Graphic Gathering is the V&A’s annual graphic design challenge for secondary school students. Running for five years now, the competition is designed to give students a taste of professional practice and help prepare them for higher or further education and work in the creative industries through answering a live brief.
Each year we set the brief to focus on a different area within Graphic Design from digital to print. Previous briefs have looked at typography, illustration and visual communication. The focus of this year’s challenge was to work with digital platforms. Last year the Design Council reported that ‘exponential growth of design roles means that our businesses need an increasing supply of design talent.’ (Annabella Coldrick, Director, Policy & Research, Design Council) citing in particular the importance of developing home grown skills that can feed the sector. This, coupled with an increasing request from teachers to support specialist teaching in the area of graphic and digital design, is one of the key reasons the V&A Schools team runs this project.
This year we were excited to partner with BBC Radio 1 and kicked off the project at the Museum last October. Radio 1 DJ, Adele Roberts, and the Radio 1 Marketing team delivered the brief to 250 students from schools across the UK.
Graphic Gathering Briefing day with Radio 1. ©Victoria and Albert Museum, London
The brief asked students to create a piece of original artwork that illustrates and promotes the BBC Radio 1 ‘New Music Friday’ playlist. Radio 1 will select four finalists and will release one artwork across their social media accounts each Friday over a month later this year. With a strong social media presence that connects to well over 8.5 million followers, they are keen to capture the voice of their 15 – 19 year old target audience and to encourage them to go on a new music journey with them.
To help kick-start work on the brief, we led a number of creative sessions on the briefing day with graphic designers and artists, including Studio Hato, Bethan Durie and Zoe Josephine Payne, who all have experience of working on similar briefs. Their hands-on activities helped students tackle the brief and expand their approach to possible design solutions.
Activity with Studio Hato, Graphic Gathering Briefing Day. ©Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Student working in the 20th Century gallery. ©Victoria and Albert Museum, London
As part of their research students could visit the exhibition, You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966-1970 and the Glastonbury Land and Legend display. Both explore the relationship between music and performance alongside fashion, film, design and political activism so suited the brief perfectly. Students were also shown product design, costumes and poster artwork from the V&A’s permanent collections for inspiration.
Artwork for the Rolling Stones Hot Licks logo, Jon Pasche, 1970. Museum nos. S.6120-2009 & S.6121-2009. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Musidor B.V.
Les Paul Guitar broken by Pete Townshend, Gibson, about 1960. Museum no. S.12-1978. © V&A Images
After working up their ideas back at school, participating students submitted their work for judging and shortlisted students will be invited back to the Museum on Friday 20 January to pitch their ideas to the Radio 1 team. The V&A will announce the winners very soon, but in the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for the winning work across Radio 1’s social media accounts!
If you are interested in taking part in Graphic Gathering 2017/18 please contact schools@vam.ac.uk