Olympic Torchbearer Tottie Petit, University of the Arts London student

The sun shone and the crowds were out in Waltham Forest as UAL student Tottie Petit ran with the Olympic Torch on the first day of its tour of London.  The excitement is palpable in all the online articles, photos and videos of the day, e.g:

“6.28pm The time has arrived. It’s here! Cheering from the crowds as the flame is carried into the borough. It’s going down Ruckholt Road in Leyton and will make its way to the High Road and then Leyton cricket ground where it will be carried by Tottie Petit.”

A video showing Tottie’s magnificent run, complete with some fancy footwork, has been uploaded by Andrewgreenshoes, and there are many photostreams on Flickr that really provide a flavour of the experience in Waltham Forest.

In a previous interview with Tottie,  BA (Hons) Theatre and Screen – Technical Arts and Special Effects, said “I guess I will just try and carry it as best as I can without falling over – my brother says he can’t come and watch me because he doesn’t own any flame retardant clothing!”

Well done Tottie!

crazybee photostream

hollycolleen photostream

24759744@N02 photostream

Brook Morgan

As part of the Cultural Olympiad, The World Shakespeare Festival set out to showcase the best of UK and international creative talent, through its celebration of Shakespeare as ‘the world’s playwright’. The festival has certainly been capitalising on the wealth of creativity within UAL, and a collaboration with CSM MA Character Animation is the latest in a series of unique and mutually-enriching projects. Here we speak to MA Character Animation’s senior lecturer Steve Roberts and two students to get an insight into the animated film project, and take a look at some works-in-progress.

Steve Roberts

How did the MA Character Animation and World Shakespeare Festival relationship come about?
We are always keen for our students to work on live projects with excellent partners. The opportunity to work with the RSC came about through another collaboration they had underway with CSM – and we couldn’t resist!

What is the brief?
Our students were invited by the RSC to respond to one of the ‘shipwreck trilogy’ – which includes Twelfth Night and The Tempest. They each selected a passage that dealt with the theme of ‘Devices and Disguises’. Professor Shelley Page, Head of International Outreach at Dreamworks as well as CSM’s Visiting Professor of Animation, was involved with the project from the outset and came up with the theme. Her idea was for the short films to be inspired by a scene from one of the plays that involved a disguise or revelation. She started the project off by screening a programme of animated shorts on this theme and then went on to give each student feedback on the development of their initial ideas.  

The students are now in the process of making a short one minute animated film inspired by this scripting device. These particular texts were chosen as the Company has the plays in production at London’s Roundhouse at the moment.  They will be transferring to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in July this year.  When they do so, our films will be broadcast on screens in various locations around the Theatre – which is fantastic.

Brook Morgan

In what ways have the students responded so far?
The students have come up with a very diverse selection of ideas. Some are literal, some are completely ‘out there’.  In various ways, all have delighted, surprised or amused the Artistic Director of the RSC, Michael Boyd.  Michael was extremely generous and spent a day with the students in May, responding to their films at a rough-cut interim crit.  He approached each of the thirty films with a fresh critical eye, and gave every student insightful and measured feedback which really encouraged and supported them. I’m expecting to see a series of films which build on the feedback from Michael, the course tutors and peer review, and we won’t have too long to wait as they only have a couple of weeks left to finish – so plenty of late nights/early mornings!

What sorts of benefits and opportunities does an experience like this give to students?
Working with a real life internationally esteemed client. Working to a deadline. Coming up with ideas to pitch and to complete in a short time-scale. A showcase for their work at a prestigious venue, as well as some films being featured on the myShakespeare website. And a fantastic thing to put on their CVs – those are some pretty strong opportunities and benefits for our students.

Maxim Northover

Maxim Northover

What was your relationship with Shakespeare’s work like before you started this project?
By pure coincidence I was reading The Tempest for the first time when I began this course last October, so the opportunity to work on animation inspired by the same play was auspicious. Animating Shakespeare was also a satisfying prospect as it was the BBC’s animated version of The Twelfth Night that first made Shakespeare’s plays accessible to me at an early age. Ever since then I have enjoyed seeing Shakespeare in the theatre and reading his plays.

