University of the Arts London won recognition for its successful fundraising at the CASE/HEFCE Matched Funding Awards in London last week. At the event, hosted by Professor Eric Thomas, Chair of the Board of CASE Europe and David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, the University was highly commended for its fundraising performance in the final year of the Matched Funding scheme.

Over 100 donors, volunteers and prominent figures in higher education attended the CASE/HEFCE Matched Funding Awards ceremony in Westminster.

Matched Funding was a three year government initiative to encourage philanthropic giving to Higher Education. Thank you to all those across the University who contributed to this fundraising success, and to all our generous donors.

Find out more about the University’s fundraising

University of the Arts London has raced home to a silver medal win at the Podium Awards 2012. The awards celebrate the contribution of UK universities to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The accolade was given in recognition of the University’s contribution to the creative and cultural side of London 2012.

The contribution of our students, staff and alumni includes everything from research into the role of drawing in the Olympic and Paralympic Games to the look and feel of the Team GB Paralympic camps and village. 

Central Saint Martins' students design for the Team GB Paralympic village

The ceremony took place on Thursday 3 May as part of Universities Week 2012 and was hosted by Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of Locog. See more about the University’s work for the Games on the UAL2012 blog

University of the Arts London is proud to be supporting Universities Week 2012. Taking place between 30 April and 7 May, the national campaign aims to increase public awareness of the wide and varied role of  Higher Education institutions. Now in its third year, the week will celebrate the part universities have played  in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Supported by institutions across the country, the campaign is lead by Universities UK and British Universities and Colleges Sport.

Central Saint Martins Senior Lecturer Lin Cheung has designed Paralympic medals

From the dress that Leona Lewis wore at the Beijing closing ceremony to the Paralympic medals, the work of University of the Arts London’s community of creatives is woven through the fabric of the Games. In recognition of this, the University’s London 2012 programme has been short-listed for a Podium Award. Celebrating the vital contribution universities have made to London 2012, the Podium Awards Evening will take place on 3 May 2012 as part of Universities Week.

Leona Lewis at the Beijing closing ceremony in a dress designed by London College of Fashion students

The Awards nod recognises the eclectic mix of London 2012 projects that our staff, students and alumni have been involved with. Students from across the Colleges have been lending their skills behind the scenes, undertaking work-placements with the 2012 Ceremonies production team in the Costumes, Fabrication, Design and Operations departments.

The Musical Torch installation created by Central Saint Martins MA Creative Practice For Narrative Environments students

We’ve also been leading and collaborating on a range of Cultural Olympiad projects. As part of the ‘Music Nation’ programme, Central Saint Martins students collaborated with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, working with schoolchildren to create a “musical torch” sound and sculptural installation.

Read more about the University’s work inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Games on the UAL 2012 blog and more about Universities Week on the campaign website.

University of the Arts London has been recognised for its programme of Olympic inspired initiatives and activities, receiving a Gold nomination at The Podium Awards. The Podium Awards celebrate the vital role UK universities have played in delivering the London 2012 games.

Leona Lewis at the 2008 Beijing handover, in a dress designed by London College of Fashion students

Nominated in the Creative Cultural Projects category, the University has been short-listed for its extensive engagement with the Games. From London College of Fashion students designing Leona Lewis’ dress for the 2008 Beijing handover ceremony to  students work with the 2012 Ceremonies production teams, the University has helped shape the creative and cultural face of the Games from the start.  Read more about the University’s Olympic projects on the UAL 2012 blog.

The Awards take place on 3 May 2012 at Forman’s Fish Island, overlooking the London 2012 Olympic Stadium. Read more about the awards on the Podium website.

Designer Wei Wang has won the third annual Zabludowicz Collection Future Map Prize, taking home £3,000 and the chance to make a limited edition with the Zabludowicz Collecton. The London College of Fashion MA Artefact graduate was recognised for her beautifully crafted ceramic evening bags that elegantly fuse traditional Chinese ceramics with contemporary fashion.

l-r: Chantal Joffe, Amanda Levete, Wei Wang, Anita Zabludowicz and Nigel Carrington

Her work was selected from the Future Map 11 exhibition, which showcases the best work from the University’s 2011 degree shows, by a panel comprised of Zabludowicz Collection co-founder Anita Zabludowicz, architect Amanda Levete and artist Chantal Joffe. The aim of the prize is to enable the winning practitioner to develop new work in the months following their graduation, by both supporting them financially and facilitating a new limited edition by them, fostering a sustainable future for the artist.

Mango shape ceramics evening bag in white

Wei Wang says of her work “In accessory production, there is always a big concern of leveraging a product’s materials onto its functions. I attempt to develop a real breakthrough in the design of my collection based on two aspects: first, thoroughly changing the firm belief and idea of an evening bag’s material, which is supposed to be soft and easy to carry; second, emphasising the cultural function of an evening bag, making efforts to inject new and vibrant historical elements into design. Ceramics are unique, elegant, with a collectable value adding to the mysterious character. They are like movable art works which incorporate a glorious past with the present fashionable outlook.”

Future Map 11 is at the Zabludowicz Collection until 5 February. More information can be found on the Future Map site