Meet Emilia

What do you love about Newcastle University?

I love the environment on campus. I really enjoy getting to spend my days in such beautiful buildings, surrounded by an uplifting community.

I always look forwards to soup Wednesdays in the art department, where students come together to make and serve soup.

What surprised you about Newcastle?

I was surprised by how many different arts and cultures venues there are to explore around the city. There's always somewhere new to go or a new event to try out. However, the city still feels like a community and small enough to be connected together.

What student support services have you accessed and how have they helped you?

I have spoken with my personal tutor on a few occasions. I find this to be a really helpful way to explore any concerns without it feeling too formal. I know that there is someone to go to with any issues I may encounter, who will always provide a listening ear.

Did you get involved in any extracurricular opportunities?

Having been introduced to a number of arts venues around Newcastle through our Life Work Art projects, I have volunteered for a couple of these venues. I had a lot of fun volunteering for the Baltic, as they are always having huge and exciting events that I get to be a part of.

How have you found the social aspect of University?

I've really enjoyed being so close to the beach this year. In warmer months, it's fun to go swimming and enjoy the ocean, or in the colder times it's a great place to gather around a campfire.

As an art student, I enjoy spending time in all the local galleries and exhibitions, or joining in with workshops. These are always really fun, and great opportunities to meet new people. The nightlife in Newcastle is a lot of fun, there's a wide range of places for every taste in music.

Have you joined a society or club?

I've joined the Rock Society, which has been really fun for socials, meeting alternative people, and finding venues and events for my music taste and interests.

I've also joined the art society, which has given me access to different workshops. I had a go at bobbin lace making, which was really exciting! The winter balls were also a lot of fun.

Describe your degree to a future student?

Fine Art at Newcastle is a 4-year course. You'll spend most of your time in the studios and workshops doing practical work, with access to a lot of equipment like the forge and darkroom.

You'll have crits most weeks from studio tutors with advice on your work. You'll have art history lectures every week in the first 3 years, with essays to write alongside them, and a dissertation in third year.

Then fourth year is all about the degree show, where you display your work at the end of the year.

What stands out for you about your degree?

I especially enjoy the community. In the art department, it's easy to know most people's names, and faces become familiar.

It's really easy to feel comfortable and welcomed in the space, but it also benefits your arts practise, as there are so many artists around you, students and staff, that are excited about the work everyone is making, and always have advice and help to offer.

What was the course application process like and what are your top tips?

As an Art Student, I had to go through a portfolio submission and interview process. It was relatively easy, and I was able to get help from tutors in my previous college with this. I'd tell anyone going through this process to be experimental in the work that they show, and how they talk about it.

Finished pieces may look the most polished and 'best' to you, but the tutors want to know if you can think outside of that. Planning and showcasing different ways in which you might develop or showcase the work you've actually made is just as important as the finished pieces.

How has Newcastle helped you realise your future?

Even at the end of my first year, I've been given such a boost by the University and the people I've met through it, to get myself out there as an artist. 

It's hard to realistically imagine yourself as a practising artist, but being surrounded by them has given me a lot of insight into ways to make that practical. 

I've met people working for the Baltic and learnt how their jobs work, and I have found out about so many different programmes that support emerging artists. 

I hope, in the future, to have a part in the arts communities I have begun to know around Newcastle, and hopefully to expand my work as a practising artist alongside this.

Why should a student pick this degree?

It can be difficult to see a realistic path when you want to study art, but studying a degree like this opens you up to so many different skills. 

You can specialise in metalwork or ceramics or digital art, or even curation, and these can take you on so many different paths. 

By studying Fine Art, especially with the focus on Art History, you are not closing off options to yourself, but opening up many experiences that can lead you on to different specialties.