Students shine on landmark OPTIKA creative project

Two City of Glasgow College students have received glowing praise after gaining hands-on experience working on a major digital arts and music event in Glasgow.

Cara McCall, now in her fourth year of the BA Design Practice degree, and Nina Shtunder, who has progressed into second year of the HND Graphic Design course, were selected to take part in SUUM Studio's Creative Contributors pilot.

The students worked alongside professional creatives and emerging artists in the lead-up to OPTIKA, a day and night of digital art and electronic music held at SWG3 as part of the Glasgow 2026 cultural programme.

Cara contributed to a range of creative work, including designing frames for AR-enabled artwork, creating artwork and social media content, as well as managing print files and organising artwork for production. The experience also encouraged her to explore new areas of design, including 3D and augmented reality.

Cara said: "It was a very collaborative project which I enjoyed. The opportunity gave me a lot of confidence in my work and my networking skills, just what was needed going into fourth year!"

Nina, who joined the project after completing her first year of HND Graphic Design, said: "It was such a great experience. I learned a lot about how these kinds of events are put together, and it was great to be part of the Creative Contributors group and create something artistic for it."

The students received glowing feedback from the team at SUUM Studio.

Pauline McCloy-Turtle, Creative Director, and Charles Turtle, Technical Director at SUUM Studio, said: "Cara brought real dedication to the project and became a key member of the team. Her professionalism, collaborative approach and ability to deliver under tight deadlines were hugely valuable to us.

"Nina brought curiosity, enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved from the outset. It was great to see her confidence develop through the process, and she became a valued member of the wider OPTIKA team.

"We're really proud that City of Glasgow College students were part of OPTIKA. The Creative Contributors pilot demonstrated what's possible when education and industry connect through real projects, giving emerging creatives space to contribute ideas, take responsibility and collaborate across disciplines."

The opportunity was shared with students by Amy Whiten, Curriculum Head of Visual Communication, Graphic Design and Illustration.

Amy said: "It's fantastic to see Cara and Nina receive such positive feedback from SUUM Studio. We're incredibly proud of what they achieved and grateful to SUUM Studio for creating such a valuable opportunity for our students."