What is it really like to be a student at UAL: Central St Martins

Organisation and planning come naturally to me but I wanted to develop my creative side, so this January I decided to take a leap and study Event Design at the prestigious University of the Arts Central Saint Martins. This is the university which has given the world leading designers, film makers, and actors, and I was so thrilled to be accepted onto the course.

UAL is Europe’s largest specialist arts and design colleges, and the Central Saint Martins campus is something extra special. This building is amazing! You can see where the new building blends with the old and you get a real trendy feel. It has everything from cool hangout spots, to make-your-own soup station in the canteen, and Ping-Pong tables dotted around the college.

Event Design was a comprehensive eight-week course. As well as being taught to develop and apply our existing skills, through project-based work which taught me how to develop my own conceptual ideas, and do things like analyse site-specific spaces.

We had four projects which included a speed-dating event for 25 men and 25 women whose common interest was there love of the environment. Research was key for this project and we unleashed our inner child with cutting and sticking to create our mood boards.The feedback I received for this project was excellent: I followed the brief and came up with an original and effective recycling theme which was consistently applied throughout every element of the event.

Our largest project was to create a design for the Viktor & Rolf Spring/Summer 2014 Haute Couture fashion show. This project was partially difficult as our clients were ingenious fashion designers and the project required me to design a complete event including catwalk layout and after show party.

As we were studying over the course of London Fashion Week we were afforded a coveted glimpse into the world of fashion when Central Saint Martins hosted post-graduate Mary Katrantzou’s AW16 collection.It was the perfect opportunity to see the incredible effort that goes into staging a huge fashion show. You can see the results here.

Sue Mayes was our course tutor. She has had a wide-ranging career working as a freelance set and costume designer in the theatre, and is a partner in the Event Design company, Visualfeast. Sue is extremely knowledgeable and inventive, turning ideas into fabulous detailed designs. Her knowledge and passion of event design really came across in both our group, and one-to-one talks.The all-female class was made up of event professionals wanting explore their creativity.

Collaborating in the group projects was exciting and dynamic, allowing us to mix and get a feel for one another’s imaginative concept. It was fun bouncing ideas off each other, and a real pleasure meeting such lively and expressive ladies who are as passionate as I a m about the magnificent world of event design.The difference between where I was at the start of the course to where I am now is incomparable. I have confidence to push boundaries of design further than ever.

Not only can I assess venues, I can now evaluate a venue’s assets to be incorporated into a design concept, while confidently ensuring my vision is within the time and space available. My creative skills now match my organisation skills and I feel ready to take on the world — or at least the event planning world!

The course seemed to be over far too soon. I will really miss my creative Tuesdays, but have already started applying what I have learned in my business. I certainly recommend a short course at UAL. The curriculum, staff, and atmosphere are unbeatable and will help you reach your creative goals, whatever they are.