Top designers, artists and filmmakers attended a bumper careers event to inspire youngsters to follow them into a career in the creative industries.

The Creative Careers Conference, hosted by Epsom’s University for the Creative Arts (UCA) last month, was attended by successful names in the industry, including Pixies’ album cover designer Vaughan Oliver, singer and stylist Namalee Bolle, and animator Alice Dunseath, who worked on Oscar-winning film Fantastic Mr Fox.

The event, which consisted of talks and workshops, was attended by 140 students from six schools and colleges in Surrey, including Rosebery School in Epsom.

Sue Shearer, UCA widening participation co-ordinator, said: "This is the first time a lot of the students have found out that art and design could hold a future for them and that universities, like UCA, could help them achieve their goals.

"To bring this to life, we brought in guest speakers who are still working at the top of their careers, who have come from a variety of social backgrounds and have all experienced highs and lows that come with such an exciting career choice."