What was your initial reaction to the brief?
Because of my interest in Shakespeare I was delighted to have the chance to work with the RSC and enthusiastic to get stuck into the project. The brief detailed Shakespearean disguises and transformations, which was such a terrific starting point for a one-minute animation. When visiting lecturer Shelley Page set the brief she showed us a number of engaging short animations, including Aria by Pjotr Sapegin, which particularly ignited my imagination.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Can you describe what you’re doing for this project – what angle did you choose to take and why?
This brief offered me the perfect opportunity to make a stop-motion puppet animation. I felt that by working with puppets it would be possible to emulate a strong theatrical feeling suitable for a Shakespeare-inspired short.

I also began researching Japanese Kabuki theatre and was struck by the many correlations between Kabuki and Shakespearean theatre. I was interested in the potential of retelling a scene from The Tempest through a Kabuki-inspired animation.

The college library has such a rich supply of books on Kabuki and enabled me to study the wigs, costumes, sets and the characteristic dances. I also learned about a rapid on-stage costume change known as hikinuki. As soon as I saw this I knew that was what I wanted it to be the main visual of my short animation. I chose to depict Ariel’s transformation into a harpy as a Kabuki style costume change. I made costumes from real kimono fabrics and miniature wigs for the two characters Ariel and Prospero.

Maxim Northover

What has your experience of working with the RSC been like so far?
The enthusiasm of the visiting members of the RSC was very encouraging. They offered some insightful feedback and responded imaginatively to the work in progress. I appreciated these opportunities to present my work at the various stages of production, the deadlines helped me to manage the relatively short time we had more effectively.

This collaboration has inspired some brilliant films from the other students, everyone on the course has worked hard and that has been really motivating. I’m looking forward to seeing all the finished films on show in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Where do you hope to take this relationship and/or this project in particular in the future?
The finished film is just one minute, so I can imagine developing a longer story with the same characters. However, the puppets would need a few essential repairs first! I’m quite pleased with the results of my first puppet animation, something I would like to put on my show-reel and enter into competitions over the summer.

Visit Maxim’s website.

Maxim Northover

Ana García

What was your relationship with Shakespeare’s work like before you started this project?
I’m Spanish, so before this I hadn’t read much Shakespeare, to be honest (we are mostly taught about Spanish literature in school), but I knew who he was and had read pieces of plays in Literature classes. Shakespeare is such a big figure in literature and theatre that is very hard not to know at least the most famous references to his work (“To be or not to be…”).

What was your initial reaction to the brief?
The first reaction was to be a little afraid. I don’t consider myself a very good storyteller, so it was a challenge. That is why my idea doesn’t deviate too much from the play, although I tried to make it as ‘mine’ as I could.

Ana Garcia

Can you describe what you’re doing for this project – what angle did you choose to take and why?
My focus was partly motivated by a practical issue, I wanted to be safe and work within my limits to not try to take on more than I could handle. But also, if the idea didn’t appeal to me, I wasn’t going to be able to work on it fully. So I chose my favourite character (Feste) and started exploring from there. I had a couple of weeks in which I was just reading and brainstorming ideas into a notebook and some sketches.

I chose Feste’s relation to Olivia because I saw something not told in there. Maybe the film from 1996 influenced me on that. Feste’s character became much richer if he actually cared for Olivia and had a motive behind his jokes and teasing: he cared for her and wanted her to be happy. Olivia does behave a little like a stubborn teenager, so I tried to give them a sort of father/daughter or uncle/niece relationship.

