Robert Green, Professor H Kumar Vyas, Nick Rhodes and Professor Dhimant Panchal

Professor H Kumar Vyas, Chairman, Academic Council of MAEER’s MIT Institute of Design has been awarded the Sir Misha Black Medal for Distinguished Services to Design Education. The 2011 Medal marks the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Sir Misha Black.

Only one medal is handed out across the world in a year. The medal was awarded at a special award ceremony at the Royal College of Art on 8  March, where he delivered an address on his design and education philosophy and spoke about the development of design education in India.

Through his pioneering work Kumar Vyas helped innovate a relevant Indian version of the ‘Bauhaus/Ulm’ approach to design that gradually made inroads into Indian manufacturing and production which today ranges from handcrafts to the space industry.

Professor H.Kumar Vyas was accompanied by Robert Green (UAL International Centre), Nick Rhodes (Course Director for BA Product Design and acting Course Director for MA Industrial Design) and Professor Dhimant Panchal (H.O.D. Pre Design Foundation & Director Design Center). The visit was hosted by Jonathan Barratt (Dean of Graphic & Industrial Design).

Charlie Hugall

You know we like to keep tabs on our students and are proud to relate their achievements.

BA Fine Art graduate Charlie Hugall has been named in the Guardian’s Guide (February 26) among ten of ‘The Next Generation of Studio Wizards’. Charlie, who worked with sound as a BA Fine Art student, graduated in 2009 CHECK and has since produced Florence and The Machine’s ‘You’ve Got The Love’ and worked with numerous bands and singers including Kaiser Chiefs, Crystal Fighters, Alex Winston, The Knocks, Psychologist, Jack Penate, VV Brown, G-Frsh + Tinie Tempah, The Cinematic Orchestra + Lou Rhodes.

BA Fine Art graduate Jessica Rinland’s (2010) 16mm film ‘Nulepsy’ has been chosen for the Official Competition Selection in the prestigious Ann Arbour Film Festival in Michigan, USA. One of the festival’s jurors, Steven Connolly, a CSM Fine Art graduate himself (BA 1997 and MA 2005), has six of his 16mm films included in the festival’s ‘Jurors Presentation’.

Visit:
- BA (Honours) Fine Art course page

Elisa Strozyk

Central Saint Martins graduate Elisa Strozyk has her work in an interesting exhibition at Dunhill’s Bourdon House store in Mayfair, London.

British luxury brand Dunhill has created an exhibition called The Modern Craftsmanship that will tour its flagship Home stores around the world.

The exhibition has been curated by London-based creative agency It’s Nice That, and features work by young designers Elisa Strozyk, Max Lamb, Martin Andersen  and Richard Sweeney.

The exhibition is currently at Dunhill’s Bourdon House store in Mayfair, London. It will also tour the Home stores in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai in spring.

Go see it!

Visit
- More on this at lsnglobal.com
- MA Textile Futures course page
- It’s Nice That

The Internet Advertising Bureau’s 120 Hours (of digital display) is a frenzied carnival of creativity, celebrating prodigious digital display ads. Centred around an art exhibition of the best digital ads, this is all about the digital creative industry.

Enter the IAB’s 120 Hours (of digital display) Creative Genius Award. IAB are asking the greatest creative minds to step forward and forge miniature works of art in any medium – photos, drawings, poems, watercolour, video etc – using online and mobile ad sizes as the canvas. Entries will be judged by a panel of senior experts from the creative industry. Two winners will receive the first IAB 120 Hours Awards, at the launch night of the 120 Hours exhibition, April 6.

Visit:
- More on 120 Hours (of digital display) exhibition and award
- The IAB website

Colin Firth and Vladimir Mirodan

The eagerly anticipated Oscar ceremony on Sunday February 27th produced a Best Actor Academy Award for Drama Centre alumnus Colin Firth.

