Illustration and Animation BA(Hons): Links with business and industry

Many members of staff also work in relevant industry sectors.  This means:

• their teaching includes up-to-date professional experience; 
• they can tell you what life in industry is really like; and
• they can help you balance creating inspiring, challenging work with meeting the needs of your client.  For example, Walker Books' art director, Ben Norland, takes time out to work with Level 2 and Level 3 students. 

We aim to give you real experience of professional working life.  We encourage you to participate in national competitions and high profile events.  Outside companies set projects, often awarding placements or prizes to the best.  This can make a great addition to your CV.  

Our students' exceptional achievements in major design competitions and film festivals mean employers appreciate the calibre of Kingston Design School graduates.  Recent competition winners include:

• British Book Awards 2006 Best New Illustrator -  Kanako Usui;
• Tokyo Pop Comic Award European Winner 2006 - Paul Duffield;
• Dazed and Confused / Top Shop Illustration awards - Georgina Potier, won first prize for her Kidney Donor Campaign illustrations in 2004; 
• London Royal Television Society award - Mark James won first prize for his animated film Strike for Freedom in 2005
• BBC New Animator Award 2005/06 - out of almost 300 entries, Kingston graduate Lucy Izzard won with her quirky animation Tea Total; and
• Macmillan Book Prize - won in 2003 by second year student Kristin Oftedal, who also gained top prize in a national Design Against Fur competition.