The legendary Glastonbury Festival creator Michael Eavis recently visited Weston College where he was honoured with having the Music Department’s performance suite named after him.

Michael started the famous festival in 1970 from his dairy farm in Pilton, Somerset. With a history of huge headliners including David Bowie, Beyonce and Stormzy, the festival now has over 200,000 attendees each year making it one of the biggest festivals in the world. 

After visiting the popular Creative Arts Summer Show in July 2021, Michael was inspired to see the incredible pool of talent in the artwork and performances on display at the College’s art festival. 

To honour Michael and his outstanding contributions to the live music industry, it was decided by Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, Dr Paul Phillips CBE, to name the College’s main music performance space “The Michael Eavis Performance Suite”. 
This learning facility is at the heart of the Music Department. Here the students host countless live gigs with a full digital mixing desk and professional lighting rig to emulate an industry standard music venue. 

On arrival to Loxton Campus, to unveil the brass plaque for the facility’s new name, Michael Eavis first went on a tour around the campus. Here he admired the fantastic Fashion and amazing Art and Design work that decorates the campus’s vibrant corridors. Visiting various classes along the way, Michael stepped into the Media Department’s TV studio where he became a contestant on a mock live broadcast of Deal or No Deal, hosted by the students. 

The Glastonbury creator then had a look around the College’s state-of-the-art music facilities. Michael sat in on several student performances taking place in the multiple practice spaces and even sat in on a recording session in the College’s professional digital recording studio. 

The College’s Music department sits within the newly formed “Career Excellence Hubs”. These hubs are endorsed by employers and enable students to access outstanding career-boosting opportunities such as performing for Michael Eavis and having guest talks from festival stage managers thanks to industry connections. 

Michael Eavis added: “The sky’s the limit for music performers, it really is. It’s been fantastic here today, I’ve really enjoyed it. Lots of music, incredible fashion and lovely artwork too.” 

After this, Michael visited the newly named suite where lunch was served to a delightful display of music from the Level 3 learners. After a fantastic festive performance from music student Daisy Dennett and her band, the he was presented with a blue glass vase from the Principal to thank Michael for all that he has done and continues to do to raise the aspirations of musicians across the world.

Michael continued: “To have the Music Performance Suite named after me is a great honour for me and a great privilege. Thank-you very much” 

Dr Paul Phillips CBE commented: “Michael is an exemplar to us all. To our Music students and staff in Music Performance and Production, he is their hero, and we are so glad to have Michael here today to thank him for all he has done for the live music sector.

Five learners who recently completed their apprenticeships with independent UK law firm Burges Salmon, have received their final grades, achieving a distinction – the highest grade possible.

The five learners, who were all studying a Business Administration Level 3 apprenticeship with the Bristol based firm, are:

• Jack 
• Sophie 
• Lauren 
• Isobel 
• Gemma 

Now that they have completed their apprenticeship, they have each gained employment with Burges Salmon, which was recently named ‘Community Engagement Law Firm of the Year’ at the Bristol Law Society Awards 2021 and also this month won CSR Initiative of the Year at The Legal Week British Legal Awards 2021.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, says: “This is a fantastic achievement for each of the five apprentices, who have shown their talent and displayed their tremendous attitude by attaining these grades.

“We are so proud that they have all progressed into employment as well, something which isn’t easy in the current climate, and is further proof how impressive they have been, not just in their studies but in their work as well.”

Robert Halton, Chief People Officer at Burges Salmon, adds: “We are really pleased with the performance of our apprentices and the development of apprenticeships on a wider basis is great for the overarching aim of social mobility and educational attainment within the context of the working environment.”

If you’d like to find out more about how we can support your business, you can do so, here: https://www.weston.ac.uk/employers

From dealing with A-list celebrities to live national broadcasts, our media learners recently had the fantastic opportunity to learn all about the dynamic world of daytime TV from the Head of Film at ITV, Nick Rylance – a Weston College alumni! 

With a long history of working in the media industry, including acting, radio, film and live TV, Nick kindly hosted a 1 hour zoom call with our Media Production classes.  

The learners were in for a treat, hearing all about Nick’s journey to get to where he is today, starting in Weston-super-Mare. The learners, who’s modules include live TV production, were able to hear first-hand what it’s really like to work within mainstream broadcasting and dealing with world famous celebrities such as Tom Cruise, George Clooney and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to name a few.  

Having researched Nick’s background in acting and regular work with Lorraine Kelly, Philip Schofield  
Ben Shephard, Kate Garraway, Alison Hammond and more household names, the learners then had the chance to ask questions. Nick was able to give incredibly inciteful answers and advice around making contacts, the importance of work experience and how to operate professionally in stressful situations. 

Learners form the class added: 

“I’ve learnt that believing in myself is so important to success. The talk made me want to get out there and get even more work experience so that I can meet more people and make the most of every opportunity.” 

“It was very inspirational. It was amazing to hear about all of the different roles and changes in Nick’s career as I’m not sure which path to follow at the moment. I feel more confident about getting a job and that being nice and just being myself is important” 

High-profile guest speakers and lecturers are just one of the career-boosting benefits that stem from the college’s newly formed Creative Arts Career Excellence Hub. These innovative subject specific hubs allow for students at Weston College to have access to exclusive career-boosting benefits. Endorsed by employers from within the industry, this enables for better integration with the sector to make sure class content is relative and opens doors for learners so they leave college with more than just a qualification. 

Lecturer in Media, Richard Simms commented: “Having guest speakers from the media industry is an essential part of the course. It allows learners to meet professionals and see their career journeys. 

“Nick gave a fascinating and fabulous talk about his career, which reinforced the skills and development we champion on the Level 3 media production course. His journey from Weston College to ITV is not only inspiring, but it also makes it real for our learners.  His advice, enthusiasm and knowledge engaged the learners and will only benefit them as they progress through the course and beyond.” 

We’d like to say a huge thank-you to Nick for taking the time to inspire our Media learners through his years of industry knowledge and experience! 

Click here to read more about our Career Excellence Hubs

Click here to discover our courses in Media Production, Film and TV.