Ana Garcia

What has your experience of working with the RSC been like so far?
So far the RSC has showed a lot of interest in us, which is nice because animation is hard work and it’s always good to know that the people you are working for have real interest on what you’re doing. Personally, the feedback I received (during the animatic crit) was the best one: I was presenting a draft of the story in images, giving them a rough timing and an approach to the style I wanted. They recognised all that and told me honestly where they saw I was having problems, especially regarding the story, if it was understandable or not (it wasn’t). With that feedback, I could rewrite and redraw and reorganise all in a better way. I had to push things in schedule, but it was better on the long run.

Any thing else to add?
If you are interested, I have this video of the whole process of animating a shot, from the keyframe stage ‘til the colour stage.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Visit Ana’s Youtube channel for more animation.

Aaron McPeake Iceland Landscape 3, 2010

The University of the Arts London’s exhibition spaces are gearing up to commemorate the Olympic and Paralympic events in local and idiosyncratic ways.

Opening on July 26^th and running through August, Wimbledon Space will showcase a selection of work by emerging talent from across Theatre and Fine Art courses at the college. Its title is LAUNCH: Ceremony and Wimbledon is currently inviting student makers to submit work for consideration, in response to the theme of Ceremony during London 2012. One student also stands to win an award for their work, and with it, a bespoke residency that culminates in an exhibition at the college in 2012 – 13. The award is to be judged by two prominent figures in the create sphere; Lea Anderson, dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director and Sarah Williams, Jerwood Visual Arts Gallery Manager and curator, artist and lecturer. The winner of the award will be announced at the opening event.

To coincide with this, a performance will also take place in the Theatre space. Divided is a collaborative choreography project responding to the themes of ‘Athleticism’ and the ‘Olympic Ideal’, by Design for Performance students at Wimbledon and Youth Group London Contemporary Dance School.

Paul Ryan What are feelings for? 2007

Meanwhile, Camberwell College of Arts is set to mark the Olympic Flame passing through the area with an exhibition at Camberwell Space. There will be: smoke and mirrors, burnt houses, archives on fire, sirens and alarms… To mark the Olympic Flame passing through Camberwell, UAL PhD artists and associates, present an exhibition that considers fire in its ceremonial, ritualistic, metaphysical and symbolic aspects; as well as its physical, audio-visual and scientific representations. An artists’ residency relay will pass the torch of audience encounter across the three weeks; as practitioners work in the galleries, alongside the exhibits.

In the context of the riots during 2010 and the fatal Lakanal House fire in Camberwell 2009, flames may raise mixed associations locally. This year’s Olympic flame lit in Greece on May 10^th 2012, where protestors in Athens clash with police over austerity measures, arrives in Camberwell in July on the way to the Olympic Cauldron in East London, where tens of billions of pounds have been spent.

Despite austerity, there is the human resolve to celebrate. Fires and flames have roles to play in both. Art on Fire aims to give depth and breadth to our encounter with this symbol, brought to our attention by The Games, as it is run through the streets.

Artists include: Daniel Baker’s Smoke & Mirrors; installations by Eleanor Bowen; Maria Christoforatou, who considers fires in the home; Jenny Gordon’s collages on fire; Aaron McPeake – who has made gongs/bells from molten bronze e.g. Iceland Landscape 3 (see fig. below); a collaboration between Carolyn Flood & Dino Alfier – Where Words are Said;  a siren piece by Rob Mullender;  and Paul Ryan’s archive on fire.

Double Vision, an exhibition at Peckham Space (also part of Camberwell College of Arts), extends out of the gallery to celebrate the passing of the Olympic Torch through SE15. Artist Gayle Chong Kwan invites you to Peckham Square for a sensory feast to celebrate the arrival of the torch between midday and 2pm on 26^th July. Passers-by will be invited to visit mobile sensory booths to experience the smells and tastes of Double Vision.

