Previous Events + Archive

The prospect of leaving GSA is often daunting but is also presents huge opportunities. How to find the first role? what opportunities do you apply to? Do I want to set up my own business? For the last online talk of the series we speak to two recent graduates about their first 12 months out of art school. How have they found the transition, what challenges did they come across and what advice can they now offer. OUR GUEST SPEAKERS Tamsin MacArthur – Sculpture and Environmental Art 2024 Tamsin is a multi-media artist based in Glasgow. Her work explores dialogues between belief and the...

What do employers look for in a graduate portfolio?  How important is gaining experience before you graduate? What do employers really look for in your CV?  Come along to this session and hear from creative industry recruiters on what they look for in entry level candidates, the common pitfalls and mistakes candidates make as well as advice on what will really make you stand out from the crowd.

OUR GUEST SPEAKERS
Julia Bird BBC Studios Talent Executive Kids and Family (Unscripted and Scripted)
Additional speaker announced soon

As part of GSA’s Working Space programme, we have invited Katie Smith, a 2023 GSA graduate and freelance Illustrator, to share her insights developing a freelance career. Katie will provide an overview of her freelance illustration journey and share her insights and tips into the rewards and challenges of building a creative brand. She’ll talk about her experience of building a client base and how she manages the challenges of standing out in a competitive marketplace.

OUR GUEST SPEAKER
Katie Smith: Illustrator based in Glasgow (Communication Design Graduate 2023)

Telling authentic creative stories about you and your practice is essential for connecting to your audiences. This ‘how to’ session will talk about creating your personal brand, and explore the different types of brand narratives that creative practitioners engage their audiences with including; about me pages, press releases and statements. Yvonne Elliott-Kellighan (Ma Design, Fashion and Textiles 2010) – Co-Founder Bespoke Atelier and No Rules Wallpaper. www.bespokeatelier.co.uk David Farrar (painting and Printmaking 2013)– Co-Founder Mobile Print Studio....

As part of the Working Space programme, we have invited guest speakers with experience of writing proposals, delivering projects and engaging ethically with communities as part of their practice. Hear first-hand from practitioners with experience of navigating funding and project proposals and the steps they take to ensure the work they do has a strong ethical underpinning.

OUR GUEST SPEAKERS
Michiel Turner: Founder and Project Coordinator, Anam creative. (Sound for the Moving Image 2023) www.anamcreative.com
Saoirse Amira Anis : Artist and Author, www.saoirse-anis.com

 

The Glasgow School of Art has graduates in 95 countries around the world working in every sector. Outside of the UK Germany has the largest concentration of graduates and this event aims to shine a spotlight on some of the work being done. Steaming from Ellery Studio in Berlin we’ll hear from two graduates currently based there to get an insight into the work they have been doing since graduating but also to understand the challenges of relocating and the benefits of staying connected to a GSA community. OUR GUEST SPEAKERS Emma Defty: Strategic Designer Ellery Studio (Product Design...

Following the success of last year’s inaugural Working Space Live, we have partnered with The Skinny and Filament STAC to bring the event back for Degree Show 2024. Our ambition for this event is to activate the entire Reid Building at the GSA – itself a live exhibition space for Degree Show 2024 (31 May – 9 June) – into a creative networking hub for the whole of Glasgow that brings together our diverse external communities of designers, artists, architects, innovators and forward thinkers alongside our own unique and vibrant community of students, staff, graduates...

As Degree Show approaches its important that you think about who your audiences are and how they experience your work in person and online. Covering online audience engagement strategies and approaches, this session will provide insights to build your personal brand, how to speak about your work with confidence and increase your visibility with the creative sector.

Katie Smith, illustrator based in Glasgow (Communication Design 2023)

Unfortunately this event has been cancelled.

There are multiple routes into a career in TV and Film production: A textiles graduate working in costume production and design, an Architecture graduate working in set design and construction or a fine art graduate working in concept development – literally every programme at GSA develops a skill set that is sought after in the world of TV and Film Production. For this talk we have two graduates that now work in the industry who can provide an insight into what its like and offer advice on how you can get started.

How to present a creative portfolio has always been a delicate balancing act between effectively communicating your own style while also demonstrating a flexibility and range. To help you plan a visual portfolio we have invited the co-founder and Creative Director of one of Glasgow’s leading design agencies to give their thoughts and insights into what they look for when recruiting new talent. Adrian Carroll: Creative Director D8 Adrian co-founded D8 in 1999. Still independently owned, D8 is now a team of over 60 creative specialists working from studios in Glasgow, Amsterdam and Hong...

Featuring two GSA graduates working within the specialisms of User Experience and User Interaction, this event will provide insights into the job market, what opportunities are available and offer insights on entering this sector.

