running its popular 4 week Easter School, which offers a fantastic variety of subject areas to join. These courses are designed for students of all ages (18+), as well as courses for teenagers (16-18), that are looking to use their holiday as a time to develop their abilities, create a body of work for a portfolio or simply learn a new skill. Today, we are focusing on some of the courses on offer during week 1: 19 – 23 March 2018.

Acting for Absolute Beginners – This course is a great way to meet new people, explore new ways to communicate and develop new skills that you can use in life.

Acting for Absolute Beginners, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Contemporary Collage – During this course you will discover collage as a tool for thinking, realising your ideas, and enriching your work.

Contemporary Collage, ⓒJet

Cool Hunting – If you are eager to learn about the emergence of trends and explore London’s role in influencing trends worldwide, this course is a must.

Cool Hunting, ⓒJet

Draping Womenswear Design – On this course you will learn how to find inspiration and visualise your concepts quickly by simply working with fabric and pins on a dummy-figure.

Draping, ©Angela Sanchez Del Campo

Drawing and Painting for Textile Design – On this course you will explore a variety of drawing and painting techniques and strategies that you can use to refine and develop your ideas.

Drawing and Painting for Textile Design, ⓒJet

Exploring Illustration – This course will capture the spirit and enthusiasm of the degree courses at Central Saint Martins, with an emphasis on experimentation, the generation of ideas and an awareness of our surroundings.

Illustration, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Fashion Design and Marketing – This course is an essential foundation for all those who are interested in carving out a successful career in the fashion design industry.

Fashion Design and Marketing, ⓒJet

Fashion Styling for Beginners – This course is for students interested in learning about the styling industry and eager to get some practice on key fashion styling and communication skills.

Fashion Styling for Beginners, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Graphic Design for Beginners – This computer free graphic design course is all about thinking and making.

Graphic Design – Beginners, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Interior Design – Level 1 – This practical course is supported with tutor presentations and feedback, which will allow students to gain an understanding of the components involved in the design of interiors.

Interior Design – Level 1, ⓒJet

Life Drawing for Fashion Designers – This course will use experimental exercises in order to inspire and allow students to develop their unique approaches to drawing from life.

Fashion Drawing, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Mixed Media Painting – On this course you will explore a range of new techniques and materials including, experimenting with colour, dripping, pouring, glazing, collage, surface texture, photo transfer, wax, resin and more.

Mixed Media Painting, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Patternmaking – Experimental and Explorative Approaches Part 1 – Introduction – This intensive course explores some unconventional, versatile and inventive approaches to patternmaking and shape creation.

Patternmaking, ⓒJet

The Photography Course – This intense two-week course will offer a range of projects for you to explore both on and off site, and includes optional visits to exhibitions.

The Photography Course, ⓒCentral Saint Martins Short Courses

Central Saint Martins Easter School will take place over 4 weeks, from 19 March – 13 April 2018. All upcoming Easter School courses can be viewed on our website. We also run a full schedule of short courses during evenings, weekends, online, and Saturdays throughout the year.

Our popular residential summer courses for 13 to 16 year olds are designed for ambitious students that are ready to push their creative practice to the next level.

We offer two residential programmes, Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds and Fashion Design and Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds

Fashion Design and Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds

These 2 week courses focus on Art & Design or Fashion Design & Styling and are taught by Central Saint Martins teaching staff. The course cost includes all teaching, most course materials, full care and daily activities outside of the classroom, shared accommodation, catering (breakfast, lunch and an evening meal), as well as, special evening activities and weekend excursions.

Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds

All residential courses are held at Licensed Victuallers’ School, a boarding school set in beautiful grounds with fantastic facilities in Ascot.

LVS Ascot

All of the residential services and support are provided for by our partners The Ardmore Group, a specialist English language and pastoral care organisation

Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds

We are offering two 2 week sessions for 2018:

• Session 1: 8th July – 21st July 2018
• Session 2: 22nd July – 4th August 2018

Fashion Design and Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds

This promises to be an exciting and unique experience for any 13 to 16 year old who is:

• Interested in developing their own creativity
• Building a portfolio for future studies
• Confident in learning from their mistakes
• Keen to work with students of different nationalities
• Willing to work and collaborate with others during projects
• Wishing to develop their skills in communicating ideas

Booking now open!

Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds

Fashion Design and Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds

The full residential summer school programme for 13 to 16 year olds is available now for booking. You can book your place now on the Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds and/or Fashion Design and Styling Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds, on the Central Saint Martins Short Course Website. We also offer a wide range of courses for teenagers throughout the year.

Big news for textile design students! We spent the weekend filming short course tutor, Dominique L’Olive as she created teaching resources for an updated format of our popular Drawing and Painting for Fabric and Textile Design (online) short course.

We know that online learning provides students around the world with a unique and interactive approach to learning art and design in the Central Saint Martins style, so we have been working hard to develop even more innovative and effective ways to connect with interior designers and fashion designers.

Drawing and Painting for Fabric and Textile Design (Online)

The resources for this course allow us to share the excitement of the CSM textile studios, and demonstrate new techniques we’ve never taught online before, including;

• Wax resist
• Painting with gesso
• Painting with bleach (yes, you read that right!)
• Painting with masking fluid
• Torn paper techniques

All these techniques can be combined (along with mark-making, stencilling, stamping, etc.) to create unique patterns and designs.

Here is some work students achieved in a one-hour session on the filming day.

Drawing and Painting for Fabric and Textile Design (Online)

Drawing and Painting for Fabric and Textile Design (Online)

These new resources will allow online students to experiment more widely and create even more innovative results, which is what study at Central Saint Martins is all about. The new format for Drawing and Painting for Textile Design is available from 22 January, and includes;

• Live sessions with Dominique L’Olive
• Video demonstrations of a wide range of techniques for you to explore
• Resources to inspire you and support your work
• Practical weekly projects to focus your creativity
• Discussion forums for support and guidance

By the end of the course, you will have developed and refined a personal style and produced one collection of designs which could go into a portfolio or be taken forward and applied in interior design or fashion contexts.

If you would like to learn more about online learning at UAL, you can watch the YouTube video below.

If you are interested in joining the course, we’d love to welcome you to our online community of interior designers and fashion designers.

The next session of Drawing and Painting for Fabric and Textile Design (Online) starts in January 2018 and costs £199. You can book your place now on the Central Saint Martins Short Course Website.

Central Saint Martins Short Courses tutor, Guy Noble, has written a brand new book, Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists is available to purchase now in all good book shops! To celebrate its release we caught up with Guy to discuss the new book and what he hopes readers will take away from it.

Guy Noble

What inspired you to write Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists?

Primarily it was the experience I’ve gained over the last 10 years of teaching Introduction to Drawing and Painting and Personal Inspiration at Central Saint Martins. But there are a couple of other things that played a part in making the book. I’d been working for over 20 years as a full-time professional artist and when I started teaching I needed to put some of my ideas down in writing. One of the things I give to my students is a PDF summary of each of the sessions. At first I found this a real challenge but after a while it really helped me become much clearer about what my ideas and insights are. The PDFs turned into the live online courses at CSM, then a digital book (which never got off the ground) and finally Drawing Masterclass.

Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists (UK Thames & Hudson edition and USA Prestel edition)

You teach a number of drawing and painting short courses at CSM, how has your technique evolved over the years?

This is an interesting question because for every artist, or every serious artist, the most important thing is what their intentions are, not what techniques they use. Technique and the artist’s materials are always the servant of their intentions – if it’s not then it is craft. Many art schools encourage experimentation, rightly so, but when this is taken to an extreme it can dominate to such an extent that the student never really gets to grips with any one medium – each new medium having no more than a novelty value.  Although from time to time I have experimented with different mediums, I spent about 10 to 15 years almost exclusively painting in oil and drawing in charcoal or pencil building up an intimate and instinctive relationship with the materials. It was only when I found oil paint couldn’t do what I wanted, I started to use acrylic and mixed media.

Is the book a good companion piece to your courses and if so, which ones?

Absolutely. All my students love going to galleries and looking at drawings and paintings. However many find it oddly difficult to connect what they do in the studio to what they see in the gallery. I sympathise with this because when you see a beautiful Raphael drawing it looks like the hand of a God has done it. The book makes that connection – each of these great artists is to some extent working alongside the student, they are fellow artists with many of the same concerns. Although this is a book about drawing and would most specifically relate to my drawing courses; drawing is a large part of how I teach painting.

© Guy Noble, “Naturalistic Colour” (Guy’s sent to students PDF)

What is the most effective “first step” for any aspiring creative?

