Creative student win national competition

Two students from Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC) have had national success in the Young Creative Chevrolet (YCC) Design Competition.

Andrew Barlow, aged 17, from Endon achieved first place in the Visual Arts category of the YCC Competition.  The former Endon High School pupil submitted illustrative designs for a special edition t-shirt range and judges were particularly impressed by his creative ideas, which embodied the ethos of the brand and were successful in concluding a challenging brief.

Stein Pointon, aged 18 from Mow Cop achieved third place in Visual Arts category. The former Congleton High School pupil was commended for his digitally illustrated presentation encompassing the Chevrolet brand.

Both students are in their first year at NULC and study the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Graphics and Interactive Media.  The talented duo study in the Colleges renowned Faculty of Art, Media and Design where they are taught Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation, Games Design, Concept Art, Digital Imaging and Manipulation and Web Design as part of their vocational course.

Simon Jones, Curriculum Leader for Graphics & InteractiveMedia at NULC said: “This is a highly regarded national competition, so for two of our students to be in the top three is brilliant.  At NULC we’re committed to going that extra mile and providing students with the opportunities to gain valuable experience working on live briefs and entering competitions, which looks impressive in their portfolios when progressing after college.”

Commenting on Andrew’s success, Simon added: “Andrew’s work over the past year has been of an exceptional standard, so for him to be recognised on a national level is fantastic.  I believe Andrew can go all the way and succeed in the European heats of the competition.”

Young Creative Chevrolet (YCC) was launched by Chevrolet Europe in 2007 as a pan-European contest for students of applied arts. By challenging young artists to

respond to a creative brief in five potential applied arts’ disciplines – fashion, music, photography, video and visual arts – Chevrolet aims to foster creativity and support emerging artists in the early stages of their careers. The fifth year of the contest was marked by increased participation, with 155 applied arts schools from 22 European countries taking part. YCC 2012 will revolve around the following four disciplines fashion, photography, video and visual arts.

A first jury selection is made at the national level, and three prizes are awarded per discipline. The winning entry in each discipline competes for the European prize. Jury members are selected among recognized artists in the respective disciplines, design experts, media professionals and senior Chevrolet officers.  Andrew's work will now be forwarded to the YCC European Heats where he will face competition from students across Europe.

Wayne Brannon, President and Managing Director of Chevrolet Europe said: “Young people set the agenda for the world, and drive its change and development.  They inherit the world we build and in turn pass it on. Chevrolet is stunned by the creative work generated by the YOUNG CREATIVE CHEVROLET contest. We are exceedingly proud to be supporting up-and-coming artists and designers through this initiative.”

To find out more about studying Graphics & Interactive Media at NULC click here or contact the Information Point on 01782 254254 or info@nulc.ac.uk.