Practical courses for the artists, designers and writers of the future who wish to develop a competitive portfolio and experience university life. Book your place on a Summer School course today!
Introduction:
Join an immersive, hands-on course in the art of screen printing, bookbinding, and zine-making that combines technical skills with creative expression.
You’ll dive into bold screen printing techniques, mastering how to layer colours and textures on paper and fabric for striking, multi-dimensional prints and channel these skills into creating your own zine (a small-batch, personal publication that brings together print, storytelling, collage, and typography) to tell a unique story.
This course celebrates creativity, collaboration, and experimentation, creating a space where you’ll bring your ideas to life alongside other passionate learners.
Generating striking designs for your portfolio, this course is ideal for the next generation of ambitious designers and will guide you through every stage of the process; from initial design concepts to the final, hand-bound zine and gently challenge you creatively.
By the end of the course, you’ll walk away with your own collection of vibrant prints and a fully realised, custom-made zine, along with the skills and confidence to continue exploring self-expression through print and design.
What You'll Study:
Immerse yourself in the world of graphic design and screen printing in this hands-on, creative course. You’ll be encouraged to think creatively during your time at NTU, gaining technical skills based on a design brief around a current social, political or environmental issue.
You’ll gain valuable experience creating unique prints, learning the essentials of design, and understanding the process behind storytelling in visual formats. By the end of the course, you will have created a complete, self-designed zine and a professionally bound book showcasing your work—a tangible portfolio that reflects your personal style and newfound skills.
During this course, you will:
learn how to screen print on paper and fabric using a handbench and line table
explore different techniques for transferring your designs and play with layering colours and textures to bring your ideas to life
discover the essential principles of good graphic design, typography, and layout
develop storytelling and narrative skills, discovering how to convey narratives visually
experiment with multiple printmaking techniques, exploring various ways to create and refine your work
get hands-on experience layering, understanding colour separation, and print variations
gain hands-on experience in bookbinding, covering essential techniques to produce visually stunning and professional-quality books
select materials, prepare pages, and bind them to create a unique zine.
You’ll also go on the hunt for inspiration with trips to the Dizzy Ink studio and Notts Zine Library, offering you a behind-the-scenes look at professional design studios and a chance to explore zines from artists around the world.
By the end of this course, you will leave with a rich portfolio of skills and projects that showcase your creativity and technical ability. You will have developed a deep understanding of screen printing, bookbinding, and zine-making, giving you the confidence to continue these practices independently.
Beyond technical skills, you’ll have gained an understanding of storytelling, narrative design, and layout principles of graphic design, empowering you to create visually compelling and meaningful works.
You will leave with a custom-made zine that you have conceptualised, designed, printed, and bound, an impressive testament to your artistic growth.
Social Events:
We appoint NTU Student Ambassadors who host social events on Monday and Wednesday evening to help you make friends across the whole of our summer school programme for 15 – 17 year olds, which are free to attend.
Duke of Edinburgh:
This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential Award and is an amazing opportunity to make new friends and memories. It will be fun and gently challenging, allowing you to follow your passion and discover talents you never knew you had.
DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.
You must also attend the social events that are planned on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and you must plan and attend your own social activities with other participants on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Prices:
Course: £525.00 + (optional) Accommodation: £259.00
You can find out more about our facilities, tutors and how to book your place on the NTU website.