Michael Galbraith (Interaction Design 2018) – Immersive Technology Specialist at Arup. www.arup.com

Lauren McLaughlin (Product Design 2016) – Head of CX Design New Commercial Arts. www.newcommercialarts.com

 

To kick off the new year we look forward to 2050 and ask: what will the industry look like, how will cities need to develop and what can people starting out in the industry do to prepare themselves. For this talk we have invited two Glasgow based firms to present their own interpretation of the future industry and discuss the role it will play in societal change.

Becca Thomas: Creative Director at New Practice & Architect BSc (Hons) MArch ARB (www.new-practice.co.uk)
Danny Campbell (B.Arch 2012): Founder and Director of HOKO design (www.hokodesign.com)

Back by popular demand, this practical Working Space event lead by Briana Pegado will take you through the process of writing successful funding applications. It aims to cover all aspects of structuring your application and offer top tips and advice to ensure that your submissions have every chance of success.

Guest speakers

Briana Pegado: is Founder of the Edinburgh Student Arts Festival (ESAF), Consultant at the Collective, and Author.

Working collectively has its advantages but also complications. To understand how to get a collaborative project off the ground we have invited graduates that have done it themselves to discuss what they learnt from the experience and share their insights on the process.

Guest speakers:

Ida Henrich (Communication Design 2017): Illustrator, designer and mural artist based in Glasgow. www.idahenrich.com

Josafinni (MA Interior Design 2021): interdisciplinary artist, working across the fields of interior design, print, textiles and research. www.josafinni.wixsite.com/josafinni

At the start of the new academic year it is important to think about your networks. Whether you are new to the city or not, Glasgow has a rich and vibrant creative economy to take advantage of. We have invited industry speakers that know the city well and can help you identify the networks that will support you the most.

Max Slaven : is one half of Glasgow Art Map, an online map, listings and journal for contemporary art in Glasgow, and is Programme Director of David Dale Gallery.

Cat Gilmore: Youth Arts Coordinator at Glasgow Contemporary Arts Network (GCAN)

A fantastic opportunity to introduce yourself to the wider creative community of GSA, expand your professional connections and enjoy the 2023 Glasgow School of Art Degree Show.

As Degree Show approaches its important that you think about who your audiences are and how they experience your work in person and online. Covering audience engagement strategies and approaches, this session will provide insights to build your personal brand, how to speak about your work with confidence and increase your visibility with the creative sector.

Eamonn Maxwell: Contemporary art curator, advisor, and mentor
Dominic Manderson (Communication Design 2020): Post Production Coordinator at Burberry

Looking into the history and production of zines and self-publishing this event invites leading figures in the Glasgow scene to talk about why self-publishing is important to them and what you can do to get started.

Guest speakers:

Jess Higgins : Artist, writer and member of the workers cooperative Good Press www.goodpress.co.uk

Simone Hutchinson : Managing Editor of Hedera Felix. www.hederafelix.com

The film and television sector in Scotland is rapidly growing, contributing £567.6million to the Scottish economy in 2019. For this event we have brought together graduates working within the industry to talk about their experiences working in the industry and provide insights into the first steps you could make if you were interested in a Career in film and TV. Guest speakers: Lux Scotland: non-profit agency dedicated to supporting, developing and promoting artists’ moving image practices in Scotland www.luxscotland.org.uk Sanne Jehoul: is the programme director of Glasgow Short Film...

Guest Speakers

Becca Thomas : Creative Director at New Practice & Architect BSc (Hons) MArch ARB. www.new-practice.co.uk

Stephen Sheriff : Creative Producer, Director of arts organisations Friends of The Pipe Factory and Strange Field, and Chair of Glasgow Arts Moving Image Studios.
www.strangefield.org
www.thepipefactory.co.uk

This practical Working Space event lead by Briana Pegado will take you through the process of writing successful funding applications. It aims to cover all aspects of structuring your application and offer top tips and advice to ensure that your submissions have every chance of success.

This video is shareable upon requests. Please email creativenetwork@gsa.ac.uk if you would like to view this session.

Briana Pegado: is Founder of the Edinburgh Student Arts Festival (ESAF), Co-Director of We Are Here Scotland & Grant and Development Manager of Black Queer Travel Guide.

In this session the speakers will provide insights and advice on aspects launching your freelance career including; working with clients, invoicing and getting paid on time, finding work, establishing your network and getting the right support.

Guest Speakers:
Ida Henrich (Communication Design, 2017): Illustrator, designer and mural artist based in Glasgow. www.idahenrich.com
Heather Parry: Glasgow-based writer, editor, and publisher. www.heatherparry.co.uk

 

Engaging and working with communities to develop and deliver projects can be an essential and rewarding aspect of your creative career. For this talk we have invited GSA graduates with experience of working within communities to discuss and highlight best practice, ethics and innovative approaches. Guest Speakers Lucy Grainge (Communication Design 2017) + Beau McCarthy (M.Arch 2019): Creators of Wiggle Wonderland. Instagram: @wigglewonderland Twitter: @wiggle_pavilion Lucy Grainge Website: www.lucygrainge.com Tracy Gorman (Ceramics 1997): Volunteer Coordinator at Project Ability....

