Bobbie's shoe designs win her the Allen & Overy Artbeat Scholarship
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A THC student is celebrating after being awarded a £5,000 scholarship from international legal practice Allen & Overy LLP. Bobbie Atkin-Farrugia was awarded the Allen & Overy Artbeat Scholarship for 2009 and will receive £5,000 over three years, having wowed the judging panel with her portfolio.
Allen & Overy offers a range of educational and legal programmes to support students and undergraduates, which aim to raise aspirations and offer insights into the opportunities available in the City. In 2006, Allen & Overy developed a Bursary Programme in partnership with Tower Hamlets College and has now awarded eight bursaries to THC students.
Bobbie, 19, was commended by the judges for her “outstanding presentation skills” and “profound understanding of the field of shoe design”. She has her sights set on a Foundation Degree in Footwear Design at Leicester College and has already earmarked how the cash will be put to good use.
“I would love to get a Mac laptop and purchase new equipment to help me with my designs as it is all quite expensive. My goal is to have my own label like Jimmy Choo one day as I definitely don’t want to work for anyone else. I actually found out that I had an interview at Leicester on the same day as finding out about the scholarship so I was delighted. This is a really good start for me and the money will really help me to achieve my goals.”
Bobbie is studying towards a BTEC in Art and Design at THC and has been involved with Allen & Overy for a number of years, having produced some artwork for the firm’s Bishopsgate offices while still at school. Solicitors from Allen & Overy read over UCAS forms and personal statements and gave advice on interview technique before Bobbie presented her portfolio of work and ideas to the Artbeat judging panel.
“The advice I received prior to the interview centred on keeping my answers concise and making sure I kept calm and gave a balanced reply. I was really well prepared, even for questions they didn’t ask, and I was confident in what I was saying so I think they took a bit of a shine to me!”
Despite the pressures of her academic work, Bobbie has always made time for her designs. She has been designing shoes since her childhood and was recently introduced to someone interested in making shoes based on her designs in Italy.
“Things are very exciting for me at the moment but I have known that I wanted to work in shoe design since primary school so I feel ready for it. I remember making a pair of zebra print slippers for a school fashion show which I thought were great before they fell apart as I was walking down the catwalk. I have certainly improved my skills and, maybe more importantly, my taste since then!”