A group of 7 students from The British University in Egypt visited campus during July to participate in a two-week specially tailored creative Summer School in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities.

Manchester Metropolitan University are partnered with The British University in Egypt to offer six dual award degrees at the latter’s Faculty of Art and Design – Interior Design, Fashion Design, Photography, Fine Art Mixed Media, Game Design, and Illustration Animation.

Departmental International Leads Dr Patsy Perry (Manchester Fashion Institute) and Dr Brigitte Jurack (Art and Performance) arranged a programme of activities across the various creative disciplines in Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester School of Art, and SODA. Students improved their subject knowledge by working with experts on campus, around the city and beyond. The Summer School began with Dr Jea Na’s (Design) Design Thinking workshop and a tour of the Library’s Special Collections, followed by an introduction to the animation filmmaking technique of stop motion with Ursula Ackah (SODA), urban sketching in the city centre with Simone Ridyard (Design), collaborative large scale figurative painting with Dr Brigitte Jurack (Fine Art and Sculpture), a photography task in the Northern Quarter with Richard Kelly, design research in Manchester Art Gallery’s new fashion gallery with Kat Scott, and a circular design task with Nick Hall and Dr Patsy Perry (Manchester Fashion Institute). They also ran as extracurricular RISE activities so that Manchester Met students could join too.

The summer school project also provided an opportunity for a student intern to gain 100 hours of paid work experience through Manchester Met’s Jobs 4 Students. BA Graphic Design student Selma Hijazi applied for the role of Summer School Student Intern to support the admin work and to design the student handbook. Selma commented:

“As the Summer School Intern, I had the incredible opportunity to contribute to the planning and organisation of the International Summer School at Manchester School of Art. I also had the opportunity to design the handbook for the International Summer School which was a valuable and enriching experience. I am grateful for the hands-on work experience and the chance to work alongside dedicated professionals, contributing to the vibrant educational environment at Manchester Met."

Students also took part in a range of cultural activities, including a visit to see Tino Sehgal’s performance at Whitworth Art Gallery and the Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art with Dr Brigitte Jurack, a guided tour of Richard Kelly’s photography exhibition A Time and Place at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, an immersive experience at Yayoi Kusama’s exhibition ‘You, Me and the Balloons’ at newly opened Factory International, a youth theatre performance on Castlefield Viaduct, and a walk in the Peak District. One of the cultural highlights was an official welcome from the city at the Lord Mayor’s Suite in the Central Library for afternoon tea hosted by the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Yasmine Dar. The Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress explained their respective roles and discussed women’s empowerment, education, and lifelong learning with the students. Students were inspired by their stories and were deeply honoured to meet the Lord Mayor. The Lord Mayor of Manchester and the Lady Mayoress were delighted to meet The British University in Egypt students along with the Manchester Met Summer School student intern, Selma Hijazi.

Dr Rachelle Viader Knowles, Head of International for the Faculty of Art and Humanities, commented: “It was a pleasure to welcome The British University in Egypt students to Manchester. Our plan is to host a partner Summer School each year, so we hope this will be the start of many opportunities for our partner students to undertake learning activities alongside our students based in Manchester who will also be able to participate through RISE. We are committed to providing an international experience for all our students, and our annual partner Summer School will provide rich cultural exchange for both groups of students.”

Suada Tivari, Senior Assistant Registrar for the Faculty of Arts and Design at The British University in Egypt, commented:

“The summer school programme was an amazing experience for our students. It was well organised, and all the staff involved were very helpful. Our students had the opportunity to learn about British culture, art, and the creative industries in the UK, as well as visiting some of the best art galleries in Manchester and Liverpool. They also had the chance to experience the facilities of the vibrant Manchester School of Art and learn from some of the best academics and industry professionals in their field. The summer school was a great experience for our students to explore their creative ambitions, how they can become sustainable artists, encompasses economic aspects, cultural diversity and bring a unique visual aesthetic to any problem they solve.”