Learning takes place in more than just the classroom, which is why we encourage you to take advantage of the variety of trips and visits available. A group of School of Visual Communication students recently had the chance to go on a study trip to Berlin and used the opportunity to immerse themselves in the local culture.
The 25 students took part in a number of exciting activities during their four jam-packed days in Germany’s capital. As well as checking out the main tourist hot spots such as Brandenburg Gate, the Jewish Museum and Eastside Gallery, students went on an alternative Berlin street art tour, browsed Mauerpark’s flea market for second-hand treasures and relaxed as urban beach bar YAAM.
They also went on a tour of the Buchstabenmuseum which was a great way for them to explore typography, an essential part of visual communication. The Buchstabenmuseum, also known as the Museum of Letters, is the first museum in the world to collect letterforms from public spaces and display them as part of urban history. The unique collection displays more than 1000 examples of letters, logos and signs, with many coming from the Berlin cityscape.
The final stop of the trip was a studio visit and talk from prolific graphic artist and author of ‘Black & White’ and ‘Protest Stencil Toolkit’, Patrick Thomas. Patrick spoke to students about his journey and his practice, which has seen him exhibit his limited-edition works across five continents. Students will have the opportunity to see him again at Birmingham Design Festival where he will be running workshops as part of the event.
Lecturers Ally Standing and Jane Anderson accompanied students to Berlin and Jane commented on how enjoyable the trip was and why it’s beneficial for students to get involved:
This was echoed by first-year students Caita Moreira and Ellis Husband:
To find out more about the trips and visits we offer at the School of Visual Communication, take a look at our course pages or join us at an Open Day.