There is a plethora of events to get stuck into around UAL: and testament once again to the many, varied and often surprising ways that London’s creative contingency has been responding to this singular theme.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Launch: Ceremony

Wimbledon space, 27th July – 17th August 2012 (opening night 26^th July)

Art on Fire

Camberwell Space, 23 July – 11 August 2012
Special Viewing / SLAM Last Friday:  27 July, 6-8pm

Sensory Olympic Feast

Peckham Square, 26^th July, 12 noon – 2pm

To Be Or Not to Be by Chris Kontogeorgos

Over the past six months, students from Central Saint Martins’ MA Communication Design course have been part of an exciting collaboration with the World Shakespeare Festival 2012. Part of the London 2012 Festival (the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad), the festival is the biggest celebration of Shakespeare ever staged.

Students have been commissioned to ‘interpret, recode and remix’ Shakespeare, and their work features on the new digital platform, myShakespeare, alongside that of artists such as Kate Tempest, Brendan Dawes and Will Power.

Coloured Water by Konstantinos Mouzakis

Six projects have been selected to appear online and represent the impressive scope of ideas that were arrived at from one single brief. The results are diverse, visually compelling and at times beguiling: from Kate Brangan’s ‘Shakespeare by chance’, a generative design program which creates real-time visual translations of Shakespeare quotes, to Konstantinos Mouzakis’ installation ‘Coloured Water’, which uses water tanks and ink to represent the complex network of relationships in Twelfth Night.

Sarah Ellis is the Digital Producer at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has been involved in this project since its inception. We caught up with her to find out more about the process – and the results.

Talking Dots by Hanna Bischof

How did it all start?

MyShakespeare originated from the World Shakespeare Festival. What it’s meant to do is to invite global audiences to participate and engage with the Festival, people wouldn’t be able to come to the UK and see the work that’s on here.

But also to ask the question ‘how do we interpret Shakespeare today?’ What we’re looking for is lots of different voices and people who are interested in Shakespeare and making their own work. MyShakespeare is an opportunity to share that work in a gallery space and to write articles about what you care about, on the blog space. It’s also an opportunity to comment as well, so it’s a democratic space, and the work with Central Saint Martins in particular came from a want to engage with the new generation of artists and designers and makers. To explore that question and specifically ask the question ‘so what would you do with Shakespeare today?’ And as a result, we’ve had some fantastic responses from people that may not have even read Shakespeare before. Some of the work that’s come from the students at CSM has been some of the freshest work I’ve seen in a long time, because they don’t come with any preconceived ideas. Some of them are genuinely exploring it for the first time.

Ophelia's Skull by Owen Woonyung Lee

Any favourite work?

Highlights include all the work that we’ve put on the site. What I love about it is that you get something like Ophelia’s Skull which appeals to certain audiences and then you get Talking Dots, which appeals to another strand of our audiences.

Are there any future plans for the work?

Yes, we’re going to do an exhibition. Some of the work will just work online but we’re looking to exhibit some of the work that works in a physical space at the end of July, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. I think it’s a brilliant opportunity for those artists to get a further profile of their work and also an opportunity to get a new audience for their work; and for us to get a new perspective for our core audiences.

The Systematic Crown of Cleopatra by Alma Iraldy Vivas Terrones

Might there be opportunities for other students to create work inspired by Shakespeare?

Indeed, if any other student from the University of the Arts London wants to get in touch, my details are on the site. We’d welcome and be really open to that. It’s about being diverse in your approaches and who you’re talking to. So we’re not just talking to the theatre world – we’re really expanding on that and I think we have a lot to work with there.

Anything else to add?

Just to say it’s been a really brilliant partnership and I think it’s fed both partners really well – it’s been really fruitful. I was delighted with the results and I think global audiences were in particular. If you go on to the site and see how many people have ‘liked’ some of that work, global audiences have been really inspired by that and I’m really pleased. We’ve got a series of commissioned artists who will appear throughout the festival but the Central Saint Martins commission was the first to appear on the site. They’ve set the bar really high.

See the work here.

Shakespeare by Chance by Kate Brangan

Sir John Tusa and Professor Jane Rapley OBE, Head of College at CSM. Credit: Paul Cochrane

A rare bout of sunshine greeted guests to UAL’s Celebrating London 2012 evening reception: a portent, with any luck, to a bright summer ahead of art, culture and sport. The mood inside the Platform Theatre at Central Saint Martins was equally sunny, as guests mingled with students, staff and alumni amongst the Olympic and Paralympic-themed artwork and design on display.

