CREATIVITY, industrial awareness and entrepreneurial spirit - those are the qualities which have won York students a series of prestigious awards.

Claire Wilkinson's huge monoprint of industrial Middlesbrough won her the Creative Award after several businesses voted for her work.

For the Creative York award - one of three "subject clusters" of Science City York - a student's work is voted for solely by creative ventures.

During a recent exhibition of work, creative professionals provided feedback and commented on the various artworks of University of York St John students.

Claire, 21, from Middlesbrough, said: "It was really good to hear their comments, and really different to hear from other people outside of the university - it was all really positive."

Claire was awarded £250 for her monoprint, entitled Urban Monument, plus vital advice from Science City York's business promoter and a step up into the creative industry.

On the back of Urban Monument's success Claire has a meeting with Rural Arts in Thirsk next week to arrange a commission.

The Thirsk gallery made a beeline for Claire after seeing her work in the degree catalogue.

Asked if she was surprised to have won the award, she said: "Yes, I was very surprised - I couldn't believe that people were making such positive comments."

Claire managed to complete the 10-metre print - printed in oil-based ink and bronzed with coal - in a pokey university bedroom.

"The print studio closed down in preparation for the assessments, so I made it on the bedroom floor. I had to do half a metre at a time and keep rolling it up."

Claire celebrated with a bottle of champagne.

Meanwhile, York St John's Start4Art award was won by Annette Wormald, whose haunting images and sound collage of the Terry's factory took her three months to finish.

She plans to continue with the project by interviewing former Terry's employees.

Students who win the Start4Art award receive £1,000, and a commission from the university. The winner is determined by external and internal judges.

After winning the award, Annette said she was "absolutely delighted". She said: "I'm so glad that people have responded to my work in the way they have."

Annette, 48, from Kexby, near York, is a former historical costumier. She said the degree show and the award have generated a lot of interest. Already Annette has been asked to exhibit at Arts Space in York.

"I am delighted that I have taken my degree at York St John - the university has strong links with the rest of the city," she added.

Other winners include textile student Jessica Cunningham, and design student Sarah Shipley - all of whom exhibited their work during the degree show last week.

Steve Purcell, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, said: "Start4Art was launched as a mechanism for the university to purchase work of its top graduates, and as way of supporting new graduate artists and extend their professional portfolio."