Students from the Schools of Arts and Humanities, Art & Design and Social Sciences collaborate with Nottingham Contemporary to produce a publication

Students from three academic Schools at Nottingham Trent University have collaborated on a work placement with Nottingham Contemporary as part of the RESPONSE project. This is the second year the project has been in place, with a successful first issue in 2018 seeing an increasing number of students from across disciplines in the university getting involved in 2019.

The purpose of the publication is to create a yearbook of Nottingham Contemporary exhibitions and events, accompanied by related interviews, articles and images. The publication gives students the opportunity to work as part of an editorial team, working with other students from different courses as part of a creative placement. It is also an invaluable opportunity for students to connect with Nottingham Contemporary whilst they are at university.

The group were invited to write texts responding to key exhibitions at the gallery and their themes, such as the environment, community and technology. They were also able to assist in the design of the publication. Students could use their articles as part of assessed coursework for their degree where practicable, allowing the work placement to contribute towards their academic study. The group were supported by Nottingham Contemporary in being trained on the editorial process, including writing, copy-editing, formatting and design.

The students launched the second issue of RESPONSE with an event at Nottingham Contemporary, including spoken word performances, interactive poetry and a DJ set. The event was planned and executed by the students themselves, allowing them to gain experience in event management as well as publishing and editorial.

Arts and Humanities students from a wide range of course areas took part, including Modern Languages, Media, English, History and Philosophy. BA (Hons) Communication and Society and Media student Abigail Leslie told us what she enjoyed most about the project. “Taking part in the RESPONSE project has been a great experience that I’m so glad to have been a part of while being at NTU. I've met so many great people from all different subject areas who I would not have met without taking part in this. I've really enjoyed learning all the behind the scenes that goes on at Nottingham Contemporary, and the work that goes into a print publication. I feel I have gained more confidence in my creative abilities since starting, and it has given me a push to continue taking part in any extra experience that I can. To come away with a publication with my contributions in is really exciting. I would recommend taking part in this placement to anyone!"

This project highlighted the value of creative skills across disciplines, and allowed students from a variety of courses to engage with a local arts organisation. The group valued the opportunity to work with students from other academic Schools, recognising the importance of transferable skills and teamwork.