Martin Richman's One Whirl. Credit: Paul Cochrane

We were there to celebrate the vital role that artists and designers have played in making the Games happen, and in particular, that of the University of the Arts London’s own community. Extending far and wide – from students to alumni and lecturers – and encompassing all manner of artistic practice, the community of creatives is woven through the fabric of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The evening’s event communicated this message, through its guest speakers and the judicious selection of projects on display around the space.

Guests play Wiff-Waff - Susan Forsyth, 'Wiff-Waff', 2012" Credit: Paul Cochrane

Guests were invited to have fun with Wiff Waff VI; a gilded ping-pong table by the sculptor, and Chelsea College of Art and Design alumna, Susan Forsyth. On a sabbatical from its installation at the British Royal Society of Sculptors, the table lay in anticipation of zealous wiff-waff amateurs and enthusiasts, who came – and conquered – and earned themselves medals for their efforts.

Wiff-Waff medals. Credit: Paul Cochrane

In the centre of the foyer stood Musical Torch – the result of a collaboration between Central Saint Martins students and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, when they engaged in creative workshops with 140 children from Islington schools. Susannah Simons, BBC Project Executive, 2012 Cultural Olympiad, spoke of this collaboration later on in the evening when she mapped out the BBC’s commitment to the Games through three key themes: music, Shakespeare, London. Musical Torch – part of Music Nation – was just one of the Cultural Olympiad projects in which students from the university have been involved.

Musical Torch. Credit: Paul Cochrane

Elsewhere in the foyer was evidence of further creative endeavours: high-quality prints from i-Sustain, a London College of Fashion project with i-D magazine; images of the ParalympicsGB visual identity by CSM students; Sir Anthony Caro’s gold kilo coin; LCC alumnus Rodrigo Enriquez’ commemorative 50 pence coin and senior lecturer, Lin Cheung’s, Paralympic medals.

Commemorative 50 pence coin. Credit: Paul Cochrane

LCC alumnus Lorenzo Belenguer’s TESTIMONIES was installed in its own theatre space, to dramatic effect, while he himself was on hand to collect more Olympic and Paralympic testimonies from guests – these were posted to the project’s Facebook page throughout the night.

TESTIMONIES. Credit: Paul Cochrane

Olympian Series II – Beth Tweddle MBE, by body cast sculptor and Chelsea College of Art and Design alumna Louise Giblin, was proudly displayed in the foyer and gave guests the chance to see, ahead of its exhibition in the Mall Galleries, the exquisite detail with which it was made. Its counterpart, Olympian Series VI – Dame Kelly Holmes, glittered on stage like a relic in the dark while guest speakers’ gave their presentations in the theatre.

Olympic Series II - Beth Tweddle MBE. Credit: Paul Cochrane

The presentations were preceded by an introduction from Sir John Tusa, Chairman of the UAL’s Court of Governors, who described the scope of the university’s engagement.

Sir John Tusa. Credit: Paul Cochrane

Geraldine Collinge, Director of Events and Exhibitions at the Royal Shakespeare Company, spoke of Central Saint Martins’ involvement in the World Shakespeare Festival 2012. MA Communication Design students were commissioned to ‘recode’ Shakespeare and their work features on the new digital platform, myShakespeare. Collinge spoke of how deeply impressed she is with the results, and the way in which they made her rethink Shakespeare. Check back to the blog soon for a report on this exciting collaboration.

Susannah Simons. Credit: Paul Cochrane

Alisdair Leighton-Crawford was on-hand to represent the student contingent. Detailing his transition from GB rower to sportswear designer, he explained how his passion for sport and creativity led him to LCF’s BA Active Sportswear course, where he is currently finishing his second year of study. His pioneering Livewire Freescape Jacket was on display in the foyer.

