So your secondary education is coming to an end and you're faced with many choices...

Different people learn in different ways, and some may choose to stay on at a local sixth form. For the majority of local school leavers, Weston College is a popular option due to the diverse range of courses and wanting to experience a fresh environment with a lively and exciting atmosphere as well.

If you're considering College but are unsure about how it compares to school, read on!

Students at Weston College are preparing their end of year performances, and looking to borrow props for their performances.

Performing and Production Arts students from the College are putting on two productions as their end of year performances, sourcing all props for the shows themselves. They are therefore looking to borrow props from the local community throughout May in order to bring their performances to life.

Both productions will be performed by students, however their sets are also being designed by Production Arts Technical students who are working hard to bring their vision into reality and make the sets as authentic as possible.

One group of 13 Level 3 students will be performing the play Two by Jim Cartwright, which is set in a pub in North England in the 1980s. In the play, 13 colourful and real characters are brought to life and let you into their lives, highlighting the ups and downs of relationships and the complex range of human emotion. As the night unfolds, the audience is lead into the Landlady and Landlords tragic secret.

The students are looking to source the following props:

• 5 - 10 bar stools (short)
• 2 bar stools (tall)
• 5 wooden round tables (pub style)
• Darts board
• Juke box
• 3 beer taps – need to be able to fix to a bar top and pull down, but will not be ‘working’
• Empty spirit bottles (clear & brown)
• 1 big old red carpet/rug (pub style)
• 5-7 period ashtrays.
•  

The students’ performance of Two will take place on 15 and 16 May at 1:30pm and 7pm at the Berkoff Theatre, based at the College’s Knightstone Campus.

Tickets are just £5 on the door.

The second show is Fiddler on the Roof, which 20 Level 3 students have been working on. The show is set in 1905 imperial Russia and tells the story of a poor milkman trying to protect his five daughters and instil them with traditional values in the face of a changing world. The students are looking to embody an old and rustic set design, and are sourcing the following props:

• 3-4 milk churns
• 1 old fashioned sewing machine
• 2 small wooden bar tables
• 1 sturdy hand farm cart.

Their performance of Fiddler on the Roof will take place on 16 May at 7pm, and 17 May at 1:30pm and 7pm at The Blakehay Theatre. Tickets are £10 and available to purchase from the box office.

Jonathan Swindall, Subject Area Manager for Visual Arts in Practice, said: “The students have all worked really hard to put their end of year shows together and we are extremely proud of the progress they have made.

“As our Production Arts Technical students are also doing the set design, we are appealing to the community to lend us a few props to help make every part of their productions spectacular and reflect all the work they have been putting into these shows.”

All props need to be available for the students to collect by Friday 11 May, and will be returned safely to their owners week commencing Monday 21 May.

Could anyone who is happy to lend props to the students please contact jonathan.swindall@weston.ac.uk or peter.tyler@weston.ac.uk

Weston College is providing staff with the opportunity to boost their digital skills.

The new ‘Digital Advocate’ programme is a part of Weston College’s digital vision – to create an environment in which learners can use real-world technologies to create, collaborate and share.

Staff will be recognised as Digital Advocates, and will help to identify opportunities for further digital enhancement, as well as share new practices.

Digital Advocates will form a cross-College group, supported by the College’s dedicated Learning Technologists. The network of Digital Advocates will share new digital developments, approaches and form a community of good practice.

The College works closely with Microsoft, and Digital Advocates will have access to a range of resources, support and certification, including Microsoft Certified Educator.

Liam Fisher, the College’s Learning Technology Manager, said: “This is a really exciting new programme, and one which is sure to enhance the learners experience at the College.

“We believe that developing digital skills and practices in our staff and learners is the key to unlocking the potential for technology to transform our teaching and learning.”