Meet Global Pathways recipient Erin Xie
- Written byJ Tilley
- Published date 14 April 2023
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LCF Global: Global Pathways is a funding opportunity aiming to support short-term mobility at LCF. The scheme is in place to encourage students to enrich their studies by spending a short time overseas as part of their degree. Through the scheme, LCF offers a bursary that enables students' participation in a wide range of activities abroad providing a unique opportunity to broaden cultural horizons, learn new skills and develop an international network. We caught up with some of the most recent participants of the scheme to discuss their travels and how the opportunity has impacted their studies and professional prospects.
Hi Erin! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your project?
Hi, I’m Erin Xie, I graduated from BA (Hons) Fashion Jewellery at London College of Fashion in 2022. I had experience of being part of two exhibitions, one was the 'Let’s Get Phygital' exhibition during Munich Jewellery Week 2022, another one was the Doozy magazine exhibition in Strange Brew gallery in Bristol which was exhibiting from 23 February 2023 until the end of March.
How did you benefit from planning your experience and travelling individually?
'Let’s Get Phygital' was my first group overseas exhibition hosted by one of our course tutors, Mala Siamptani, during my final year of the BA course. Therefore, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Global Pathway funding. It was amazing financial support for my overseas travel.
How did the experience impact your academic journey? What are the key learning outcomes you gained from your experience abroad?
Actually, I’ve improved a lot of useful skills such as digital technology skills when I was doing the project for 'Let’s Get Phygital'. Since it was an extra project for me, I had the chance to learn and use the new techniques related to the exhibition. Of course, I also learned how to communicate with the
Organizer and Curator when I was participating the exhibition in Bristol. For me, communication is always important.
Can you share a personal highlight from your experience abroad?
I felt a sense of accomplishment every time I saw people interacting with my work. I went to the launch party of the Doozy exhibition last month. I was pleased to see people taking a closer look at my work with a smiling facial expression. My exhibited jewellery work aims to empathize with the audience, so it was satisfying and encouraging to see and hear their responses.
Would you like to complete another project overseas, and if so, what would you like to experience?
Yes, I’d always love to showcase my work to the world. I would love to collaborate with more overseas artists from different fields, should I get the opportunity to.
Any useful tips to share with a fellow student that does not know where to start to look for an opportunity overseas?
Every year there are various feeds of information for artists, including open call opportunities on the internet. It is good to pay attention to these websites. LCF will also post or email students about some opportunities you might interested in. Don’t be afraid to ask and communicate with other artists or curators in the industry, whether you get the chance to meet them in person or online. But don’t forget to do some research about the organization as well as the activity before you apply too!
- Find out more about LCF Global: Global Pathways
- View our upcoming Open Days.