Barnsley College A Level students get creative in the capital

Barnsley Sixth Form College students enjoyed a taste of the creative industries and gained hands-on experience on a trip to London.

The three-day trip to the capital allowed the A Level students to expand their knowledge in either art, drama or film by taking part in workshops and visiting key locations relating to each genre.

Art and Design students visited several art galleries and exhibitions including Tate Modern, The National Gallery, Francis Bacon and Late Constable. Alongside viewing the different artistic styles, they also took photos and sketched ideas for their own portfolios.

A stage combat workshop allowed Drama and Theatre Studies students to learn about producing realistic fight scenes and they also took part in a devising workshop with industry professionals. A Q&A session with an actor from Wicked! gave the students information about drama schools, getting an agent and auditions.

Film Studies students toured Pinewood Studios, creating and filming their own scenes using professional equipment and real sets. They took part in a film-making workshop and a Q&A with an industry professional who spoke about how to get jobs in the sector.

All the students watched a production of Wicked! at the Apollo Theatre and took the opportunity to explore the sights of the city. A cross-curriculum trip to London is planned for 2023 with English Language, English Language and Media Studies students coming on board.

Drama student Keira Duce said: “The stage combat workshop allowed us to develop our performance skills and explore roots of theatre that we had not previously looked at. We also did a making a scene workshop where we got to recreate a scene from Wicked! after seeing it the previous night.”

Emily Davey, another Drama student, added: “We really enjoyed going to see Wicked! on the West End. The trip was a really good experience and we would love to go again next year!”

For more information about any of the courses available to study at Barnsley Sixth Form College or to apply, visit www.barnsleysixthformcollege.ac.uk.