Helena Walsby-Tickle started at Chelsea as a student on the Graduate Diploma in Interior Design before progressing onto the MA Interior and Spatial Design course. She takes time out from preparing for the MA Summer Show to tell us about her work and plans for the future.
Describe your experience at Chelsea in 3 words.
Inspiring, Sociable, Encouraging
Please tell us about what you are working on for your final show.
My project is focussed on the practice of collecting, organising and curating as a form of meditative contemplation and the idea is to build a temporary installation at Vauxhall Beach using discarded materials found at the site.
What has been your greatest challenge so far in working towards the degree show?
Collecting materials for the installation – daily visits to the shoreline at both high tide and low tide and the logistics of getting the materials back to the studio space!
What do you see yourself doing after you graduate, what are your career ambitions?
Throughout the year I have already been working part time with a design agency that specialises in interior design for the hospitality and leisure industry which I hope to continue, and I am currently investigating PGCE options to maybe go into teaching.
What have you enjoyed most about studying at Chelsea?
The workshops and studio spaces. The workshop facilities and workshop technicians are amazing – so supportive and helpful with every aspect of practical work. The studios are great spaces to be creative and are used for seminars, tutorials, group projects, and for working on personal projects.
What have you most enjoyed about the area around Chelsea? Any tips?
The area around Chelsea is very diverse. It’s fantastic for art galleries, historical architecture, eating out, socialising and lots of parks, open spaces and walks along the River Thames. It’s close to major public transport hubs, such as Vauxhall and Victoria stations and walking distance to central London and major tourist spots such as Buckingham Palace, The Houses of Parliament, and the London Eye.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing your course? Any advice?
I definitely recommend the course. The course is great for people who have come from a range of other design backgrounds, not just interior design and architecture. Due to the ‘art school’ mentality we have a freedom to explore and push the boundaries of art, design and spatial design.
Fine out more about MA Interior and Spatial Design
Explore last year’s MA Interior and Spatial Design Postgraduate Summer Show