The Award was made for Colin’s performance as King George VI in the highly-succesful film “The King’s Speech”, which also won Best Film. This follows Colin’s Best Actor BAFTA won for the same role a few weeks ago.

Visit the Drama Centre London website

Hattie Rickards

There was a whole lot of Central Saint Martins on the red carpet last week for the London Film Critics’ Circle Awards.

Livia Firth wore a ring by Central Saint Martins alumna Hattie Rickards and sported a dress by alumna Henrietta Ludgate. Not to mention her ultimate CSM accessory – her husband, Drama Centre graduate and winner of The London Film Critics’ Circle Award for Best Actor Colin Firth.

Livia Firth has been living the “Green Carpet Challenge” for over a year now. The challenge is in partnership with UK Vogue, as she promises to wear only ethical and sustainable fashions on the red carpet during awards season. It seems that Central Saint Martins is with her all the way…

Visit:
- Hattie Rickards’ website
- Livia Firth on Vogue.com
- Henrietta Ludgate’s website

‘Crafts and Innovation’

Six Central Saint Martins MA Textile Futures graduates have been selected to showcase their work at Exampla:

Elisa Strozyk
Clementine Debos
Ying Mu
Siwen Huang
Stephanie Philips
Aalessia Giardino

Exampla is an exhibition organised by the Crafts Council in Munich. This year, the theme for the exhibition is ‘Crafts and Innovation’.

March 16 – March 23.

Visit:
- The MA Textile Futures course page

Pause

We’re proud that Özant Kamaci, our MA Communication Design alumnus, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Salon Photo Prize.

The Salon Photo Prize 2011 is the inaugural photography exhibition produced by Matt Roberts Arts. The exhibiition will take place from 4 February – 26 February at Matt Roberts Arts Project Space, Unit 1, 25 Vyner Street, London E2 9DG.

This year’s selection panel consisted of:
Simon Baker, Curator of Photography, Tate
Stefanie Braun, Curator, The Photographers’ Gallery
Tim Clark, Editor-in-chief, 1000 Words Photography Magazine
Charlotte Cotton, Creative Director, National Media Museum

Visit:
- Özant Kamaci‘s website
- Salon Photo Prize website
- MA Communication Design course page

Colin Firth and Vladimir Mirodan

Colin Firth has been nominated for an Oscar as best actor for his role in The King’s Speech. Earlier this month he won the Golden Globe award and he has been nominated for a BAFTA.

It is his second Oscar nomination following his first last year for ‘A Single Man’. Colin Firth was also nominated for a Golden Globe and he won the Best Actor BAFTA for the role. He has recently received the Hollywood Walk of Fame award.

Colin Firth came to Drama Centre London at Central Saint Martins in 2009 to speak to a packed hall of students about acting and his career. He answered many questions with great honesty and warmth and has recently strengthened his ties to the college by becoming Honorary President of The Friends of Drama Centre.

“It is very exciting to see one of our alumni build an impressive body of work that is recognised by the most prestigious awards,” says Principal of the Drama Centre, Professor Vladimir Mirodan, “Colin was always a very dedicated and gifted student and everyone here will be rooting for him on the night.”

Fellow alumnus, Tom Hardy, has been nominated for The Orange Wednesday Rising Star Award 2011.

Dana Haim and the Martin Cole memorial quilt

The London offices of international advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy have commissioned 2010 MA Textile Futures graduate, Dana Haim, to create this 3m square quilt in commemoration of Martin Cole. Cole, the Wieden + Kennedy planning director, died last year following a battle with cancer.

Some of Martin’s clothes were donated for use in the construction of the quilt. Dana and Martin’s friends from WK hand-made approximately 700 pom poms, used to create the type across the top, reading ”Get It Done” which was Martin’s motto and legacy to WK.

The piece has just been installed in the new Wieden + Kennedy head office ‘The Cole’ on Hanbury Street, London.

Visit:
- Martin Cole’s orbituary on the WK website
- Dana Haim’s website
- MA Textile Futures course page