News and events
We aim to keep you up-to-date with the very latest Weston College news and events. Take a look below at what's going on at the College!
Got news you want to share with us? Email marketing@weston.ac.uk
Got news you want to share with us? Email marketing@weston.ac.uk
Take a look at this powerful film made by the staff of Weston College to show how important it is for everyone from different backgrounds to be included. The film shares heartfelt stories and interviews with a diverse group of staff, showing how accepting different identities and backgrounds can make a big difference. Its purpose is to encourage viewers to think about their own biases and work towards making our community more welcoming to all. We invite everyone, regardless of their background, to join us and be a part of our journey toward a more inclusive future.
Our workplace champions the right of staff to embrace all Afro-hairstyles. We acknowledge that Afro-textured hair is an important part of our Black employees’ racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities, and requires specific styling for hair health and maintenance. We celebrate Afro-textured hair worn in all styles including, but not limited to, afros, locs, twists, braids, cornrows, fades, hair straightened through the application of heat or chemicals, weaves, wigs, headscarves, and wraps. In this workplace, we recognise and celebrate our colleagues’ identities. We are a community built on an ethos of equality and respect where hair texture and style have no bearing on an employee's ability to succeed.
Hidden messages, secret rooms and long-forgotten décor - as Weston College progresses in its refurbishment work, the mysteries of the Winter Gardens are gradually being revealed…
1 - Not many people know that the Winter Gardens has a basement, and far fewer people have had the chance to go inside it. When we began the structural repairs, we came across the dark and damp space which runs under the ballroom balcony.
2 - In a hidden corner of the ballroom a small, cast iron spiral staircase leads into a hidden room above...
3 - Accessible by a tight window in the Winter Garden’s roof is a small void inside the dome, which runs around the top of the ballroom.
1 - Inside the basement, past employees voiced their thoughts and feelings about the venue, politics, and even wrote epitaphs for former colleagues who had passed away.
2 - More humorous notes include directions to the visiting dancers at the venue…
When Midas Group stripped back the carpet on the balcony that runs around the ballroom, they found the remains of the original rubber flooring. The art-deco patterned floor was installed to reduce the echo in this part of the building. This was covered by carpet later in the 20th century.
While stripping out the remaining furniture, we found the original Champagne bowls from the building’s 1927 opening. The glasses are currently being held at the Town Hall before they are moved back to their permanent home in the Winter Gardens Pavilion when the refurbishment is complete.
The Winter Gardens will reopen to the public in September 2017, after extensive renovation and enhancement which will secure its status as a community asset for generations to come. The public will benefit from access to around half of the total site, including a restaurant and bar, a café, and – most importantly – the ballroom, which gives the building its iconic status.
Last week, school students from across the South West spent the day with us at Weston College for a taster of what it’s like to study Performing Arts, here at our very own Knightstone Campus.
The students spent the day learning dance routines and how to warm up your vocals just like the pros. They even got to watch our own students rehearse and practice for one of their upcoming shows – giving them the perfect opportunity to experience a typical rehearsal day.
The students from Priory and Clevedon, learnt multitudes of professional dance, breathing and vocal exercises and finished their workshop with a group performance of Billy Elliot’s, Electricity.
Ashleigh Garfield from Priory School said “I am 100% sure that I will do this course now. I can’t wait to come”.
If you’re still unsure of what courses you’d like to study at college, sign up to one of our taster days to get a first-hand experience of what they’re really like. Our next workshops are due to run on Tuesday and Wednesday of the February half-term, and are available in most subject areas.
Take a look at what we have to offer and sign up to our FREE workshops here: www.weston.ac.uk/tasters