We have had really positive day of introductions and presentations today and I think we have established a really positive bond with the BYU students and staff.
I had asked my students and colleagues to each give me an image of a place of significance to them and a short explanation about their choice. My intention was to create a sense of biographic engagement with the topography of Liverpool and Wirral and to bring out our personal histories in an indirect way.
At the outset I was not fully expecting the depth of feeling and emotional connections which would emerge from this exercise, but as I put the information together I began to realise that a rich source of ideas was forming and that I was learning a great deal about the individual in the group myself.
Today, as each of our students spoke to the whole project group, the sense of importance of ‘place’ as a site for personal identity and experience and the thematic strengths of the idea became clearly understood by our group and resonated with our visitors too.
I was really impressed with the composure and articulation of my group, nine of whom are 1st years. They were asked to speak to a large group of at least 45 people and as first timers that is a daunting task. Small group seminars will be a doddle from now on!
It also acted as a way in to ask each other questions and to begin a continuing dialogue with each other. The room was buzzing with conversations so we seem to have got off to a great start.
BYU’s presentation completely awed us with the scale and quality of their Utah campus facilities and were were impressed by the standard and range of works represented within their group.
There is a lot of curiosity from both sides about how we differ in our teaching and learning delivery, the structure and length of our courses and our differing skills.
Since I posted this I have asked the students from both colleges to give me some feedback about today. Here are Carolyn and Keala from BYU and Lottie from WMC with their initial impressions about meeting us on their first day at Wirral Met ……….
Carolyn Beefelt BYU
I was surprised by how kindly we were received by the college, it made me feel like we were important. A combination of new information and jet lag made the initial orientation somewhat confusing, but when I saw the artists’ studios I became really excited to work together with this group.
Keala Kau BYU
Wednesday was a very fun day. As BYU students we were excited, but unsure what to expect. But as we arrived and got to know the other students we got more excited to work and create friendships. It’s been interesting to learn the differences between our schooling processes as well as to see and compare the work of other students across the world. Going to visit the studios was one of my favourite parts of the day. I learned very quickly that we have a lot of opportunity to learn from each other!
Lottie Millington from WMC
Meeting people for the first time can be difficult as it is, but knowing that a group of students are coming all the way from America to meet us and experience our culture and the way we make art, it can put quite a lot of pressure on you.
I felt really nervous and anxious today. I even had the shakes, which is when I am really apprehensive. I was quiet blown away by the size of the group, but absolutely made up once I got chatting to them. Everyone from Utah came across as very genuine, kind and caring people.
They are interested and intrigued by our accent and our culture, and I felt proud to talk about our own country. They are very enthusiastic people who have a drive in art and they already look at life from an art point of view.
I would like to find out more about their lives in America and about their experience of US art education.