Pick up a pencil and start to draw. It really is as simple as that. Go and buy a small sketchbook and every time you think of checking your phone do a drawing instead. Drawing helps you see things and those things you draw can help you develop your imagination. Eugène Delacroix thought that a good draughtsman should be able to complete a drawing of a figure falling from a fifth floor window by the time they hit the ground.

Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists (extract)

Do you have any advice on how to approach a non-creative career with a bit more creativity?

This is a difficult question to answer without sounding glib or trite. I get a number of office professionals on my courses and they often say they want to be more creative but when I start talking to them it seems that they just mean that they want to actually do something physically creative. Most people I know (and they are by no means all artists) are very creative.

© Guy Noble, “Man With Heads In Hands” (2007/8), oil on canvas, 122cm x 95cm

Do you think finishing a project is important?

Yes. However, knowing when to stop or to bailout is also a big advantage. I’ve wasted weeks and weeks on paintings or projects that in my heart of hearts I’ve known are not going to work. Sometimes it’s just good to experience failure because it equips you to make a better judgement next time.

What is the most important tool for the artist?

Okay, if you can call it a tool it is definitely your imagination. If you want something more practical, a pencil.

Diego Velázquez, “Las Meninas”, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Meninas

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

Surprisingly I’m going to choose a painting by artist who, as far as we know, appears not to have done very little drawing.  Go to the Prado in Madrid and take a long look at Las Meninas, by Diego Velázquez. This is one of the most miraculous and extraordinary paintings ever painted and should be seen by everyone. We are not transported back in time but it is these figures and this reality that is bought forward into our time.  But a word of caution, don’t listen or read the twaddle about this painting (excluding this of course). Don’t worry about all the narrative brouhaha about the court and the characters; those things are not key. Try to see the painting as a group of people in a space. The space is a dark voluminous presence that holds the forms of each of the figures in a very haunting and particular way. The four figures in dresses seem to hover over the floor weightless and yet their forms are held still by that space. The object that has a very concrete presence and can really believe is the painting that Velázquez is working on – it is planted solidly on the floor.

When you get close to the painting you can see extraordinary control and skill but you can also see that Velazquez thinks of these brush marks as the most extraordinary abstract inventions. By abstract I mean they are elements of visual reality that have been taken out their context and recreated or repositioned in a new reality that is the painting. Velázquez never gives you more detail than you need – so many artists who have this kind of skill will show every detail without regard for the context in which those details are placed.

Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists (UK Thames & Hudson edition)

Can a non-creative become creative?

They are already – but can a creative mind create? …Have a go – do a course!

What’s the best bit of advice you have received?

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes – just learn from them.

What advice would you give to an aspiring creative?

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes – just learn from them.

Feeling inspired? Guy’s Contemporary Drawing and Painting (Online) and Introduction to Drawing courses both have spaces available to book now. Guy also tutors Evening Painting, Figure Oil Painting, Introduction to Drawing (Online), Painting and Personal Inspiration and Painting the Life Model. You can check out the full list of short courses available upon the CSM Short Courses website, and don’t forget to pick up your copy of Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists today! Keep up to date with Guy via his website, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube channel and his very own blog.

The very first Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London scholarship placement was awarded to Drama student Roma Scarano. We caught up with Roma to find out how she secured her place and what her CSM experience was like.

Roma Scarano

What is your name and where do live/come from?

My name is Roma Scarano and I’m from the United States, specifically from southern New York.

What is your occupation?

I am currently a third year undergraduate studying Drama at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA).

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, final performance (Charlie Corrigan and Roma Scarano).

What course did you study and why did you choose it?

The course I received a scholarship for and studied was Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London. For the scholarship I sent in a self-taped performance of a Juliet monologue from the play, Romeo and Juliet. I also submitted a 300 word personal statement explaining “what this scholarship means to me”.

I applied for the course because I am also training to receive my B.F.A. in Drama, at Carnegie Mellon University. The program is described as a “conservatory within a university setting”. Each class size is pretty small with 20 students, including myself, making up the third year class of both actors and musical theatre majors. We are the true definition of a family; no matter what, my class is an ensemble through thick and thin. The beauty of the conservatory program is that we learn so many techniques, styles of acting, and ways to approach our work that it is nearly impossible to find nothing to stash away into your “actor’s tool box”.

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, final performance (Charlie Corrigan and Roma Scarano).

What did you enjoy most about your course?

