MIMA – School of Arts & Creative Industries

To Create is Great!

Being creative is important…in fact, it’s great! Creativity can help to reduce stress, make you feel calmer, improve your wellbeing, combat depression and anxiety and generally alleviate stress, leaving you happy and content. In fact, entering our MIMA Great Create competition could be just the tonic you need – here’s what you need to know.

The School of Arts & Creative Industries and MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art) are celebrating the third birthday of our MIMA Great Create competition, and this year’s theme is sure to prick your social conscience. This year we’re challenging entrants to submit a creative piece that responds to the theme of ‘creating a sustainable future’.

The creative piece, which must be developed solely for MIMA Great Create, could be a painting, an illustration, a comic, a piece of music or a film. It could be a model, a photograph, a fashion item or a piece of creative artwork in any form. All shortlisted entries will be featured in a special pop-up exhibition at MIMA and the winner of our special People’s Champion category will be displayed in Teesside University’s Net Zero Centre for all visitors to see.

The competition is open to anyone aged 16 or over and this year entries will be judged in three categories:

School or college student
Current Teesside University student and
Creative in the community.

There will also be an exciting opportunity for everyone to vote for the ‘People’s Champion’ from the shortlisted entries.

The MIMA Great Create judges come from across the creative industries, and this year include magazine founder and fashion academic Abigail Dennison, artist and curator Bobby Benjamin, children’s art charity Theatre Hullabaloo chief executive Ben Dickenson, Professor Dawid Hanak of the Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre, photographer Drucilla Burrell, artist and illustrator Errol Theunissen, MIMA artistic director Elinor Morgan, and last year’s Great Create winner Hayley Harris.

MIMA Great Create winner, 2023 – Hayley Harris

Hayley was announced as the second winner of the World Book Day themed MIMA Great Create in March 2023 with her illustration inspired by her favourite book The Secret Garden. Speaking when she was announced as the winner, Hayley said:

“I feel a strong connection with the book and characters, having lost a parent and being surrounded by wildlife and nature has helped to heal, give guidance and comfort. The scene that I chose to encapsulate is when the robin shows the way to the door and sadness is given some light and healing through nature.”

Haley’s advice to anyone considering entering the MIMA Great Create was:

“Let your imagination run wild and don’t be afraid to let your artwork out into the world. It helps others in giving encouragement and a bit of inspiration.”

The standard of entries gets higher every year and entries already received for this year are no different. With a closing deadline of Friday 29 March 2024, there’s still time to get your entry in, so if creating a sustainable future matters to you, then get those creative juices flowing and head to The MIMA Great Create | School of Arts & Creative Industries | Teesside University

Study at our School of Arts & Creative Industries https://www.tees.ac.uk/schools/mima/

MIMA Great Create shortlisted finalists announced

Saturday 28th May sees the long-awaited finals of the MIMA Great Create competition and six worthy finalists will be joining us at MIMA with their family and friends for an intimate celebration and the revealing of the winner by Elinor Morgan, Artistic Director, MIMA.

The competition opened to entries on 26th March 2022 and in just over six weeks the School of Arts & Creative Industries at Teesside University received a range of highly creative entries, from music clips, illustrations, paintings, upholstery designs and photographs, to short films, origami sculptures, drawings and more. Judging began on the 10th May and our team of judges from across the creative industries have made their decisions.

Six entries were shortlised, with judges commenting on the high standard of entries

“What a treat to get to review such creative work. There were some absolutely fabulous entries!”

The six shortlisted finalists along with friends and family are joining us for an intimate finals celebration at MIMA on Saturday 28th May, where the winner will be revealed and all finalist entries will be displayed in a pop-up exhibition in the MIMA atrium. The exhibition will be available to view over the coming Platinum Jubilee extended Bank Holiday weekend for all visitors to explore. Whilst you can see a version of the shortlisted entries below (links to songs on artist’s name), we’d encourage you to come along to MIMA to experience them visually and audibly in their full glory, in the creative environment of the atrium:

Ella Miller

I created this piece with a risograph printer to build up the rich layers of history and beauty and celebrate details that are important to me as an illustrator; we have so many local creative hubs, like MIMA and Darlington Hippodrome, that are so resourceful and full of inspiration. I also wanted to celebrate my pride in being northern with a bit of humour because who hasn’t had a giant seagull steal a chip in their life, and I certainly couldn’t live without a lemon top! From steam trains to bridges, the North East is built with strength and radiance.

