Rochester UCA Students launch Glue, display at Selfridges and win in Eurotunnel!

A busy, productive and successful month for UCA Students at Rochester, with the launch of a new radio station, magazine and website, a fashion display in top store Selfridges and a prize winning visit to Eurotunnel.

The various media of 'Glue' aims to bring all the campuses, students, alumni and staff together and was launched by the Students' Union at the UCA on January 26th. The radio station will broad cast 24 hours a day via the website, with the magazine being produced twice a semester. The website will update daily with student showcases and news.

UCA Students' Union Communications & Media co-ordinator, Andy Squire, said: "This is the first time UCA has launched a magazine and radio station that will be available across all of the University's five campuses. We have a great creative community at each of our campuses but we want to develop that by giving students the opportunity to showcase their work to the rest of UCA via the magazine and to the whole world via the radio station and website. At a time when employers want added value from graduates, Glue will also provide an opportunity for students to show they did more than the minimum at university. It will also give them new skills, prove they can meet real-world deadlines and give students some media experience which might help them land their first job."

Deputy Vice-Chancellor at UCA, Professor Mark Hunt, said: "UCA's students and alumni regularly produce high-profile and top quality work – from embroidering Kate Middleton's wedding dress to winning BAFTA awards and D&AD Pencils - success stories that the whole university can celebrate and be proud of. I hope the radio station, magazine and website will not only provide the glue that will brings UCA's five campuses even closer together but will also provide an outlet for students to showcase their work and inspire our unique, creative communities at each campus to give them greater pride in their university."

Alex Mattsson is the fashion graduate whose work has gone on display in the window at the world famous Selfridge's department store and will be staying there until the end of February.

He was among 15 emerging designers named as Selfridges Bright Young Things for 2012 and now has the unique opportunity to see his work in store and via Selfridges.com

Alex said: "I feel very privileged to win this amazing talent project. The purpose of the Bright Young Things project is to give young designers like me a big break and to help raise our profile - I now have my collection being seen by millions in the windows of one of the world's best-known  department stores as well as on sale in the shop and online. The publicity has already given me a huge boost – just days after I was announced a winner, I had a double-page spread in The Metro, which really shows the scale of this project and the potential benefits involved."

Bright Young Things is a pioneering project by Selfridges which aims to seek out and champion the most exciting young creators in the UK. Alex stood out for his 'razor-sharp tailoring and progressive masculine silhouettes. He plans to develop his own fashion label and remembers where he learned his craft, saying: "During my degree at UCA, I went from knowing nothing about garment construction or design, to making a graduate collection which I'm still proud of. The guest tutors we had were really inspiring and part of the reason I have got to where I am now."

Four students at Rochester have won prizes for a live project they undertook with Eurotunnel Le Shuttle.

Asked to develop a marketing strategy for the company's Frequent Traveller product as part of their final project, Design, Branding and Marketing students pitched their ideas to senior staff  at Eurotunnel Le Shuttle's Folkestone headquarters.

First prize of a premium trip to the continent on Eurotunnel Le Shuttle's FlexiPlus service was awarded to Hayley Hedges for her 'compelling, highly polished concepts that she presented with flair.'

Ioanna Theiakou won second prize, with Chinidma Ufomadu and Jonathan Rees winning runners-up prizes of a day/overnight trip.

Course Leader, Jane Armstrong, said: "The live project is an integral part of our final year programme in which students undertake briefs set by industry. I am delighted that they have demonstrated their commercial acumen, and feel confident that this project will help launch their careers after graduating this summer."

Photos courtesy of UCA are featured here.