Budding fashion designer, Rebecca Webber, has just been offered an undergraduate place at Anglia Ruskin – one of 
the most prestigious art colleges in the UK.
Named after John Ruskin who founded the Cambridge School of Art in 1858, Anglia Ruskin has five separate art departments and includes in its graduates Syd Barrett and Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Spitting Image Creators Peter Fluck and Roger Law and Creator of St Trinian's Ronald Searle.
Rebecca, who is currently studying art, textiles and photography for A Level and undertaking an extended project (EPQ) in aquatic fashion, would like eventually to work for top fashion brand Alexander McQueen, and run her own successful fashion label.
She is very interested in sea life and has been visiting local garden centres in Somerset where she has been studying fish of different types to incorporate into her work.
For her art A Level, Rebecca has been working prolifically on multimedia surfaces. Inspired by Penelope Kenny, Rebecca has been stitching geometric shapes and printed out animals onto acetate.
Her textiles A level pieces – liquid latex experiments mixed with red cabbage – were inspired by contemporary advertising campaigns and incorporated experimental characteristics including knitted hair and spun sugar and toffee covered mannequins.
In photography, Rebecca concentrated on derelict buildings and mundane architecture that she ‘brightened up’ in photoshop by adding vibrant colours and by increasing the saturisation. Her final collection, entitled Guilty Pleasures, included hanging different objects in trees and was inspired by Tim Walker.
Rebecca applied to six universities, Anglia Ruskin, Falmouth, Central Saint Martin’s, Bournemouth, Kingston and Leeds for both undergraduate and foundation courses and is yet to hear from the other colleges as to whether they will be offering her a place.
As well as presenting her portfolio, Rebecca had to complete two extra art projects – one entitled A Man-Made World and another The Forgotten Space Project in order to gain an interview.
Said Rebecca: “I have been lucky enough to have some inspirational art teachers here at Queen’s College who have encouraged me to push the barriers and not to be afraid of being experimental in my work. I really began to focus on what I wanted to do last summer and finding the right universities with strong teaching was my prime consideration.”
“Said Queen’s College Headmaster: “Rebecca has done extremely well to have been accepted straight onto the undergraduate course at Ruskin. It is an extremely prestigious course and very influential in the art world. She is a very talented girl and will be someone to look out for in the future.”
The visual arts are exceptional at Queen’s College and none of the students have gained less than an A grade at A level for the past few years. In 2012 three students gained places at the Oxbridge of the fashion world, Central St Martin’s and ex Queen’s pupil, Phoebe Garlick, is the owner of well known fashion label, Henry Hunt Clothing.