Jonathan Raiseborough

My entry, ‘Boro Skyline’ is an illustration inspired by the environment and landscape of Teesside and the different aspects of the area that represent it as a whole. The foreground nature scenery in the illustration is based on the RSPB saltholme and Seal Sands nature reserves and the heritage of the biodiversity preserved so close to the industrial areas that represent another, very different, part of the region’s identity. The illustration was drawn in fineliner, coloured in Adobe Photoshop and based on how varied, seemingly opposite, prominent elements of what makes up Middlesbrough and the region co-exist together as one.

Grace Coverdale

I created an acrylic painting on canvas depicting a concept I believe is a dominant part of my culture and region. ‘The decline of the Teesside Steelworks Industry’ as a result of postmodern technology and globalisation. This concept is something that affected all generations in this region.

I chose a long canvas and presented my painting horizontally, as you glance down left to right, you see that the further along the canvas the steelworks become less shows the industry has completely disappeared.

Airen Sopany

Since the theme of the competition is the heritage of North East England, I decided to recall all the memories I’ve made while studying here. Although I have yet to explore the whole of North East England, there are fond memories I have of this region. I’ve decided to commemorate my wonderful experience so I get to cherish it forever with this entry filled with my images.

Jake Beddow

I decided to write a piece of music to represent the history and current story of the Teesside region. Middlesbrough was one of the first towns to be bombed during WW2 so the first half of my track is full of trumpets and loud drums as an omage to the music played whilst armies marched towards battle. Using samples of the UKs greatest sports commentator, Middlesbrough born Chris Kamara, I attempted to capture how Teesside has evolved into a great and modern place as the track also evolves into a more modern sounding song.

NICEGUY

A song I wrote about the sneering at Teesside from those who’ve never lived here

The winning finalist will be revealed on Saturday 28th May – Good luck everyone!

The MIMA Great Create competition

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Curating – what’s it all about?

Straight from latest issue of the School of Arts & Creative Industries Magazine , we’re sharing extracts from an interview with MIMA’s exhibitions and collection curator, Helen Welford, who tells us a little bit about her job.

Helen studied BA (Hons) Fine Art in Manchester. Following graduation she moved back to the region and set up a studio. Keen to further her learning she undertook an MA Art Museum and Gallery Studies and began curating at Newcastle University, as well as getting involved with Saltburn Artists Projects. Helen’s role at MIMA has changed over the years. Beginning as a gallery assistant, she moved up through the ranks from assistant curator to exhibitions and collections curator

“My favourite thing about being a curator is working with artists to develop ideas for shows. I love working on commissions and helping artists develop new work. My job is incredibly varied and every day is different. From studio visits to planning an exhibition to designing the gallery’s look and feel, it can be very creative.”

The School of Arts & Creative Industries at Teesside University offers an MA Curating as well as a Degree Apprenticeship in Curating, which awards an MA Curating along with the apprenticeship qualification. The degree apprenticeship offers an excellent opportunity for individuals in a curating role to gain a masters level qualification in their specialism whilst discovering the benefits of networking with other like-minded curators, studying part-time in our international art gallery and museum MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art), whilst still working and earning.

Helen’s advise for anyone considering a career in curating – “I recommend that you see as much art as possible. Read magazines and websites and soak it all up. Go to as much locally as you can but also try and go further afield. Art online has really advanced during the pandemic and it can be a great place to come across new artists. Go to openings and meet people. Ask for support and mentoring, people are happy to help. Middlesbrough is a great place to be in the art world and make things happen.”

Find out more about our Curating Degree Apprenticeship (MA)