I enjoyed re-visiting basic fundamentals with a new perspective and attitude surrounding my work as an actor. Having two years of training under my belt made it so much fun to go head-in with spontaneity during each exercise and class. I also loved getting to work with a whole new set of performers. It was so refreshing to see new faces and surround myself with artists from all over the world.

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, students and tutors (top L-R: Yun-Hsuan Chou, Tim Meier, Aoife Smyth (tutor), Zixaun Ni, Brigid Zengeni (tutor), Aida Gargia Vega and Glen Snowden (tutor) / middle: Charlie Corrigan, Will Schaluadek, Tanya Voitovych, Rogier Bak and Joseph Dardano / bottom: Lilly Olsson, Acting Shakespeare student, Roma Scarano and Lydia Baksh (tutor).

How has this course benefitted your career or personal development?

One lesson I learned from my Shakespeare teacher was that if you want to show vulnerability in your work, you need to live a vulnerable life. I’ve struggled with the idea of vulnerability because I am the type of person that pushes my feelings down and ignores them. However, this leads to one dimension characters and if you are an actor reading this, you know that being one-dimensional is one of the most painful things to watch as an audience member. It’s just not human. But since that moment, I’ve been following that advice and let me tell you, it’s definitely opened me up in both my professional and personal life.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about taking a short course at Central Saint Martins?

DO IT. Take that leap of faith and go with your gut.

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, final performance (Charlie Corrigan and Roma Scarano).

What do you believe is integral to the work of an artist, in any discipline?

Always put a piece of yourself in every single piece of art. That’s what makes it unique and interesting, that’s what makes it truthful.

What 3 words best describe your short course experience at CSM?

Intensive. Expansive. AMAZING!

You can see Roma in action, starring in the Little Future short film, Part 2: May’s Story as well as upon her YouTube channel, Roma Scarano. Find out more about the Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2018 course here, or search through all our Summer Study Abroad subjects to find a course for you.

The projects that arise from the Reportage Photography short course at Central Saint Martins, never cease to amaze us! With each student’s journey on the course being vastly different, the course allows one to turn an amazing idea into an inspirational project. One such student on Reportage Photography course was Jade Holford. We spoke to Jade about her experience of working in a refugee camp and how it moved her to inspire good deeds with simply a camera.

What is your occupation? 

I’m a nanny and I am currently working on a speech therapy app when not looking after the kids.

What was your Reportage Photography project?

It is called Unique Giving and it is photo project that follows good deed chains.

What inspired you to create this project?

When I returned from providing humanitarian aid in a refugee camp, I felt I had lost my faith in humanity.  I’d never felt so guilty for having food and a bed and could not understand why more people were not doing more to help. I then did a shoe drive as the kids on the camp were wearing sandals in winter or shoes five sizes too big for them. While I was doing the drive, I became acutely aware of all the good deeds friends, families and strangers were doing and the penny dropped. Daily good deeds don’t end at the deed; they accumulate and encourage more good deeds towards one another. Sometimes weaving their way to the places that need it the most.

I chose the project to have a camera or good deed card passed along when someone does something nice to them, so that we can all say a little thank you to the people who make the world a nicer place.

What has been your favourite good deed so far?

A doctor sent me a photo of her holding her boyfriend’s hand and it read ‘To James, for just holding me when I had no words or energy left after a night of trauma calls’. To me it really encapsulates how I was feeling when I thought of the project, sometimes the smallest things mean the most and some of those little good deeds will end up being a part of a larger act.

Trauma Calls – Unique Giving

You studied Reportage Photography, why did you chose this course and what did you gain from this learning experience?

I wanted to learn about how to develop a project. I’d never completed a project before and was always unsure if I was going about it the right way. The course taught me so many things. I loved the classes where we explored our style and broke it down, looking at how and what we choose to take photos of, this has definitely changed the way I approach photography and choose my subjects now. We also looked at a lot of different photographers which opened my eyes to the numerous projects where the photographer doesn’t always take the photo which I thought was rather fitting for my Unique Giving project.

Reportage Photography runs throughout the year, please visit the short courses website for further information http://www.arts.ac.uk/csm/courses/short-courses/

Joanne Edwards has worked within the fashion industry for ten years, designing womenswear and bridal dresses before starting up her own range of headwear and accessories in 2012. Teaching the Accessories For Beginners, Couture Handmade Floral Crowns and Headbands and Summer Festival Crowns and Headbands (Weekend) short courses; we caught up with Joanne to discuss her work, interests and what makes her want to share that passion.

Joanne Edwards

What inspired and lead to your work as a milliner?

