Ruge chose ECA because of its place within the wider University allowing opportunities to meet people from a range of disciplines. She enjoyed working within a studio environment and explored a number of techniques to discover her interest in combining live action with animation. 

Her final year film premiered at the Nightpiece Film Festival at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Why ECA?

I wanted to study at a university rather than solely an art school, so I could meet people from a range of different disciplines, and ECA under the University of Edinburgh seemed like the perfect fit. I was hesitating between Kingston, UAL, and ECA, so I reached out to the programme director and asked if I could speak with a current student to gain some first-hand insight into the study experience. Everyone I contacted was incredibly welcoming and kind, and I felt that this was exactly the environment I wanted to be in. 

Tell us about your time at ECA

I truly wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, and I’m so glad I ended up at ECA. To me, ECA supported me in finding out who I am as an artist.

My first year was quite slow, to be honest - Covid was still around and the studio space wasn’t fully operational. But from the second year onwards, I started spending more and more time in the studio. Having our own tables felt like such a privilege, and we were encouraged to experiment with different media and techniques in animation, both under the camera and digitally. A real highlight was the 10x10 project in second and third year, where you create 1 small animation within 24 hours for 10 days straight. It’s stressful, especially towards the end when ideas run thin, but it’s also the perfect chance to try out crazy ideas and new software. Through testing various techniques over my first three years, I eventually discovered my interest in combining live action with animation, which I was able to develop to a more accomplished level in my final year film.

There were also opportunities to take elective courses outside the department in first and second year, and I found Drawing for Design Practice in the Jewellery department especially inspiring.

If I could start again, I’d definitely judge myself a lot less. Surrounded by so many talented people, I used to worry too much about how good my work was, especially in the early stages. Later, I realised it’s really the process that matters. As our tutor Dan Castro often said, “Just keep making work, and good will come.”

Tell us about your experiences since graduating

My final film, “The Blank Canvas”, premiered at the Fringe (Nightpiece Film Festival) this August. I am still waiting for results from other festivals and job applications.

I adapted a loop animation into a cup design and won the KeepCup competition held by ECA. The cup is currently on sale at the ECA cafe.

It’s hard to say goodbye to ECA. Although I will still come back to visit, it won’t be as a student anymore. It has been such an inclusive, respectful, tolerant, and supportive environment - like a second home. 

In third year, we also had a course where we worked with a client; our year group collaborated with the 2D Workshop animation studio. Through that, we learnt an important lesson about how to communicate with clients.

Alumni wisdom

For the first year:  

Explore freely - literally try everything. Don’t set yourself any limits. Get involved in all kinds of activities, talk to the staff about your concerns, and take your time.

For people graduating this year:  

It’s going to be busy and chaotic, but you can do it - we all survived! Try to enjoy yourself and spend as much time in the studio as possible. It’s rare to get the experience of working so closely with a group of talented people who share the same struggles and goals once you graduate. Just push through, and you’ll be surprised at what you are capable of accomplishing. Take care of yourself, both mentally and physically :)