Art Life - University for the Creative Arts

PROFILEBen MiddlebrookNational Diploma In Art and Design Year 1 - 2005-06Ben and Tim Steel, Chair of TheTurner Contemporary Arts Trust.Ben’s work is pictured in theforeground and below right.Ben was always interested inart and design and grew up in ahousehold where he had accessto materials and tools and beganto make links between ‘creative’and ‘functional’.Ben feels that university hasoffered much more than aformal degree. He has usedit as an opportunity to buildnetwork of like-minded friendsas sees this as a catalyst forfuture business; he feels thatacademic skills are only a smallpart of a individual’s potential.Ben’s experience at secondaryschool was generally positive,although he feels that creativeskills are not prioritised in thesecondary curriculum, andafter one year in the sixthform he decided to apply tothe National Diploma in Artand Design course. ‘AttendingUCA completely changedmy aspirations. When I’dcompleted the BTEC, mywhole approach was far moreopen. Although I am morerouted towards business andenterprise now, the imaginativeethos of UCA has greatlybenefited my business thinking;creative thinkers drive theworld forward, whether it’s infine art or banking!’Ben is currently studyingtowards a Consumer Marketing& Product Development Degreeat Manchester MetropolitanUniversity which combineshis interest in businessand the creative aspectsof product design. He stillsworks part-time at a buildingsociety to keep finance hiseducation, and this helps toreinforce his determinationto have a varied career:‘When people ask me whatprofession I want to have,the only thing I know is thatI DON’T want one! I wouldhate to have to work ‘nine-tofive’or even a have a job title.I would ideally like to have avariety of businesses in manyfields and this rather ‘fluid’approach to life is completelydown to my time at UCA forwhich I’m very grateful!’Ben’s piece was based on the wings of a seagull and included poetry by JMWTurner on the front of the piece.17