Livewire Freescape Jacket. Credit: Paul Cochrane

CSM member of staff and jewellery designer, Lin Cheung, talked about her experience of designing London 2012’s Paralympic medals. She described her journey, from the moment the email dropped into her inbox, and the trials, tribulations and sheer serendipity that ensued. (After deciding the sculpture she wanted to reference was Nike of Paionios – the original resides in Greece – she discovered fortuitously that here in London was a plaster cast that she could have access to; in Olympia, West Kensington!) It has been two years this summer since Cheung began work on this project: “I’m really looking forward to seeing them being worn – I think that’s the longest I’ve had to wait for a piece of work to be seen on the body!”

Lin Cheung. Credit: Paul Cochrane

Martin Richman is an artist and a CSM alumnus whose One Whirl commission has unfurled in an Olympic Park bridge and underpass. Resplendent in a Wiff-Waff medal, he described his influences and the fact that he has designed very much with a sense of legacy in mind. “I’m very keen that whatever we all collectively do connected to the Olympic Park, that there’s some sort of strong legacy that speaks of the Olympics but also carries on speaking to ordinary people as they inhabit the park,” he said.

Martin Richman. Credit: Paul Cochrane

Legacy and lasting connections were key themes of the reception, which ended buoyantly and with a sense of optimism. Long-term working relationships and creative partnerships – fostered initially by the singular theme of the Games and set to continue for a long time after the last race has run – were touched upon by others and felt collectively throughout the night.

Guests at the reception. Credit: Paul Cochrane

CSM students developed initiatives in Ghana

Universities Week 2012 took place from 30 April to 7 May this year and its accompanying publication, ‘Olympic and Paralympic Games: The Impact of Universities’, prominently features work from UAL.

Showcasing images of Central Saint Martins’ senior lecturer, Lin Cheung, with her Paralympic medals and featuring an overview of CSM MA Innovation Management’s collaboration with UK Sport and two Ghanaian universities, it recognises and celebrates ‘the contribution that universities make to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the wider sports industry in the UK’.

Alex Bulmer, a recent graduate of LCC’s MA Screenwriting course, is also mentioned for the two plays she is producing for the Cultural Olympiad with a collective of artists. You can read our interview with Alex here.

An accompanying report, ‘Supporting A UK Success Story: The Impact of University Research and Sport Development’, highlights CCW’s doctoral research bursary in the Role of Drawing, led by Stephen Farthing RA. Last year, we asked Stephen what personally excites him about this bursary. It also mentions a design partnership that took place back in 2006 between London College of Fashion, Loughborough University Rapid Manufacture Research Group and EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems, resulting in the launch of the world’s first bespoke performance football boot ‘assassin’.

It is fantastic that the University of the Arts London’s achievements and collaborations are being recognised in this way, and congratulations to all individuals involved.

Alex Bulmer

We reported on it over two years ago – when it was first commissioned – but today Anish Kapoor’s 114.5 sculpture was officially unveiled (despite being clearly visible for three months now).

The Chelsea College of Art and Design alumnus’ sculpture – the ArcelorMittal Orbit – is the tallest in Britain and was designed in collaboration with the architect Cecil Balmond.  Set to attract 1 million visitors to Stratford’s Olympic Park annually, its design incorporates the five Olympic rings and is made from 63% recycled steel.

Lin Cheung's London 2012 Paralympic Medals

Congratulations are in order to the university for winning the Silver Award for Creative Cultural Project at the Podium Awards Evening last night!

Podium is the further and higher education unit for the 2012 Games and it is UAL’s London 2012 progamme as a whole that has caught their attention, as we reported on ahead of the ceremony.

The award is recognition of the contribution of the whole UAL community – staff, students, and alumni – and their superlative creative engagement with London 2012. And of course, it’s only just beginning: stay tuned for news of more exciting projects and collaborations.

