Art Life - University for the Creative Arts

Carla was moved around alot as a young child so hereducation was quite disrupteduntil she was about eight,when she was settled properlyin one area and stayed until shefinished school.She attended secondary schoolin Whitstable, joining shortlyafter year eight, when her firstsecondary school failed itsOfsted inspection.‘I always enjoyed school,never had any problems going,preferred it to being at homemost of the time! I was neverat the top or bottom of myclass through school, though Ineeded extra English lessonswhen I was younger. The onlytime my grades really stoodout was in year nine when Imanaged to get the highestmark in the year for French, REand English. Other than that Iwas always about average.’‘The best thing I ever did wasattend the University for theCreative Arts at Canterbury.I studied a BTEC NationalDiploma in Art and Design andthe course really opened myeyes. Through my time at UCAI was assisted greatly in findingmy artistic strengths anddirections in which I could takethem. I wasn’t aware of thesheer magnitude of the artworld before I joined, I feelthe course gave me morethan I hoped to gain from it.’Carla is now at UCARochester, studyinga BA Hons degree inSilversmithing, Goldsmithingand Jewellery. She has justfinished her first year andhopes to gain some businessexperience with a craft stallover the summer.‘My studies and results aremore important to me nowthan they have ever beenbefore. When I finish mycourse I will be in the bigwide world without a tutorto turn to so if I don’t workhard enough and preparemyself for it now I’ll bestruggling later.I hope to get even moreinvolved in silversmithingand jewellery. I want to geta good knowledge of thehistory, current artists andto visit exhibitions. I intendto gain experience throughcraft stalls and shop workso I’ve a better chance atbeing independent and selfemployedwhen I finish mystudies.’43