The beginning of October marks the start of my DPS year. Over the course of this month (and a bit) I’ve taken part in workshops, made new connections, visited galleries and studios, and started several projects!
My first week back at university was filled with a variety of talks and workshops to get me started on my DPS year. I aimed to arrive on time every morning and take notes! The information shared over the next week was going to be invaluable, showing me where to achieve my 100 days working with industry outside of placements alone.
Monday
In my welcome session on Monday, Maliha gave us an overview. She introduced us to DPS and informed us about our assessment around may, suggesting we start our own MyBlogs! As well as this, we were given information on the Live Briefs that we would be undertaking in the future. These included Get Living, Isobel Stenhouse, ACTSA, Purr Purr Productions, Museum of Brands and Blink Industries.
The remainder of my first day back consisted of a Lego workshop, where I worked alongside a team to create a variety of Lego builds- exploring teamwork and collaboration! It was a fun icebreaker that helped us get to know new people!
Every morning onwards consisted of informational talks, each from a variety of organisations and inspirational people. These sessions discussed the rights we have as creatives, the power our creativity holds, and the importance of networking and community.
Tuesday
Tuesday revolved around IPs, Copyright and AI ethics. We were taught the risks of sharing our art and portfolios, and how to approach situations where our art is used against our will, or where our rights are put into question.
Wednesday
On Wednesday we had a Q&A session with ‘I Like Networking’, In this session we discussed the importance of our online presence, as well as attending in-person events. We were given helpful advice on how to approach these events and manage our fears and anxiety when making it in industry.
Thursday
Thursday was our talk with Creative Conscience, a charity based around amplifying artists voices and giving us the platform to communicate our passions in an attempt to change the world for the better. With creative conscience, we are given the opportunity to submit our personal projects into their competitions, amounting to 60 days of our 100.
Friday
On Friday, we had an Interviews Assessment Centre session. We learnt many interview techniques including STAR ( situation, task, action, result) and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). Learning these techniques has given me a stronger idea of how I should approach the interview process moving forward.
Outside of university, I kept on top of my future placements and projects. On Thursday, I organised a future meeting with the director of ‘The Dangerous Kitchen’, the indie studio I am going to work with as a concept, character and asset artist over the next few months.
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