York School of Art

⭐A huge thank you to The Company of Merchant Taylors in the City of York. ⭐
We are incredibly grateful for your continued support of our students and your advocacy for skills, craftsmanship and emerging talent. 🧵
Congratulations to Georgia Linsey-Bessent, one of our BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Garment Technology students, winner of The Roy Wallington Award 2026 – Best in Show 🏆
An amazing achievement and one that is thoroughly deserved!

We are also delighted that Georgia was invited to attend the Merchant Taylors Charter Day Tea, hosted by Master, Sally Hobbs.
Well done, Georgia. We are so proud of you! 👏

We'd like to say a big thank you to visiting artist Ollie Holman for the wonderful workshop he delivered to our vocational and degree-level 3D Creative Practice students.

Sculptor Ollie, who is based in North Yorkshire, has built up a fantastic career in metalwork, featuring on the BBC television show Home Is Where the Art Is and completing commissions, such as a full-size Shire horse for Swansea Council.

Working primarily with steel, recycled metals and bronze, Ollie's sculptures explore movement and balance through both equine and human forms.

During his time on Campus, he spoke about his creative process and business journey and oversaw a hands-on demo in armature techniques, while displaying how his 3D sculptures evolve from a line drawing.

Clearly inspired by Ollie's visit, one student was heard to reason: “He is just like me. If he can do it, I can!”

We really appreciated you sharing your time and expertise, Ollie, and hope to see you again soon.

A big thank you to BBC News for highlighting our BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Garment Technology students' wonderful partnership with EmAble Intelligent Fashion - the York-based brand that offers treatment-friendly, adaptive clothing designed to restore dignity and control for individuals undergoing medical treatments.

EmAble was formed in the memory of model Emily Rhodes by her mother Joanne and brother Matthew, who tasked our students - on the York School of Art degree - with designing and producing a range of accessible night dresses for their label.

Read more ⬇️

York fashion students create clothing line for cancer patients Challenge set by mum of woman who died of cancer after struggling to find clothes during treatment.

It was great to see our current BA (Hons) Graphic & Communication Design student Lisa Foster and BA (Hons) 3D Creative Practice graduate Rebecca Mihill feature in this double-page spread in the Daily Mail on Sunday at the weekend.

The article saw Lisa and Rebecca both share their views on studying a York School of Art degree in their 50s.

A big thank you to journalist Moira O’Neill for highlighting Lisa and Rebecca's York College journeys.

As excuses for needing time off College go, “I’m on tour with Louis Tomlinson” takes some beating!

But that was the legitimate reason given by Lily Ajaib as she juggles the final year of her BA (Hons) Film Production & Professional Practice with a burgeoning videography and photography career that has already seen her tour more than 70 cities in 13 different European countries.

That has included working in some of the continent’s biggest indoor arenas last month with Louis – the former One Direction megastar who Lily had posters of on her bedroom walls growing up.

Lily's skills have been nurtured during five years as a York College student, having first arrived on Campus at the age of 16 when she enrolled on our Level 3 Creative Media and Production Technology course.

To read more about Lily's exciting career and the launchpad for her talents College has provided, click below ⬇️
https://www.yorkcollege.ac.uk/events-and-news/news-blogs/lily-lands-job-on-louis-tomlinson-tour-during-final-year-of-film-degree

When former Primary School teacher Melanie Wilson was looking to enjoy some well-earned "me time" - with a child having left the family nest for uni - she decided on a return to education herself, but this time as a pupil!

Enrolling on our York School of Art Intermediate Drawing & Painting Evening Class, Melanie reignited an artistic spark that had been extinguished at the age of 16 by a discouraging school teacher who insisted she redid the same drawing three times!

Read more about Melanie's story by clicking below ⬇️

Melanie enjoys well-earned 'me-time' on York School of Art evening… When asking our students why they chose to enrol on an adult evening class, one popular answer is to enjoy some well-earned “me time”.

Exciting news for our York School of Art students!

Thanks to a new partnership with Sheffield Assay Office, our learners can now hallmark their precious metal work with the initials of our 184-year-old institution.

York School of Art is one of a diminishing number of places in Yorkshire where students can still learn traditional jewellery techniques, making this partnership especially valuable in supporting specialist creative education.

For the full story, click below ⬇️
https://www.yorkcollege.ac.uk/events-and-news/news-blogs/york-school-of-art-hallmark-created-in-new-partnership-with-sheffield-assay-office

✨ K‑Pop creativity on display ✨

Today our BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Garment Technology students showcased their final K‑Pop inspired outfits, alongside their design portfolios and technical packs, as part of a live competition brief with York Rotary.

Set by Jane Albon, this exciting project challenged students to design and make bold K‑Pop inspired outfits. Throughout the brief, Jane generously shared her wealth of fashion industry knowledge, offering invaluable insight and guidance along the way.

A huge thank you to York Rotary, and in particular Jane Albon and Mary Lumley, for creating this fantastic opportunity and for their continued support of York School of Art Fashion students.

We can’t wait to find out who will be announced as the winner! 👀🏆

Great to see our inspirational BA (Hons) Media Make-up, Special Effects & Hair Design degree graduate Paige Elliott making the headlines in Scotland.

Paige secured a 2:1 on the York School of Art course despite suffering life-changing injuries in a car crash midway through the course.

You can read more about her story in the Dunfermline Press article below ⬇️

Fife woman breaking into TV and film industry after life-changing car crash The ex-Queen Anne High School pupil has now graduated with a 2:1 degree.

Are you in the city centre this weekend?

Then, we would highly recommend visiting Spark:York CIC, where a stunning tribute to legendary street performer Purpleman has been spraypainted by our former York School of Art student Tom Sledmore.

Tom, also known as SledOne, was commissioned to create the mural of the much-missed street artist, whose real name was Michael Todd, at the back of the ground floor of the Piccadilly box park.

The poignant words "Rest in Purple" accompany two portraits of Michael, who died suddenly in December at the age of 65.

You can read more about Tom's mural and view pictures and a video in the below YorkMix story ⬇️
https://www.yorkmix.com/watch-stunning-portrait-of-purpleman-unveiled-in-york?fbclid=IwY2xjawRYJklleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFLTDFVcnpMYjllbWo3Umwxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHoHKZffOHRw9ss4G9QkYO7KixJ-DEGEvnFezz-AxWrouvzuo0ar9HiGZbr5T_aem_-P7DUyU4ydq8gLH2HfX6hQ

Watch: Stunning portrait of Purpleman unveiled in York