A selection of prestigious awards were presented to Fine and Applied Arts students at the final year Degree Show.
Exhibition opportunities and residency positions with FACT (Foundation for Art and Technology), Arena Studios and Gallery, and The Bluecoat were among the awards announced.
Grace Scullen, who studied BA Design, received the Bluecoat Display Centre Exhibition Award and the chance to exhibit her work in the window of the centre.
Her piece was inspired by the English garden and used a variety of mediums, including metal, fabric, and paper, to create sculptures, handmade cushions and silver botanical necklaces.
Grace said: “My main inspiration is weeds and wildflowers. How the two terms mean the same thing, but give different connotations I find very interesting. I wanted to explore these ideas and show people how a weed can be a wildflower if you just change your perception. I looked into Victorian botanical prints and how they show all the details and beauty of such weeds and I wanted to do the same within my own work.
“Being a leading centre for design all across the UK, I’m most excited about where this opportunity can take me. Being featured alongside these incredibly successful makers and designers, I cannot thank the Bluecoat enough for the opportunity. As an artist/designer at Hope I feel I have gone from a student to a professional. The course content really allows you to explore all avenues whether that be ceramics, art, textiles or metal.”
The Arena Studios and Gallery Residency was awarded to Fine Art student Rachel Ferguson, who took inspiration from a piece of police legislation known as Section 60. Under this legislation, police are allowed to arrest and question members of the public based on their appearance.
Rachel explained: “I researched into this legislation and came across articles that explained the negative impact this legislation had on the public. My work raises questions about judging people by their appearance not only as part of policing legislation, but also part of society.”
Prize winners:
Liverpool Women’s Purchase Prize(Awarded by Kim Parkman): Grace Barker
The Bluecoat Display Centre Exhibition Award (Awarded by Maureen Bampton): Grace Scullen
The Frank Award (Awarded by Janice Egerton): Charlotte Bateson
The Corke Exhibition Award (Awarded by Nic Corke): Grace Barker, Matt Read, Lisa Goodwin and Olivia Maddocks
Pete Cummings Award: Leone Davis
Arena Studio’s and Gallery Residency (Awarded by Maurice Chanellor): Rachel Ferguson
Liverpool Hope University Alumni Purchase Prize (Awarded by Irene Slack & Mike Hopper): Ollie Halton
Simon Ryder Purchase Prize (Awarded by Simon Ryder): Ollie Halton
FACT & Hope Production Residency (Awarded by Charlotte Horn): Alyssha Edwards
Sysco Training & Consultancy Purchase Prize: Charlotte Bateson
The Goldsmiths' Company Silver Bullion Grant 2016/17: Alex Owens
The 2017 Liverpool Hope University degree show is open to the public until Tuesday 6th June, (9 – 5pm Monday to Friday and 10 – 4pm on weekends) in the Cornerstone Building at the University’s dedicated Creative Campus on Shaw Street. Free entry.
View a Flickr gallery of images from this year's Degree Show