STUDENTS may have received a bad reputation in recent months, however a group doing their experiential learning with Glenwood art duo at Umcebo Design have really made a great impression.
Robin Opperman, creative director of Umcebo Design said the DUT Work Integrated Learning third year Public Relations students, Nkululeko Makhanye and Sizwe Mbatha have been very flexible and adaptable young men with whom the team was happy to work with for the next six months.
For Nkululeko, being posted at Umcebo has been a blessing, “I like art and wanted to study fashion because I’m a a creative person but decided to do PR instead, so I’m happy to do my in-service training here. It has been interesting so far, meeting people networking and getting practical skills,” he said.
Sizwe said he enjoyed working on publicity campaigns and organising sponsorship and fundraising campaigns for the Intellectual Property exhibition which Umcebo Design is curating later this year. “The team is small and encouraging, they are experienced with working with the media and journalists so we are learning a lot and learning to writing our own press releases.”
In addition to the students, the Umcebo team had an extra hand over the recent holidays with Siphesihle Ncobo, a grade 11 pupil from Pinetown Boys’ High School. “I saw Robin Opperman give a talk at the Vega School design competition for learners and wanted to learn more about what they do and their different take on design. I wanted to come to their studio and learn some skills,” Siphesihle said. The youngster spent much of his school holiday working with the team in the Glenwood studio and learned the art of creative wire work. “It really opened my eyes to what you can do with recyclable material that we normally consider as rubbish. I have a renewed perspective when I get back to school on the endless possibilities of design,” he added.
The impressionable learner plans to study graphic or industrial design or craft design.
“It is telling of character when a young person takes time out of his holidays to come and volunteer with us so in return we will be helping him with a reference letter. We will miss Siphesihle and hope that he will be in regular contact and that we will find many ways to work with him in the future,” said Opperman.
