SPONSORED EDITORIAL

With Folkestone having reinvented itself as the place to be for the arts, East Kent College Folkestone provides the ideal inspiration for students seeking a career of creativity.

In the last five or six years, charities, foundations and the Kent County Council have joined their efforts to breathe new life into Folkestone through art.

Helping to drive on that momentum, the campus’ Art and Design course is happy to oblige.

Students enlisting in the course get the opportunity to explore an array of creative careers through practical projects in areas such as Fashion, Illustration, Graphic Design, Art, Advertising, Web Design, Marketing and Advertising.

EKC Folkestone also has close links with The Creative Quarter - an initiative to regenerate and develop an area of the town through the arts, the creative industries and education.

Apart from working on various creative design projects involving research, idea development, drawing, designing, photographing and filming, students will also get the chance to hone their commercial skills by working professionally on paid contracts for The EDGE Creative Agency.

“Professional practice and creativity is at the heart of everything we do at The EDGE,” commented Enterprise, Innovation and Partnerships Coordinator Beth Walker.

“Our new Art and Design course has given our students a platform to experiment with a wide range of design practices not usually seen before university level education.

“It has worked well to compliment our already existing courses in Film and TV, Photography and Creative Computing."

Another popular hands-on interest among many students at the campus is Construction with a new building - dedicated especially to that trade - ready for this year’s students to make use of.

And the timing couldn’t be better as works continue around the town to bring back more businesses and make it a thriving seaside community once again.

Those courses include Carpentry, Multi-Trade, Bricklaying, Painting, Decorating, Bench Joinery, Wood Machining, Plastering, Site Carpentry, and Maintenance Operations.

Another exciting development this year at the campus will be the opening of the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy which will be available for students taking Study Programmes or courses in Business and Enterprise.

Being the only such academy in Kent, EKC will present students with new ways of learning through practical hands-on experience that will help develop confidence and social skills.

Other courses on offer at the campus include Catering and Hospitality, Beauty, Hairdressing, Early Years and Supported Learning.