At the start of the new academic year it is important to think about your networks and how you might go about developing these to create new opportunities. With invited industry speakers this talk will help provide insights, share methods and highlight best approaches to developing this essential asset of your creative practice.

Guest Speakers:
Rachael Brown: Chief Executive Future Economy Company – www.futureeconomy.co
Helen Moore: Membership Lead for Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN) – www.sca-net.org

 

Featuring two graduates working within publishing and writing, this event will provide insights into: how to get started, working with a publisher, how to manage working freelance and how to get noticed when you start out.

Helen Kellock (Communication Design 2018) is an award-winning illustrator and author based in Glasgow.
Jyni Ong (Communication Design 2017) Freelance writer, editor and content consultant.  previous role as associate editor at It’s Nice That

Featuring  experts and graduates working within the Third Sector, this event will provide insights into the local landscape of Social enterprise /Cooperatives and give some top tips for entering this sector.

Aqsa Arif (Painting and Printmaking 2019) interdisciplinary artist, one of the founding members of SaltSpace Co-operative
Ross McCulloch – founder of Third Sector Lab

 

Featuring three GSA graduates working within UX/UI and Innovation Design, this event will provide insights into the job market, what opportunities are available and offer insights on entering this sector.

Carolina de la Sota (MDes 2016) Senior User Experience Architect at Axel Springer
Santini Basra (Product Design 2014) founder of Andthen
Harriet de Wet (BDes Hons Product Design 2016) Service Designer at SPARCK/BJSS

 

Crowdfunding is a popular way of funding projects and practice within the creative industries. This session will provide an overview of using crowd-funder methodologies, showing successful examples, offering advice and top tips to ensure that you run successful campaigns and reach your funding targets.

Kaye Symington – co-founder of Paved With Gold,
Andrew Flynn and Martin Keane (GSA Master of Engineering 2014) – Co-Founders of POTR
Also see the hugely successful POTR Kickstarter campaign here.

Focusing on audience engagement, this practical event will share marketing  insights, advice and approaches from creative professionals to ensure that your campaigns and online platforms reach audiences successfully.

Katy Air – Marketing Strategy and Commercial Consultant.
Gabriella Marcella (Communication Design 2012) Founder of RISOTTO

This practical Working Space event lead by Briana Pegado will take you through the process of writing successful funding applications. It aims to cover all aspects of structuring your application and offer top tips and advice to ensure that your submissions have every chance of success. This video is shareable upon requests. Please email creativenetwork@gsa.ac.uk if you would like to view this session. Briana Pegado FRSA is Founder of the Edinburgh Student Arts Festival (ESAF), Co-Director of We Are Here Scotland & Grant and Development Manager of Black Queer Travel Guide. She is a fellow...

Building your professional experience is more important than ever in today’s challenging job market.  This event will examine how to build your professional experience in a virtual world, discussing alternative ways to build your CV through, competitions, awards and residencies, as well as do-it-yourself options. Colin MacDonald – Multiple award winning Director of various games development studios as well as running Games Jobs Live. Jade Sturrock – Socially Engaged Artist, Arts Facilitator and Membership and Marketing Coordinator for Glasgow Connected Arts Network, Jennifer...

This event focuses on the practical details you will need in order to get the best possible start as a creative practitioner including: Setting up as self-employed, getting organised,  project management and finances. This practical session will explore how you can develop and maintain a creative practice after Art School.

Ben Callaghan – Learning Organiser for the Scottish Artists Union
Audra Martin Merrick – Consultant and Strategist + host of the CreativeMornings Glasgow
Medeia Cohan – Creative Director of Creative Entrepreneurs Club

Developing ways to reach, engage and attract audiences is often a challenge for people starting out in their creative Career. What simple strategies can be applied to give you the best possible chance of creating a successful campaign to support your practice? In this session we’ve invited four GSA Graduates who have been able to develop, build and launch a successful businesses and careers using online strategies to promote their work, reach new audiences and secure vital start-up support. Iseabal Hendry (Textile Design 2016) – Founder of Iseabal Hendry Andrew Fylnn and Martin Keane...

The art of being resilient is a key asset in this time of uncertainty – particularly in the field of employment and thriving as a creative practitioner.  Resilience is not just your ability to bounce back, but also your capacity to adapt in the face of challenging circumstances, whilst maintaining a stable mental wellbeing. Resilience isn’t a personality trait – it’s something that you can take steps to achieve. In this session, three key speakers working across the arts and design industries offer their insights into how to develop and maintain your resilience. Danny...

It’s widely recognised that personal Networks are key to the development of a Creative Career. A strong Network of contacts can get you your first job interview, recommend you for a commission, or help you to secure a first solo exhibition. During a time where when these valuable interactions at exhibition openings, talks or conferences aren’t happening, how can people across the Creative Industries continue to develop personal networks at a time of restricted public gatherings and online events? In this session we’ve invited three professionals with backgrounds in Fine Art, Design and...