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Summer School 2023

These free online creative workshops were led by Norwich University of the Arts alumni and practising artists and cover a wide range of creative disciplines from photography to illustration, textiles to animation

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Certificate of Attendance

Attending the Summer School series is the perfect experience to discuss on personal statements and a great way to demonstrate your new skills in a creative portfolio.

As part of the series, we will be providing an official digital certificate of attendance that you can add to your portfolio.

To receive your official Norwich Summer School 2023 certificate, you will need to;

  • Attend a minimum of 3 workshops from the series
  • Submit outcomes from 3 workshops
  • Deadline for submission is Monday 18 September

2023 workshops

DateWorkshop
Wednesday 26 July | 10.00 – 11.30amPortrait Photography
Wednesday 2 August | 3.00 – 4.30pmHow to Design a Book Cover
Wednesday 9 August | 10.00 – 11.30amMarking into Fashion with Evie Thomas
Wednesday 16 August | 3.00 – 4.30pmStoryboard for Film
Wednesday 23 August | 10.00 – 11.30amBackground Art
Wednesday 30 August | 3.00 – 4.30pmCharacter Design

Please note that timings are in British Summer Time (BST). Check the time in your country here: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter

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Previous workshops

Week 1 – Portrait Photography

Wednesday 26 July | 10.00 – 11.30am (BST)

Join Iceland-based photographer and Norwich BA (Hons) Photography graduate, Cat Gundry-Beck, who has worked with brands like Adobe and TripAdvisor and has shot bands like Bastille, Alt-J and Arlo Parks, for a photography workshop focused on capturing stunning portraits of people.

Learn posing, lighting, composition, and techniques to make your subjects feel comfortable in front of the camera.

We’ll go over some theory of photography techniques and put them into practice where you’ll get to photograph someone (or yourself as a self-portrait) and share the results of what you’ve learned.

What do I need? 

  • Camera phone
  • Phone tripod or something to ask as a tripod e.g. a pile of books
  • A model for photographing (a mask or scarf to cover the faces of anyone under 18) or,
  • A doll/barbie/teddy bear if you don’t have a model
  • A light-source e.g. a window or lamp
  • Paper
  • Pen
  • Coloured pencils
  • A stool or surface for the model to be seated (optional)
  • Some props like a hat or nice clothing (optional)

Workshop skills

The skills in this workshop cross over with subjects including Photography, Fashion Communication and Promotion, Acting and Fashion.

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Week 2 – How to Design for a Book Cover

Wednesday 2 August | 3.00 – 4.30pm (BST)

Led by Norwich graduates and book cover designers at Little Brown Books Group, Charlotte Stroomer (BA Graphic Design) and Ellen Rockell (BA Illustration), this workshop will teach you the fundamentals of designing a book cover, from typography, to illustration and photography.

Charlotte and Ellen will guide you through the process to create your own book cover design.

What do I need? 

Digital drawing

  • Digital program such as Photoshop, InDesign or similar

Traditional drawing

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Pen

The skills in this workshop cross over with subjects including Illustration, Design for Publishing, Graphic Design and Graphic Communication.

Workshop skills

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Week 3 – Marking into Fashion

Wednesday 9 August | 10.00 – 11.30am (BST)

Join BA (Hons) Textile Design graduate, Evie Thomas, for a workshop centred around her creative practice. Explore a variety of mark-making techniques and generate a collection of your very own designs.

This multi-disciplinary workshop will take you through a creative brief from start to finish and help you visualise your ideas in a fashion context. Making use of everyday materials you will explore techniques such as hand-drawing, collage, and composition to bring your designs to life.

Evie will also discuss her experience of creating a collection with Sainsbury’s TU clothing after exhibiting at New Designers in 2022.

What do I need?

  • Paper
  • Pencils
  • Highlights
  • Pens
  • Scissors
  • Magazines (for reference images)
  • Access to a search engine (for reference images)
  • Printer (optional)

Workshop skills

The skills in this workshop cross over with subjects including Textile Design and Fashion.

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Week 4 – Storyboard for Film

Wednesday 16 August | 3.00 – 4.30pm (BST)

Led by BA (Hons) Film and Moving Image Graduate & Camera Trainee Elisenda de Wit Roy, you will explore the firsts steps to generate a visual tool that helps visualise a script as a Director or Director of Photography.

After going over a short script and basic shots, you will develop a six shot storyboard where you will be able to translate your ideas into visual material either using a phone or traditional drawing methods. This will deepen your understanding of shot sizes and how each choice can help enhance the meaning of a script.

As well as helping to further understand visual language within film, the storyboard process will also help you to understand the importance of images and superficial script analysis.

What do I need? 

Digital drawing

  • Digital art program such as Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, Clip Studio Paint or similar

Traditional drawing

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Pen (a permanent marker such as a Sharpie)

Workshop skills

The skills in this workshop cross over with subjects including Film and Moving Image Production and Animation.

