Student explores the creative industries
As part of our Study Abroad programme the module Creative Industries London allows students get under the skin of contemporary communication practices in one of the most inspiring cities in the world. Developed specifically for those joining Integrated Study Abroad at UAL – it caters to students looking to explore the industries prior to choosing their future career path. It gives students a solid foundation in theory and an introduction to disruptive design, media and screen practices.
We caught up with Hue, from New York – who joined us this summer for Creative Industries London. From the visits to London’s creative studios and learning the history of the creative industries to meeting the Founder of the Bussey Building – Hue’s highlights are rich and varied.
She talks future plans, how the course helped “get out of the fashion design bubble… to see what other creatives are doing”.
Tell us about you?
My name is Hue Chen, I’m Chinese American from New York City (NYC) – I enjoy film, seeing exhibitions, exploring cities, music concerts and reading. I hope to work as a designer for a label in the future or work freelance within a fashion cooperative. I’d first like to continue my studies and complete an MA in either Fashion Design or Textiles.
You’ve created a great video In conversation with Mickey Smith – Founder of the Bussey Building during the course – tell us more about it?
Our tutor Emma took us to Peckham to meet Mickey, founder of the Bussey Building. He gave a very interesting talk/interview about his career, how it shaped the way he came to create the Bussey Building/CLF Art – 120-year-old multi-level warehouse space (that the CLF helped name, save and are still known as) which host leading events in music, theatre, dance, film, art and more.
I recorded the talk since he mentioned some really interesting things, about not just pertaining to the building but about living a creative life in general. I used this recording with different video clips I’d collected throughout the 3 weeks, created this video using After Effects/Premiere Pro which we learnt on the course.
Creative Industries London – how was it?
It was a good experience. I enjoyed visiting the different creative firms and seeing how they work across different areas across London. We talked to various people in the creative industries and heard about their experience working within creative fields – predominantly how being in London impacts the work they do. I really liked the visit to ‘Outlandish’ a worker cooperative firm who invest their profits in social change, it was great to see how they shared ideas across the team through an informal long lunch everyday.
I briefly visited London last year, but I saw lots more of London throughout this course which I enjoyed. Going back to places like Old Spitalfields Market and Portobello Road made me realize how London changes just as fast as NYC, seeing the changes within the areas compared to last year.
I think the main things I learnt was about the decommodification of the creative industry, about London – the history of the creative industries, and how to use Adobe After Effects effectively. The course is great for those looking to better understand how various creative fields (TV, music, tech, co-ops, etc) work especially within London.