Four students from Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (Mcast)’s Institute for the Creative Arts on a BA in Graphic Design and BA in Interactive Media course recently spent a week at Petroc Brannams Campus in Barnstaple, North Devon, UK, as part of an Erasmusplus project entitled ‘Becoming a Designer in Europe’.

This was the first in a series of similar exchanges aimed at broadening students’ professional horizons and making them more aware of career opportunities in various design fields in Europe. Over the course of the project, the students – Scott Schembri, George Lewis, Sarah Schembri Warr and Mattie De Bono – will have the opportunity to engage with European counterparts via digital platforms and face-to-face interaction.

During their stay in Barnstaple, the students from Mcast and other international students from Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK were involved in a number of workshops that focused on job-seeking skills, including application processes, documentation, and appropriate interview conduct and preparation. They explored possibilities related to work experience in the field of art and design available both at home and abroad in Europe, comparing different types of jobs and their respective characteristics.

Other activities took place during the week included hands-on workshops such as book-binding and gallery drawing sessions, talks from ex-students and career professionals, a visit to an art gallery and a graphic design studio in the industry.