10 March 2022

USP College Students make ‘Capes of Hope’

Students at USP College's Seevic Campus, Benfleet, have designed and made superhero capes and badges for children with cancer so they can wear them when having their treatments.

The live project 'Capes of Hope' with the Lennox Children's Cancer Fund was inspired by a line in a poem written by Sallyann Turner from the charity, given to parents/carers of every newly diagnosed child with cancer in local hospitals.

The capes were designed and made by the College's Textiles & Fashion Design A-Level and Art & Design Foundation Diploma students.

The students were tasked with designing and creating a superhero cape for the children to provide comfort and encouragement for the paediatric cancer sufferers supported by the charity, who will then give them to the children based on what they like.

The badges, designed by the College's Art & Design Level 3 UAL students, will act as a reward or recognition for a stay in hospital, treatment, procedure or even the final bell ringing, in the same way, the 'Beads of Courage' mark the child's achievements.

The project was completed as part of Live Creative, one of the College's College Companies designed to provide students with real work experience and professional feedback relating to their studies - giving them the competitive edge after college.

Tracy Spurgeon, Art & Design teacher at USP College, says, "This inspiring project has given the students a great live project experience.

"Despite the challenge of gaining professional finishes for the cape, our students fully embraced the brief and achieved wonderful results. We are very proud of them."

The Lennox Children's Cancer Fund, based in Basildon, started in 1992 with an aim to make a positive difference to the lives of children diagnosed with cancer through offering practical, financial and emotional support to the whole family.

Sallyann Turner from the Lennox Children's Cancer Fund says, "The charity has been delighted with the imaginative designs, high standard of workmanship and pure generosity of love and time dedicated by the College's students and teachers."

The capes and badges will be displayed in an art exhibition at Bluewater Shopping Centre from Friday 11 March for four weeks.

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