00:00 Good morning, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers, and now
00:06 we're just coming up to one of the most exciting things in the academic calendar at the University
00:10 of Chichester, is the 2024 Fine Art Degree Show. It's at the Bognor campus from June
00:17 6th to June 12th, and then it moves to the Oxmarket in Chichester from June 25th to July
00:23 7th. Lovely this morning to speak to two of the participating graduating artists, Debbie
00:29 and Belle. Now Debbie, tell me what you've gained from your time in Chichester, because
00:33 you've come to it as a mature student, which is a brave thing to do in the first instance,
00:38 isn't it? What have you gained, do you think, from your time here?
00:42 Yeah, I do feel very brave actually, but I've just gained so much the last three years.
00:48 It's been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to come into higher education at my age, but
00:55 the whole experience has just been one of constant engagement, brilliant tutors, fantastic
01:02 cohort of students. I've just been so exhilarating to see my journey and my own development.
01:08 I just feel like I'm not really ready for it to stop. I just want to carry on.
01:12 You are considering a Master's.
01:15 I am considering a Master's because I just don't, I feel like I'm on the edge of something
01:19 exciting on the start of a new journey and I just want to carry on now. I feel like I'm
01:25 finally doing what I was meant to do.
01:28 But Debbie, you're a different artist now to what you were three years ago, do you think?
01:32 Oh, totally. I was actually more figurative and probably quite traditional in my approach.
01:40 And now I would say I'm bright, bold, much more abstract. I use a little bit of mixed
01:46 media. So sometimes there's collage in there. Sometimes there's always acrylic, oil and
01:53 oil stick. In some way I use charcoal, pastels, as I said, bits of collage as well. Anything
01:58 that sort of captures the essence or notion of memory, that's what my work is about.
02:03 Fantastic.
02:04 So, yeah, and it's very different from what it was before.
02:07 Fantastic. And Belle, it sounds like you've had a similarly positive experience of your
02:12 time in Chichester.
02:13 Yeah, it's really kind of a lot.
02:14 It's been good, hasn't it?
02:15 Yeah, it really has. It's a very personal experience to get a lot of one to one support
02:21 here. So I feel like I've grown, my confidence over the last three years has grown massively.
02:27 We talk to as an individual, as an adult and actually as a professional throughout three
02:33 years. And it's yeah, my confidence has definitely increased since being here. And yeah, I've
02:39 developed as an artist and hope to continue to do so.
02:43 And the lovely thing, Belle, is you were saying that you struggled, didn't feel totally in
02:47 your right zone at school, but you absolutely have done in Chichester, haven't you?
02:52 Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I definitely struggled at school and didn't find it was the right
02:56 environment to be engaged, like engaged and creative in. Whereas here, it's just I feel
03:01 like I can be my own person. I can do exactly what I want to do and thrive on it. And yeah,
03:06 it's a really incredible experience. And it's everyone that has made that experience as
03:11 well as the environment. It's a beautiful place to be in.
03:14 So what were you Belle when you arrived and what are you now as an artist? What has been
03:18 your journey do you think?
03:20 So coming out from A-level, I was very much a portrait painter, hyper realism, predominantly
03:27 in oils. And since coming here, I've completely changed my approach, very much process based,
03:33 more of an abstract sort of feel, hugely based around colour. I love my colour, inspired
03:39 by nature and yeah, just enjoy the process rather than getting too caught up on what
03:45 something looks like. So yeah, and I think that's definitely the confidence that's caused
03:49 that.
03:50 And Belle, Tim, your tutor was explaining to me the marking system and there's a lot
03:55 hanging on your final degree show, isn't there? Are you nervous about this? Is there pressure?
04:01 Yeah, there's definitely pressure. We're now last week in the studios, last few days in
04:06 the studios. And yeah, it's been a bit of a crazy sort of buzz here in the last few
04:11 days. Everyone's sort of panicking to get things done and to a good standard. So yeah,
04:16 I'm nervous and nervous about the grading, but I hope that I've done enough to achieve
04:22 a good grade. So yeah, it's...
04:25 I'm sure she has.
04:28 And Debbie, whether you're nervous or not, it's your husband who summed it up. He said
04:32 before you started, you needed to find your joy again. He's now come out and said you
04:36 have found your joy through doing this. That is a lovely thing to say, isn't it?
04:41 I have definitely found my joy and to see everyone, friends and family come to the degree
04:46 show too, I'm really excited about that. It'd be a chance to show your work off and say,
04:51 look how far I've come. I do post things on social media and some of the reactions are
04:58 like, you never used to paint like this or what's happened? But it's the joy. It's this
05:04 is how I want to paint. I feel as if I was trying to fit into another mould before. Now
05:10 I feel like I'm being me. And I think if you can say that about yourself.
05:14 Yeah. And Debbie, the real thing is this past year has coincided with your two children
05:19 being students as well in different subjects.
05:21 Yes, very different subjects.
05:23 That must be a fantastic bonding experience.
05:26 It is. Especially my daughter's on campus. So that's been quite strange because we pass
05:31 each other a cup of coffee. Hi mum! And her friends say to her, I can't believe your mum's
05:38 at uni. That's so cool. But it has been a really great experience.
05:44 Fantastic. Well, really lovely to speak to you both. All good wishes for that final year
05:49 degree show. I hope it goes brilliantly and good luck with your future careers. Thank
05:53 you.
05:54 Thank you very much. Thank you.
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