Creative futures

Do your students want to understand the difference between creating game worlds or adding movement to objects in that world? Or how concept artists design the props and environments for a story while an illustrator brings the story to life? Students are introduced to our range of creative courses, get advice from those working in the industry and understand how to build their portfolio.

The day starts off with a talk from Aaron Warters, Lecturer in 2D Animation and Stop Motion, who is going to delve into the myths & legends of China to explore Chinese culture influence on animation in his talk, 'West Looking East'.

The afternoon gives students the opportunity to take part in hands on workshops with a choice of one of the following options per session:

Session 1
Comics
In this fast-paced 60-minute workshop, participants will learn how comics are made, from idea to page. We’ll start by creating an original character, then explore the fundamentals of visual storytelling through storyboarding and sketching. Participants will draft a complete one-page comic while learning how images, pacing, and narrative work together to tell a clear, engaging story. No prior experience is required; this session focuses on practical techniques and creative confidence. Along the way, we’ll highlight how comics skills translate to careers in film, TV, games, and publishing, where artists work as concept designers, storyboard artists, illustrators, writers, editors, and more.
Concept Art
Concept Art is all about creating interesting and bespoke designs to be used in a wide range of visual media. This workshop will give you a taster of this industry, creating characters or new worlds through generated prompts giving you the experience of quickly & efficiently working to a brief.
Games Development
Step into the world of game creation with our hands-on Game Development Workshop. You’ll start with a ready-made game template featuring core mechanics, then unleash your creativity by adding new levels, gameplay features, scoring systems, and win/loss conditions. By the end of the session, you’ll share and playtest each other’s creations, gaining valuable insights into both the technical and creative sides of game development.
Graphic Design
In this hands-on session you will use cyanotype printing to explore texture, layering, and unpredictability, creating artwork with unique visual character. Analogue techniques such as printmaking often produce textures, imperfections, and depth that are difficult to replicate digitally. In an increasingly screen based world, the ability to blend analogue and digital processes is an essential creative mindset that encourages innovation, authenticity, and versatility.


Session 2
2D Animation
Ready to try your hand at the fundamentals of 2D animation? Join our workshop and have a go at the classic bouncing ball exercise using Toon Boom Harmony, the industry-standard 2D software! This isn't just a simple bounce; it also explores core animation principles like timing and spacing, arcs, and squash and stretch, which are essential for bringing characters to life. It's cartoony fun, incredibly satisfying to create, and the perfect easy start to your animation journey!
3D Animation
In this workshop you will take Star Wars character BB8 and help him to navigate to safety through a series of obstacles.? You will learn to move a 3D character rig in time and space using 3D animation software.
Games Art
Dive into the world of Games Art in this interactive session, designed to give you a hands-on experience of the skills and creative thinking behind character, environment, and prop creation for games. During the session, you’ll explore key industry techniques, including sculpting, modelling, texturing, and working with industry-leading software such as Unreal Engine. The workshop encourages creativity, experimentation, and collaboration, offering insight into how games artists tackle challenges while giving you a chance to try out professional techniques yourself.
Fine Art
In this workshop, we will use clay in combination with other materials to create small sculptural works that explore form and action, through the manipulation of materials with your hands and simple tools.
Illustration
This session focuses on generating effective and original ideas in response to editorial briefs. You will explore strategies for interpreting written content and developing a visual concept that communicates clearly and creatively. The session emphasises industry-ready techniques for idea generation, refinement, and presentation, helping students produce thoughtful and professional editorial illustrations.

This is truly one for the creatives, come along to find out what creative careers are for you, experience your Creative Future at Teesside University!