Lockdown life: creative arts student vlogs

Find out what life has been like in lockdown for some of the final-year students from the School of Design and Creative Arts.

LU Arts invited three final-year students from Loughborough University to make a vlog showing what life has been like for student artists during lockdown as they finish their courses, prepare for a digital showcase of their work and think about what they do next.

Millie Barrow (Textiles)

Millie Barrow: Ethereal armour 2020
Millie Barrow: Ethereal armour 2020

My work is about empowering victims of sexual assault through textiles and currently my days consist of a lot of reading and exploring new concepts of projecting a voice through fabric. I am currently developing a concept of bringing everyday politics into the everyday environment through embedding text into decorative features such as cushions, bed covers, ceramics etc. My vlog follows me developing my ideas that address issues of social injustice.

Watch Millie's vlog here.

Amber Cannings (Fine Art)

Amber Cannings: The red you see when you close your eyes (summer morning)
Amber Cannings: The red you see when you close your eyes (summer morning)

My name is Amber Cannings and I am a finalist at Loughborough University studying my BA in Fine Art. My work explores the nostalgia of a Mediterranean summer through paint and installation, I intertwine my own personal nostalgia of summer (pleasant memories, photographs, stories) with more collective elements (colours, objects), so the viewer can relate to the work, while maintaining the personal element.

My future plans involve completing artist residencies around the world as travel is one of my key sources of inspiration and going to South America to teach English as a second language.

Co-vid 19 has seriously impacted my studies, and my plans post university. I have learnt to adapt my practice so that it can be enjoyed from a computer screen, focusing on the visual aspects of the work. With regards to post university plans, travel is still restricted so for now I plan to stay in the east midlands and continue to engage with the art community here.

Watch Amber’s vlog here.

Natasha Dingwall (Textiles)

Natasha Dingwall: Play!
Natasha Dingwall: Play!

Hi, I am Natasha Dingwall, a 23 year old graduate student from Loughborough University who has studied Textiles: Innovation & Design for the last four years. Specialising in Print Design my work expresses who I am as an individual and my strong desire for inclusion for all. Expressing my love for colour, pattern and textures, I aim to create fun and exciting designs that also explore accessible design solutions, whilst continuing to look incredible!

Watch Natasha’s vlog here.

You can check out work by Millie, Amber and Natasha in the 2020 Digital Showcase, along with work from over 270 other Loughborough creative arts graduates (2020). You can see a variety of pieces from across foundation; textiles; fine art and graphic communication & illustration students.