I am very pleased to announce a new candidate for the Creative Arts Representative role on the OCASA commitee. Please find Emma Maitland’s details below. The details will be posted for one week until 3rd April and if no further candidates come forward Emma will be elected to the the role.
Biography:
I was made redundant in 2011 after a 30 year career as a civil servant and, deciding that it was time for a new challenge, I rather recklessly signed up for a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design despite the fact that I had not really attempted to do “art” since I was at school. I had low expectations and little confidence in my ability but the challenge quickly became a passion and I’ve been studying art in one form or another ever since, embarking on the OCA Creative Arts degree pathway in 2016.
I was drawn to OCA because the flexibility that distance learning offers allows me to study around a much loved but demanding part-time job as a support assistant in classes for adults with learning disabilities. I also liked the way that I could tailor the degree to my individual interests and, after much deliberation, I have chosen photography and printmaking as my subjects. I feel that life as a Creative Arts student does, however, present some particular challenges as we work across so many different disciplines and don’t form a natural cohort – by becoming a committee member I would like to ensure that these challenges are recognised and addressed in the development of policies and the delivery of courses.