Talking to the next generation of creative makers

It's five years since I left De Montfort university and I feel I have acheived so much is such a short time.  One of the tutors there asked me if I would be come along and do a talk to the students as a visiting artist.  This is a part of my practice I enjoy, giving back to the next generation of creative people.

Quite a lot has changed since I left. The road outside the Fletcher building is now a predestrian way, which caused me a minor hiccupp as I hadn't accounted for that when I drove in to the campus to park. The building which housed the ceramics, paint spraying and plaster is now raised to the ground, it looked like the aftermath of a war, just a layer of rumble left where a building used to stand. The Design Crafts course also has had some changes.  There is a new course leader, but there are still many of the tutors that were there when I was attending.

I shared my experience as a maker, bringing in my roots, how I got into making, things I have discovered since leaving DMU and advise on marketing and promotion.   In the auditorium, the faces looked at me seemingly eager to hear what I had to share.  Had I covered enough, was it too long?  I'm not sure.  However, when I invited the students to come and explore my work the place erupted into a hive of activity as they passed this book sculputure and that one to each other.

Next year I hope to go in and combine a talk and an interactive skills workshop.