At the Samsung Torchbearer gala dinner

Last week we announced the six students from the University of the Arts London who have been selected to represent the university as 2012 Torchbearers. We’ve caught up with the students ahead of the Olympic Flame lighting in Ancient Olympia, Athens on May 10th. Hanna, Ellie, Sophie and Tottie tell us how they’re feeling in the run up to the big day and whether this historic event relates to their college work. Many thanks to them all for taking time out of their manic final year schedules!

Hanna Johansson, BA (Hons) Fashion Sportswear, London College of Fashion

How did you come to be appointed a Torchbearer?
I heard about it through my school so I applied and they chose me to be nominated!

What does it mean to you?
It is a great honour for me; I have never been involved in something as big as this before. The Olympic and Paralympic Games are something that I have been watching since I was a child, and now to be a part of it feels a bit unreal.

How does it relate to your studies?
I study Fashion Sportswear so I think it is highly relevant; fashion is becoming more and more important in the world of sports and my education is about combining the two.

What will the role actually entail?
By carrying the Olympic flame, I represent my school and my education and I will be able to inspire people across the world with my story. I think that education is very important and if I can inspire one person to not give up their dreams about what they want to study that is enough for me. As a Torchbearer I also represent what the Olympic and Paralympic Games stand for and I hope that the event in 2012 will bring people from different nations together.

Hanna Johannson at the gala dinner

Ellie Moss, BA (Hons) Theatre and Screen – Costume Design, Wimbledon

How did you end up being appointed a Torchbearer?
I was nominated by my tutors.  I have been a student rep for my course, Costume Design for the last two years and try to help as many people as I can, such as tutors and my peers, and developing my course into something everyone is happy with. Alongside, I am also student ambassador and just generally try to work hard with my work and job.

Which part of the route are you carrying it for?
On the 26^th July I’m running in Camden.

Ellie Moss - the Virgin Sacrifce

What does it mean to you?
It actually means a lot. I am really thrilled that my tutors think so highly of me and that they would even think of nominating me – it came as quite a shock to be honest.

Does it relate to your studies?
Not really, but it is a confidence boost – making me feel more confident in the way I socialise with mentors in the industry and people I look up to for guidance in my studies. It makes me feel that if you do work hard that occasionally people will notice.

And could you tell me a little about what you are working on at college at the moment?
I am currently in my final year, with an upcoming degree show at Wimbledon 14^th – 22^nd June where I will present some of my constructed costume and a selection of costume designs that I have been working on for the past academic year. The next upcoming weekend (5^th  May) 3^rd year Costume Design and Interpretation are presenting our work at Hampton Court, which is running alongside the baroque exhibition: The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned. Our costumes are inspired by the themes of the exhibition.

My website is www.eleanormoss.com

Ellie Moss - the Virgin Sacrifice

Sophie Hirsch, BA (Hons) Jewellery Design, Central Saint Martins

How did you come to be appointed a Torchbearer?
I believe the head of my course, Caroline Broadhead, was asked to appoint someone from the programme she leads. The email she forwarded me summarised: “Sophie is an outstanding student and a great team player. She is extraordinarily hard working and has been producing excellent work which is already of a professional quality. We expect her to be making a strong contribution to the field of jewellery when she launches her career.”

What does it mean to you?
I’m quite a modest person, so I was quite shocked as to why I had been nominated. It’s obviously an honour and a once in a lifetime experience – my family were pretty excited about it all!

Sophie Hirsch

What will the role actually entail? 
As far as I’m aware each person will carry the 1.5 kg torch for 300m, each student carrying it a different leg of the route in the city of their university. I will be carrying the torch in South Kensington, quite near the end of the relay.

How does it relate to your studies?
I’m not sure it does directly, but it’s interesting to be part of it with so many varied and inspirational people.

