No Rooms at the Inn

Following a self-generated FD 'Roadshow' and it would be good to think the reputation is starting to reach beyond Room 201 - for the first time in six years year one of the HE Graphic Design course reached the heady-heights of 20 students . . . giving the programme a total of 30! Shish!

The group is made up of nine students from WSA, one from the University of Kent, another from UCLAN, one from the Deanery 6th Form and eight from St John Rigby. In educational parlance this is referred to as 'broadening the gene-pool' - sounds messy!! Well, as we're off to Paris in March - fingers crossed - you never know. The group is made up of 15 guys and five girls.

Top Row : Jack | Tom | Josh | Emma | Chris | Jemma | Tom
Bottom Row : Anthony | Natasha | Danny | James | Declan | Jonesy | Adam | Matt |
Ryan | Josh | Mike | Emily | Melissa

It's taken a week or two but they've started to settle. And we've called them FD Purple

FD Green - the second years have started without three of last years number. Niall, Carl and Sophie have all gone on to follow other careers. Fingers crossed the focus that last years second years showed is the natural progression for a sometimes 'vague' year one.

Rob | James | Adam | Ryan |Chantelle | Janine | Nik | Sophie | Jack | Leanne

The first brick!

As I didn't save my first draft . . . I'll not be making that same mistake again . . . I set off on my first ever BLOG - hang on tight as it won't be pretty! 

Having purchased for my company (Georgia AD) our first Mac in 1990, and then rung the Apple shop in Liverpool every hour, on the hour for a month to solve the most basic of problems here I am sat in my kitchen in front of my iMac which costs less then a tenth of the 'mind-boggling' IIfx ready to bring the Foundation Degree in Graphic Design at Wigan School for the Arts alive!!!

But to start we must go backwards to the past. When I returned after 24 years to my career birthplace what existed then really doesn't bare much comparison to the vibrant studio that bounces along today.

Higher National Diplomas in Graphic Design was being swallowed up by Universities opening up their doors to 'all-comers'. With every parent wanting their Johnny (or Joanna) to be the first in the family to have secured a BA Honours, even if many weren't up to the task, our USP's of 'hands-on, caring, industry professionals always in the classroom' was starting to look a little more than tired.

Over three years ago Wigan School for the Arts and all the clever professional educationalist over in lofty Parson's Walk opened discussions with Salford University (or should I say University of Salford Manchester to give it's new brand title) . . . and we haven't looked back since.

The idea is to provide two years of tough, industrial based education here in Wigan, linked in with professionals from the industry, coupled with academic rigor so that should FD students wish to finish off their study in a final year to gain a BA Honours at Salford, the opportunity is there for them.

But . . . and it is a big BUT, students have got to want it. No one will get the success they set off in search of if they don't commit everything they have to their study . . . and as many students who have passed through FD will testify . . . it can be a scary journey!!