Above (l-r):Pieces by the threerunners up, Sam Cookson,MichelleHarrison andEstelle Woolley,who eachrecieved £500 Left:TracieShaylor (left)from BoltonUniversity, whoreceived themain award of £6,000, withNorth West Area ChairmanHelen Sugden fine arts students England that nurtures and supports talented artists during their studies to applicants from the North West it has been well received and this yearsaw the number of applications almost double. This year the candidates' work wasreviewed by Pavel Buchler, winner of the 2010 Northern Art Prize, MaryGriffiths, Curator of Fine Art at theWhitworth Art Gallery, Roger Duckworthand John Merrill, Trustees of the Brian Mercer Charitable Trust, JulietStaines, a freelance artist, and theYoung Arts Chairman, Denise Topolski. The decision was unanimousthat the main award of £6,000 should go to Tracie Shaylor from Bolton University. Tracie's work in her finalundergraduate year has concentratedon portraying Feminism and Sexuality inthe Third Wave Feminism Movement,which began in the 1990s. She hasbased her latest pieces on the Anglerfish hybrid which is a representation ofthe 'gender role reversal' and femaleempowerment in society today. Traciedescribed how she has been passionateabout all forms of art since earlychildhood and is equally talentedNW AREA FOCUSNADFAS REVIEW / AUTUMN 201165working with oils on canvas as she iswith creating pieces of sculpture inconcrete, casting bronze, welding metal and using the camera to captureintense emotions. She has joined with other artists inBolton and their work can be viewed at www.neoartists.co.uk. This bursarywill enable her to continue to study forher MA at Bolton University. AlanBuckingham, her Programme Leader,also received £1,000 for the Fine ArtDepartment which will benefit allstudents in that Department. Bothawards were presented at their Degree Show.Three other awards for £500 eachwent to Michelle Harrison fromManchester Metropolitan University(MMU), Sam Cookson from theUniversity of Central Lancashire andEstelle Woolley from Chester University. The recipient of the 2010 bursary,Shona Harrison, is completing her MA atManchester Metropolitan University withthe support of the bursary and isplanning to establish a studio in theNorth West. She has had severalexhibitions around the country and hasjoined with other artists from theuniversity to stage these. Pavel Büchler, a Research Professorat MMU, believes the award offers greatsupport to beneficiaries. "There are notmany students today who canconcentrate on their studies withoutworrying about the economic burden offees and expenses. For Shona, thebursary has gone some way towardsalleviating such pressures and and herwork shows it. Above all, however, thebursary has been a greatencouragement and has helped Shonato sustain motivation and belief in herprospects as an artist. "For a small course, such as the FineArt MA at MMU, the £1,000 has made abig difference too. It has enabled us tofund the student's travel to visit theVenice Biennale and to extend ourpatronage beyond the end of the courseand help them to mount an exhibition inHelsinki in the autumn."All beneficiaries from the bursary areto be congratulated on the standard and diversity of their work and we lookforward to visiting their exhibitions in the future.

SOCIETIES/AREAS NEWSGlassmaking apprentice receives Wessex awardSocieties NewsA snapshot of Society and Area activities across the country66NADFAS REVIEW / AUTUMN 2011www.nadfas.org.ukBournemouth and East DorsetDFAS was recently involved insupporting local secondary schoolSt Edward's to give wider scope totheir GCSE students studyingAfrican art for their exams thissummer. The Society donated£1,000, enabling the school totake the pupils on a trip to TheBritish Museum to see Africanartifacts, be visited by an artistwho demonstrated traditionalceramic techniques and to be ableto buy acrylics and other paints,that the school's budget would notnormally be able to afford for GCSEstudents. Members were delightedthat they were able to help studentshave more depth to their studies.The Wessex Area has sponsored Anna West (pictured, left), who isworking as an apprentice at the Liquid Glass Centre, based in Wingfield,Wiltshire. She has been awarded £300, which she has used to buy herown set of glassblowing tools. These have to be imported from the USA,and are therefore expensive.At Liquid Glass students are taught a range of glassmakingtechniques, as well as undertaking commissions for individuals andcompanies. Anna graduated with an Industrial Design degree, and thenhaving had two days' glassblowing experience with Stewart Hearn,master glassmaker, she realised that this was the area in which shewould like to specialise. The technique of blowing takes many years tomaster, and Anna aims to achieve a high standard of work and eventuallypass on the skills she learns to others in the hope that the craft can bekept alive. Julie Price, Wessex Area Representative; Jenny Gilks, her successor;and Susie Weaver, North Wilts Group Organiser, spent a fascinating timewatching Anna demonstrate the process of making small glass birds, andcould see her enthusiasm and commitment.BEDDFASYoung Artsproject boostsAfrican studiesAn unusual presentationTenterden Church Recorderspresented their fifth Romney MarshChurch Record for St Eanswith,Brenzett in March. It was presentedin an Assembly at the New RomneyC of E Primary School, where it isto be kept and used. The childreneach recorded under the 10headings their favourite preciousitem - some volunteered to readthem out. Everyone felt that it wasa most worthwhile Record.