Clarendon Sixth Form College

06 November 2024

Clarendon Sixth Form College students design campaign to promote online mental health tools.

Graphic design students at the college recently created a range of illustrations and artwork to help promote Kooth, an online resource for young people to access mental health services.

Kooth provides anonymous support for those aged 10-25 such as one to one counselling, self help resources and forums with peers.

Students were tasked with creating a range of designs based on the theme of ‘the masks we wear’, highlighting how someone’s outside demeanour can hide underlying emotions and thoughts.

The college has previously worked with Kooth on several projects, with this being the most ambitious to date.

Three students were awarded for their work during a presentation in the college’s ‘iHub’, a 360 degree learning environment, onto which the artworks were projected. Ryan Whittaker, Kooth Engagement Lead for Greater Manchester attended the presentation to view the artwork, alongside student services staff at the college.

Lauren Smith, graphic design student at Clarendon Sixth Form College and Kooth award winner, said: “The presentation itself was cool as different people’s artworks popped up at different times and they looked great. I have treated this work as though it is a proper job that I was doing for a paying client, which helped me keep it all at a professional level. As a practitioner, I would like to become a more rounded designer so that I have many skills to use in my work to make it better. I am very pleased and proud to have won an award for my work and glad Kooth like my designs.”

Miriam Nicola, senior wellbeing and safeguarding adviser at Clarendon Sixth Form College, said: “It was amazing to experience seeing students’ designs for the first time in the iHub, they are so creative and eye catching. It's been really difficult to pick three of the best designs as they were all so fantastic. The ones that I've selected, I feel are very vibrant and send out a strong message of support to those struggling with their mental health, which is such a huge issue and is a big part of the college’s work in supporting students.”

To find out more about graphic design courses at Clarendon Sixth Form College, visit the college website or call 0161 908 6600.