From Chef to UAL Foundation and the Turps Art School Postgraduate Programme
Portfolio & Admissions Mentorship
Serena came to Cadmium while working as a chef, seeking support preparing her application for the UAL Foundation Diploma in Art and Design. Although she had been drawing and making work for years as a hobby, she felt unsure how to structure a competitive art school portfolio or write the personal statement required for the application.
Through Cadmium’s Portfolio & Admissions Mentorship, we worked together to clarify her ideas, linking her mural practice with her drawings and paintings by developing recurring motifs across the portfolio, and shaping a strong personal statement that communicated her artistic direction clearly.
The process helped transform years of scattered work and uncertainty into a confident application.
Serena was accepted onto the UAL Foundation course, beginning her transition from a career in hospitality into fine art practice. The following year, she used the tools and approach developed during Cadmium’s mentorship to make a successful postgraduate application to the renowned Turps Studio Programme in London.
“Working with India gave me the confidence to actually submit my application rather than endlessly questioning it.
The tools and ways of thinking I learned during mentorship continued to be useful beyond that moment. The following year, I applied many of the same approaches when applying to the Turps Studio Programme, which was also successful.
With India’s support I was accepted onto the UAL Foundation course, which became the starting point for my transition into fine art practice.”
Serena
UAL Foundation and the Turps Art School Postgraduate Programme
Serena's Work