I worked in the Fashion industry for over a decade as a womenswear designer for a variety of high street brands. I’ve always loved traditional crafts and had long felt a desire to create something unique with my hands. I wanted to become skilled in an area of handcraft and seek out authenticity in my career and work. I explored many areas and eventually found the world of Millinery! After studies, I worked for and learned from others including fashion milliner Piers Atkinson and couture milliner Edwina Ibbotson, before stepping out on my own.

Tell us about your work.

I design and make hats for weddings and race events such as Royal Ascot. The craft of Millinery is both laborious and beautiful, requiring lots of patience, an eye for detail and a love of hand sewing. From stretching hat materials over wooden blocks to form the shape, stiffening and wiring the hat to ensure its shape remains and dyeing components such as feathers used to trim the hat. Every step during the ‘make’ process is carefully considered and requires many hours.

I adore trimmings and love to create silk handmade flowers which decorate many of my hats and bridal headpieces. It’s an incredibly therapeutic practice, cutting each petal from various silk fabrics and pressing them shape with traditional iron tools, to stitching each petal together one by one to form your desired flower. Seeing your work come together in any discipline is incredibly satisfying and the end result can be a work of art.

I also create headwear for other brands. Collaborations have included Vidal Sassoon, Appetiser and recently Venyx World where I hand made the Space Chameleon Swarovski Crystal mask. These were created for guests who wore them during the annual Animal Charity Ball and displayed at the V&A, in London.

© Joanne Edwards

What inspired you to teach the courses you tutor upon?

I’ve always loved the idea of being able to share my knowledge during a creative workshop and introduce others to the skills of handmade Millinery headpieces and couture flower-making. I really enjoy seeing students’ ideas come to life.

What are you most passionate about?

I’m passionate about design and creativity. I strive to create a product that both looks and feels elegant when worn within my work, something which has balance in its design, use of colour and trimming.

I’m also incredibly passionate about traditional handmade crafts. I’m pleased I can introduce others to skills like silk flower-making. I’ve always been drawn to arts and crafts where time, skill, effort and energy has been lovingly poured into producing something unique. I am not a fan of throwaway Fashion.

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you most love and why?

Coming from a Fashion Background, I’ve always admired the great couture Fashion houses such as Dior and their teams of skilled workers who dedicate hundreds of hours into creating intricate couture gowns. These are works of art in their own right.

What/where is your favourite London discovery?

I’m originally from Ireland and grew up in the beautiful countryside of Donegal by the beach. For me, being either by the river or open green spaces is where I’m most at ease. I recently stumbled upon York House Gardens in Twickenham. A footbridge leads from the House leads you from pretty gardens areas of wildflowers and a great pond graced with nymphs and Gods, all tucked away beside the river. That was a perfect little discovery on a summer’s evening.

What is your guilty pleasure?

I adored musicals growing up, all that singing and dancing, Hollywood glamour, glitz, charm and huge hats had me intoxicated! My guilty pleasure would be a day spent reliving classics from the 50’s & 60’s, starting with Barbara Streisand’s Funny Girl.

Name a favourite book, film and song.

Book: I set myself a challenge recently to read more, so I currently have a list of well known figures throughout history to get though. I’m currently reading The Diary Of Anne Frank.

Film: I love big productions full of glamour and elaborate costumes, but nothing’s better than reliving a cheesy 80’s flick like the ones I grew up on; Big, The Breakfast Club, E.T. or The Goonies, to name a few.

Song: I saw Will Joseph Cook at Dingwalls in Camden lock last year. He’s got a chilled indie sound and got me thinking about this year’s festivals and the headpieces we will be creating on Summer Festival Crowns and Headbands’ and Accessories for Beginners courses!

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?

It’s often hard to know exactly what you want to do or which path to take, so just keep exploring and enjoying the areas you have an interest in and eventually you’ll stumble across something that has meaning to you.

Creativity is lifelong learning. Working as a Fashion Designer in a busy office, juggling many roles taught me so much about the retail industry, gave me many skills and the confidence to eventually try something new, choose a different path and emerge as something else.

What’s the best bit of advice you have ever been given?

Keep your options open, don’t rule anything out, and just keep opening doors.

For further information on the upcoming Accessories For Beginners , Couture Handmade Floral Crowns and Headbands and Summer Festival Crowns and Headbands (Weekend) short courses please visit the Central Saint Martins Short Course website.