MakeIT! Furniture winners announced at the National School of Furniture in Oxford
The first ever MakeIT! Furniture awards ceremony was held at The National School of Furniture at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College as part of the Summer Show on the 13th June, bringing together industry experts, teachers and students to recognise Britain’s emerging design talent.
Led by Proskills, the sector skills council for the process and manufacturing sector, the MakeIT! Furniture programme aimed to encourage students to develop their design skills.
Oliver Mason of Arden School in the West Midlands won the prize for the best solid wood design and his entry, which will now be produced from a locally sourced, sustainable tree as part of the OneOak Project, attracted high praise from the panel of judges.
Presentation at the MakeIT competition awards. Left to right: Chris Hyde (National School of Furniture), Teacher Liz Allton from Arden School, Winner Oliver Mason, Gabriel Hemery (Sylva Foundation CEO), Terry Watts (Proskills CEO)
Oliver has won for his school a £100 cheque from the British Furniture Manufacturers’ Association (BFM), a Pantone Essential Effect Kit and a £100 voucher for Axminster Tools donated from The National School of Furniture, which his teacher, Liz Allton said was very welcome. “It is an amazing prize that Oliver has won on top of his KS3 award and I am very excited about seeing his design once it has been produced from the Blenheim Palace oak tree. It really adds something extra special to the competition for everyone that the design will actually be made. I am so pleased that my students have done so well.” Liz says
The prizes were awarded by Jackie Bazeley (BFM), Paul Preston (Proskills Furniture Industry Lead) Neil Stevenson (NEJ Stevenson Ltd), Gabriel Hemery (The Sylva Foundation) and Chris Hyde (The National School of Furniture), who presented a range of cameras and design equipment to students.
The programme’s sponsors included the BFM, The National School of Furniture, The Sylva Foundation, Fujifilm, and Pantone, illustrating the wider commercial importance of the MakeIT! Furniture programme; Jackie Bazeley said the quality of entries points towards a bright future for the industry. “Design lies at the core of the manufacturing process, and the creative industry has an important part to play in economic recovery. Without design, how can manufacturing, fashion and retailing grow? They all start from the creative process,” Jackie points out.
“We’ve got to get young people interested in design and it needs to be promoted in school so that children are aware of it as a potential career option. The MakeIT! Furniture programme is a perfect example of how this can be achieved. We are introducing career options into schools and heightening awareness of the opportunities the furniture industry offers”, concludes Jackie.
Encouraging students to express their creativity is an important part of this wider agenda, and while many people believe they lack creative ability, tuition and guidance can help them develop their skills. This reinforces the wider importance of the programme, says Terry Watts, Proskills CEO.
“We’ve been very pleased with the response to the MakeIT! Furniture programme. It attracted over 3,500 students and we received entries from across the country. It has demonstrated the creative opportunities available in the furniture industry and its wider commercial importance,” he outlines.
“The student survey showed that after completing the MakeIT! Furniture programme three times as many students would consider an apprenticeship in the industry.”
“We will continue to work with both schools and industry so that the MakeIT! Furniture programme engages students in major design challenges.”
The Winners of MakeIT! Furniture 2010/2011 competition are:
- Key Stage 3:
Oliver Mason – Arden School – West Midlands - Key Stage 4:
Michael Bolton – Arden School – West Midlands - Key Stage 5 :
Scott Blacker – Wheatley Park School – Oxfordshire - Best Wood Solid Design:
Oliver Mason – Arden School – West Midlands
About MakeIT! Furniture:
MakeIT! Furniture is an industry-based project and competition for schools, mapped to the national curriculum and Diplomas. It familiarises students with how furniture is designed and made in the Furniture, Furnishings and Interiors Industry through researching and designing products, and investigating the various different aspects of the industry – from sourcing raw materials to producing finished products.
[…] Mason won the MakeIT! award in June this year (read more) with his design for a seat. MakeIT! is an sector-based project and competition for schools, […]
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