EDUCATION: Student projects impress at Leeds Trinity celebration show
Leeds Trinity University’s Faculty of Business, Computing and Digital Industries held an important event this week at the Main Campus in Horsforth to showcase the work and talents of its final-year and postgraduate students at an end-of-year Degree Show.
Leeds Trinity is one of the four Catholic universities across England & Wales.
Impressive projects created by students from the University’s Computer Science, Media, Photography, TV and Film Production, Journalism, English and Business programmes were celebrated across two events. An exhibition open to staff, students, employers and the public was held during the day – allowing students to share and discuss their work, as well as network with potential employers. In the evening, students were joined by their friends and family at a celebration event, where a selected number of students from across the faculty presented their work.
‘AnthroSecurist’ Lianne Potter, an expert in cyber security who will begin a MSc degree in Data Science and AI at Leeds Trinity in September, delivered a keynote speech in which she explored her expansive career as a security-focused software developer and as a security practitioner.
Among the student projects on show from the School of Digital and Screen Media was a film on the decline of the fishing industry in Grimsby, produced by Harry Burden-Whittleton, a Sports Journalism student. The 15-minute documentary is the first episode of a series exploring struggling industrial towns in the north of England.
Harry Burden-Whittleton said: “I wanted to share the story of Grimsby, where I’m from, and what happened to it as I used to speak to older people who would tell me about how good Grimsby once was, so I really wanted to do something for them. People think Grimsby is a ‘dive’ and a ‘pit’, but they don’t know the history of it, so it was brilliant to show the film to the people at the Degree Show. I’ve had a lot of comments about how wonderful it is.
“I’m hoping to go into documentary and film production, so to show my work to professionals already in that field and get positive feedback has really driven me on to keep working and do more.”
A highlight from the School of Business was ‘Selene’s Secret: From Idea to Reality’, a project created collaboratively by Millie Salvidge, Ronnie Drag, Phoebe Easton, Jack Bassham, Emmy Kiss and Chloe Casey. Together, they created an interactive transmedia production (combining several kinds of media forms to tell a story or experience) around the life of fictional former Leeds Trinity student Selene Hall, which tasked players to piece together three timelines and find a mystery hidden on the Main Campus for over 50 years by searching for physical and digital clues, cracking codes, solving puzzles and hacking secret files.
Emmy Kiss, English and Media with Foundation Year in Arts and Communication student, said: “I really enjoyed being a part of the Degree Show and I’m happy that we managed to showcase our project beyond our initial audience. It was nice to see people appreciate what we’ve produced after all the work we put into it. The opportunity to display and discuss it at the event was really exciting, particularly as the audience included employers and people who we could meet and impress with our work.”
Among the other projects on display was an exploration of the ‘monstrous-feminine’ in Japanese folklore and cinema by Kiera Doran, English and Creative Writing student, and an app called ‘Smart A&E’ developed by Computer Science student Michael Kwame Aidoo, which monitors waiting times in accident and emergency departments. A photography exhibition was also on display, promoting work that covered topics including the history of Yorkshire’s railway system, the impact of the difficult economic environment on home and community, and the links between music and identity.
Professor Yanguo Jing, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Computing and Digital Industries at Leeds Trinity University, said: “Events such as the Degree Show are hugely exciting and very important. As a career-focussed university, our colleagues spend a lot of time supporting the work of our students as it helps ensure that they have strong career prospects after their studies. We know our students are very good – but sharing that with their family, friends and industry professionals is very important as being able to see what they have produced at the final stage of their studies demonstrates how their work aligns with the real world.
“Sharing in our students’ excitement alongside their families was really rewarding and is probably the best bit of being an academic. I hope they remember this moment as it’s a key milestone which deserves to be celebrated. Although, I’m sure this will just be a stepping stone on their journeys to achieving even more.”
Professor Jing also thanked Kathryn Penny, Deputy Head of School of Digital and Screen Media at Leeds Trinity University, for her efforts in curating the Degree Show.
For more information on the support students can receive from Leeds Trinity after graduating, visit the Careers+Placements page on the University website.
