亚博体育官网

Emmajane, from Collieston in Aberdeenshire, says Art and Design has always been a big part of her, but she was advised art wasn鈥檛 a career and that it wouldn鈥檛 support her financially.

Upon leaving school aged 15, Emmajane decided to study Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy at Ban铿� and Buchan College (now NESCol). She then moved into retail, believing this o铿�ered her the 铿乶ancial stability and opportunities to progress, joining the Tesco鈥檚 Management Programme where she spent many years successfully building her career.

In 2016, Emmajane joined a charity called  as a volunteer teaching assistant whilst travelling. During this time, she supported children from highly deprived areas in a township outside Cape Town, South Africa, introducing them to arts and craft materials which she carried in her backpack from Scotland. This experience changed everything and inspired Emmajane to return to education to pursue her passion in Art and Design.

Whilst still in retail management, Emmajane returned to education, for a part time higher English course at the (NEScol) She then returned to education full time, studying a HNC in Art and Design at NEScol. This provided her with a steppingstone and Degree Link pathway into second year at Gray鈥檚 School of Art.

Gray鈥檚 appealed because Emmajane recognised the University鈥檚 commitment to support the creative sector in the North East of Scotland and the role Gray鈥檚 graduates play in enhancing the region鈥檚 cultural development.

Emmajane said: 鈥淚 had always found previous degree shows at Gray鈥檚 really inspiring. I was attracted by the people, the creativity, freedom, 铿俥xibility and accessibility to a multitude of facilities. I remember a tour of Gray鈥檚 and how I felt walking around the Contemporary Art Practice studios. This stimulated a craving for experimentation and my ambition to pursue a degree at Gray鈥檚 School of Art.鈥�

Despite ongoing challenges associated with Covid-19, Emmajane has excelled at Gray鈥檚 and is graduating with a First-Class Honours degree in Contemporary Art Practice. She has also been presented with the 铿乺st Principal鈥檚 Award for Fine Art and a Special Recognition Award for her support to improve student experience during Covid-19.

Re铿俥cting on her experience at Gray鈥檚, Emmajane says: 鈥淚t is an absolute honour to have been awarded the First Principles Award for Fine Art and I feel incredibly proud to be part of the 亚博体育官网 Art and Heritage Collection. I am still very much digesting and processing my experience at university.

鈥淏oth Gray's School of Art and Robert Gordon University represent a transformation for me and a huge part of this also involved the team, a creative unit based in Gray's School of Art. I am very excited by the opportunities my degree in Contemporary Art presents but already it feels there is a large part of me missing, no longer being in Gray's.鈥�

鈥淔or a number of my peers and myself, our 铿乶al year of studies has actually been our 铿乺st full academic year, physically in Gray's. I joined my peers in Stage 2 and the lockdown forced the physical closure of Gray鈥檚 School of Art during the second semester of my 铿乺st year at university. For me, it wasn't until it came to our 铿乶al hand in and the last day installing our degree show, that it hit me just how much we had come through together.

"Our degree show, 鈥榃elcome to the real world鈥� has essentially been our way of inviting everyone back into Gray鈥檚 to explore the development of our creative practice in response to the limitations presented by COVID19 throughout our education. Together with peers from 2020, 2021 and 2022, we are part of a different generation of creatives emerging from Gray鈥檚 School of Art and that鈥檚 very exciting!鈥�

Whilst at 亚博体育官网, Emmajane took advantage of a wealth of opportunities and was appointed as a Student School O铿僣er. She also worked in collaboration with Gray鈥檚 creative unit, Look Again, on a number of programmes including the 鈥楪uest at Gray鈥檚' programme which brings together inspiring national and international artists, designers, writers and curators.

Emmajane worked as an institutional trainer for the university, delivering training for representatives as part of 亚博体育官网 Union. She was also an associate trainer as part of - Student Partnerships in Quality Scotland, and worked collaboratively to enhance the quality of learning for students.

Now that Emmajane is graduating, she says: 鈥淧ersonal and professional development really feed directly into your degree at 亚博体育官网. Employability is integrated throughout the course and you have a so many opportunities to meet creatives and to network. 亚博体育官网 has give me so many opportunities  to work across the schools, collaborating with creatives, entrepreneurs, and scientists via the Scottish Innovative Student Award (SISA) programme and various other entrepreneurial projects.

鈥淎s I graduate I am looking forward to building my career within the creative industry. It鈥檚 never too late to return to education and we are surrounded by a network of knowledge and expertise in the North East of Scotland. Both institutions, NEScol and 亚博体育官网, are accessible and inspiring for anyone returning to education.鈥