Meet two CQUniversity students who have used their passion for regional arts and their study in CQUniversity’s Bachelor of Digital Media to open the door to career opportunities and valuable industry experience.
Meet Alex
Alex Clelland is second year Digital Media student who has started his university journey later in life to purse his long-term ambition.
When I was finishing school I had an idea to create a graphic design company, but I was too intimidated by the unknown to pursue Uni. Now as a mature age student I’ve decided to pursue that dream.
- Alex
Alex’s passion for design and creative arts has been growing since leaving school, but Alex has had to find a balance between his study, parenting and life.
As a distance student, having the ability to fit study into a life with a wife and two young kids is invaluable and not something I take for granted.
- Alex
Meet Minnie
Minnie (Mignone) Brechin is also in her second year of her Digital Media degree and shares Alex’s passion for creative expression through arts.
I love the Digital Media world, I just want to create. I love creating! I have a huge passion for film and would always be trying to make films on the computer when I was younger.
- Minnie
Minnie has studied both on-campus and online as part of her degree, but one thing has remained consistent throughout.
I love the support. Everyone is always willing to help if you just ask.
- Minnie
Both Minnie and Alex were selected to support Feral Arts company in the promotion and delivery of the Scenic Rim Regional Council’s Arts Ablaze conference.
What is Arts Ablaze?
Arts Ablaze is a 3 day conference which focuses on the transformation of regional communities and arts practise. There are many discussion panels addressing people’s attitudes towards regional Arts and how we can work together to support and encourage a diverse and inclusive space for everyone.
- Minnie
The purpose of the event is to discuss the future of the arts in regional places and to celebrate the regional arts that we already have.
- Alex
CQUniversity proudly partnered with Scenic Rim Regional Council to sponsor the regional arts conference held in Kooralbyn Valley.
Although this event was held in just one location, Minnie and Alex joined Feral Arts to live-stream the event to a series of locations, including CQUni campuses in Noosa, Mackay, Rockhampton, Cairns, Townsville, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Brisbane and Sydney.
My role was to assist the Feral Arts company with live-streaming the event to other locations to help get the message to those who couldn’t be here. I worked mostly with exciting film and audio equipment.
- Minnie
You can see recordings of the live-streams on the Arts Ablaze website.
Not only were Alex and Minnie involved in the production of the live-stream, they also screened their very own short film productions as part of the festival showcase!
Alex’s Project - ‘Dealing with Distance’
‘Dealing with Distance’ is a one minute film focused on the emotional journey a young man goes on when his girlfriend leaves, and then returns.
The film’s use of colour to communicate the young man’s mental state make it stand out.
- Alex
Minnie’s Project - ‘Life of Emilia’
My short film was about a young girl who was lost in her own world. The film’s theme of “transformation” shows her become someone who was once ashamed of who she was to someone who embraces it, encouraged by the kindness of others.
I think the film fits perfectly with what we are addressing during the conference. If we can be kind and embrace people for their uniqueness instead of ridiculing them, a wonderful transformation occurs either within one individual or many.
- Minnie
You can watch both Minnie and Alex’s films, as well as a host of other students’ work in our student short film showcase on Vimeo.
If all this wasn’t enough, Minnie even won the Arts Font Arts Ablaze photo competition as part of the conference.
So many wonderful experiences have already happened just from being persistent at the thing I loved.
- Minnie
Learn more about our Digital Media courses and embrace your creative ambitions at CQUniversity.
Prepare to be stretched: Digital Media is multi-disciplinary and the units teach you a diverse set of skills. Ultimately, it’ll equip you to surpass your own creative limits.
- Alex
If you also love creating and find yourself tinkering away on the computer all the time then definitely do it!
- Minnie