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Week 5 – Background Art

Wednesday 23 August | 10.00 – 11.30am (BST)

Join Jamie Williams, a BA (Hons) Animation Graduate who works as as a Visual Developer and Background Artist, for this workshop where you’ll learn the process of ideas generation to create your very own piece of background art.

Participants will have an opportunity to hear about Jamie’s varied professional experience, including in the Japanese Animation Industry under industry veteran, Yoshikatsu Matsumoto, as well as working on current projects for Netflix and Flying Bark Productions.

What do I need? 

Traditional drawing

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Pen
  • Play-Doh or alternative (optional)
  • LEGO products or alternative (optional)

Digital drawing

  • Digital art program such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign or similar
  • Blender (optional)

Workshop skills

The skills in this workshop cross over with subjects including Animation, Animation and Visual Effects and Games Art and Design.

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Week 6 – Character Design

Wednesday 30 August | 3.00 – 4.30pm (BST)

Join Rebecca Miller, BA (Hons) Animation graduate and Head of Animation at RAW Pictures, for this character design workshop.

You’ll explore character creation, learning the essential techniques and principles behind designing compelling and memorable characters for animation and beyond. This includes shape language, proportion, colour theory, and visual storytelling, and discover how these elements contribute to the overall personality and believability of your creations.

Whether you aspire to work in animation, gaming, illustration, or any other creative field, this lesson will help you begin or improve on your creative ideas.

What do I need? 

Digital drawing

  • Digital art program such as Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, Clip Studio Paint or similar
  • Drawing tablet (optional)

Traditional drawing

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Pen

Workshop skills

The skills in this workshop crossover with subjects including Animation, Games Art and Design and Illustration.

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FAQs

How do I join the workshop? 

Once you have booked your place on the workshop(s) you wish to join, a confirmation email will be sent out with links and information on how to join the event.

What age is the workshop series for?

These events are for students aged 14+ (those who turn 14 by 1 September 2023).

What do I need to do to get my certificate?

You will need to attend a minimum of 3 of the 6 workshops to be able to receive the official certificate of attendance. We are also asking for you to submit outcomes from 3 workshops that you have attended (for students in the UK only).

How will I receive my certificate? 

We will be providing a digital certificate to you after the final event has finished. 

Will I receive a recording of the workshop if I am unable to attend? 

We will be recording all workshops and making them available to those who book to attend. We would therefore suggest you book your place on the events you are interested in attending even if you can no longer join closer to the day.

Is there a risk assessment and safeguarding in place for this series? 

We are happy to share our risk assessment and safeguarding information with you. Please email us at studentrecruitment@norwichuni.ac.uk for more information. 

End of Series feedback competition Terms and Conditions

Introduction

By participating in the competition you are agreeing to these competition terms and conditions. The competition is being run by Norwich University of the Arts.

Eligibility to Enter

The competition is open to entrants who are 14 years and older. Only UK based students aged 14-19 are eligible for the prize draw.

  • By entering the competition, you confirm that you are eligible to do so and that you are eligible to receive any prizes that may be awarded to you.
  • There is a limit of one entry per person and the competition is completely free to enter.
  • Norwich University of the Arts employees and associates are excluded from the draw.

The Prize

The winning prize will be a £50 High Street Voucher

  • The use of specific brands as prizes as featured on highstreetvouchers.com does not imply any affiliation with, or endorsement of, such brands.
  • The prize is non-transferable and non-exchangeable, and no cash alternatives will be provided.
  • We reserve the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value if circumstances beyond our control require doing so.
  • Norwich University of the Arts’ decision on any aspect of the competition is final and binding, and no correspondence will be entered into about it.

Delivery of the Prize

The winner will allow 14 days for the prize to be delivered, otherwise alternative collection or delivery arrangements can be made through mutual agreement.

Winner Announcement

The winner will be chosen at random and notified via the email address provided by Friday 15 September 2023.

Norwich University of the Arts will make two attempts to contact the winner via email.

If the winner does not respond to the emails informing them of their win within 14 days of the second email, they forfeit their right to the prize, and Norwich University of the Arts reserves the right to select and notify a new winner.

Data Protection and Publicity

  • All entrants may request information on the winning participant by emailing student.recruitment@norwichuni.ac.uk.
  • If requested by Norwich University of the Arts the winner agrees to release their first name and place of education to any other competition participants.
  • The winner’s first name and school or college may be announced on Norwich University of the Arts social media channels.

Limitation of Liability

Norwich University of the Arts accepts no liability for any damage, loss, injury, or disappointment suffered by any entrants as a result of participating in the competition or being selected for a prize.

General

Norwich University of the Arts reserves the right, at any time and without prior notice, to cancel the competition or amend these terms and conditions.

Need help? Chat to our friendly recruitment team

To book a place on an Open Day, or to find out more about how to apply for a course at Norwich University of the Arts, please give us a call.

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