And what are you working on at the moment at college?
Currently I’m working on my final collection, which is due in the end of the month to then be on show at CSM’s degree show, and trying to get my website up, so it’s all pretty hectic at the minute!

www.sophiealicehirsch.com

Tottie Petit

Tottie Petit, BA (hons) Theatre and Screen – Technical Arts and Special Effects, Wimbledon

What are you working on at college right now?
My course is Technical Arts with Special Effects – anything from puppetry to anatomica sculpture to sci-fi to prosthetics. I am currently doing a piece on angels, I have sculpted and cast a lady who is being visited by an angel. The lady is made out of plaster and the angel is fragmented and cast out of glass wax. He will he turning around her on a motor, if all goes well completely  encompassing her. I’ve been studying angels for a year from the bible and interviews with people who have had modern day encounters as well as many books. I am keen to knock down the modern day notion of how an angel should look and find the original blueprint. So no wings or halos!

How do you feel about being chosen as a Torchbearer?
I am thrilled and I feel very privileged although I am aware it could have been anyone in my class – we are all very hard working and my tutor said it could be any one of us. It means a lot I am really grateful. I am thankful to God for choosing me and will be running with Him in mind!

Which part of the route are you carrying it for?
My slot is in The London Borough of Waltham Forest on 21 July 2012. That’s all I know so far.

Have you got any specific or unusual plans of how you will carry the torch on the day?
Ha! It feels like a long way away right now. But everyone says I am hilarious at running, I look like a three year old so maybe I will skip instead? I thought about wearing something that represents me, and what I stand for, but we get to wear an official uniform instead. I guess I will just try and carry it as best as I can without falling over – my brother says he can’t come and watch me because he doesn’t own any flame retardant clothing!

What do you think the Olympic and Paralympic Games will do for London?
I really hope that it boosts everyone’s moral (instead of getting people down about more people and heavier traffic). I hope it excites people and encourages everyone to pull together as a country – that would be nice.

Tottie Petit

Still from Man and Machine by Yannakis Jones

Yannakis Jones is an Associate Lecturer in Advertising Communication at Central Saint Martins, and has won numerous awards – working for both London agencies and independently. Yannakis recently completed work on a series of films, BMW presents: The Ultimate Performance. The films cast a spotlight on of Olympic athletes Louis Smith and Rebecca Adlington, Paralympian David Weir and retired middle distance runner Steve Cram.

BMW is the official automotive partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and launched the project in February. The series of four inspirational short films focuses on the athletes and draws parallels between them and BMW: in terms of technology, determination and continuous improvement leading to world-class results. Jones explains how his involvement came about: “BMW UK wished to create some activity around the twenty or so Olympians and Paralympians they are sponsoring. As someone particularly interested in branded content they came to me to write a framework for the series. I went on to commission three other award winning-directors including Asif Kapadia – of recent SENNA fame, alongside the recent David Weir film, which I directed and you can watch  here.

Still from Man and Machine by Yannakis Jones

Jones wrote and directed Man and Machine, featuring 6-time Paralympic wheelchair athlete David Weir. “Meeting David was great,” he recalls. “Humble and totally focused. It was a delight filming in Richmond Park, whilst trying to avoid Fenton types and deers, who were understandably curious as to why we were chasing a man in a wheelchair around the Richmond Park with a camera truck”.

Jones commissioned BAFTA-winning Senna director Asif Kapadia, to produce a thoughtful retrospective piece, Power, Speed and Endurance, that casts Steve Cram back to his middle-distance running triumphs of the 1970s and 80s. Olympians Louis Smith and Rebecca Adlington also feature in Form and Function and Beneath the Surface, films by Richard de Aragues and Stevan Riley respectively.

Each film tells a human story through compelling interviews and beautiful cinematography.  Explaining the concept of the films, Jones says “the broad theme is ultimate performance and the different aspects that come together in order to achieve. In respect of the David Weir film, which I directed, there is some focus on how David needs to connect seamlessly with his chair to deliver his ultimate performance”.

Has this project affected Jones’ attitude towards the Games? “I have some tickets for table tennis,” he tells, but “in terms of the Paralympics the project was a brilliant eye-opener”.

Still from Man and Machine by Yannakis Jones