The search for the next generation of young designers culminated in the final of the Rotary Club of Leicester Young Designers Competition, hosted by De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) on Saturday.
The ongoing partnership between these three pillars of the community – the Rotary Club of Leicester, schools and colleges, and DMU – helps to promote creativity and nurtures the aspirations of young people.
Top award winner, Oliver Evans from Ashby School
Held at DMU to coincide with the launch of the university’s highly-anticipated degree show, the event showcased the creative work of 35 students aged 14 to 18, from 15 different schools and colleges.
Students demonstrated their innovative thinking with competition entries ranging from a fully functional, 1980’s style arcade game, to a primary school cupboard featuring an interactive light and buzzer to turn tidying up into a competitive game.
The entries were judged on their practical and commercial application, as well as their originality, with an overall winner and runner-up announced.
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Oliver Evans, a Maths, Biology and Design A-level student from Ashby School, was the overall winner after impressing the judges with his idea for a tool to sterilise medical instruments in disaster areas.
The 17-year-old said: “I want to enable surgeons to perform surgeries with clean instruments anywhere in the world.”
As well as a £100 prize, Oliver was also awarded an entrepreneurial support package from DMU, involving one-to-one sessions with the careers team, access to seminars and the chance to speak to students who have successfully developed creative businesses.
Oliver said: “I came here not expecting to do this well so I’m very pleased to have won and I’m excited for the chance to do some testing and possibly make a real working design.”
Runner-up, Brina Johnson from Sponne School
Runner-up was awarded to 16-year-old Brina Johnson from Sponne School in Towcester. She designed an indoor pen, inspired by his pet tortoise.
Brina said: “My three year old tortoise called Boris was living in a plain square enclosure and I wanted something more aesthetically pleasing for him. So I made something more eye-catching for him to live in.
“I’m really proud of myself and just glad that the judges liked what I designed.”
Colin Derrick, a member of the Rotary Club of Leicester, said: “The competition felt so right this year because it is at the heart of the ethos surrounding both Rotary and DMU’s approach to design; we both believe in enjoying and celebrating the passion, creativity, innovation and invention that our design students’ bring to us.
“There was a palpable sense of excitement and pride amongst the students who were invited to take part this year, and in reality, it provides a bridge, a possible link to the possibilities that their design skills could lead them to at DMU.”
Wendy Harvey, Head of Design and Technology at Leicester Grammar School, said: “It was a great venue and it was also a good opportunity for me to have a look around the degree shows which was on at the same time.”
Barbara Matthews, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Art, Design and Humanities at DMU, said: “I was delighted to be able to support the Rotary Young Designers event. DMU shares the Rotary’s desire to promote design within schools and colleges and to ensure that young designers get the recognition and support they need.
“The quality of the exhibits was extremely high and I know that our Innovation Centre is going to enjoy supporting Oliver in developing his very innovative medical instrument sterilisation tool.”
Posted on Thursday 23 June 2016