The creativity and skill of students from our Art and Design, and Music Performance and Production courses were celebrated this week as they showcased their work and performances at two exciting End of Year events in Margate.
Art and Design | The Community Pharmacy Gallery
Art and Design students officially launched their End of Year Exhibition with a private view event at The Community Pharmacy Gallery, Margate, on Thursday evening. Featuring an impressive range of mediums, including painting, mixed media, animation, sculpture and textiles, the exhibition highlights the breadth of talent and technical skills developed throughout the academic year.
This year, the exhibition has expanded to feature work from both Level 2 and Level 3 students, creating even more opportunities for our emerging young artists to showcase their talents in a professional gallery environment.
By exhibiting alongside their peers, students gain valuable experience of presenting their work to a public audience, developing confidence in their creative practice and experiencing first-hand what it means to be part of a professional exhibition.
Art and Design lecturer, Tom, explained: “Artwork isn’t made to be hidden away in drawers, sketchbooks or folders, which so often happens during education. Seeing your work displayed in a gallery is a significant moment for any artist. It only feels complete when someone else experiences it and responds to it. Exhibiting work publicly gives students the opportunity to become artists in the truest sense – sharing their ideas with an audience.”
This year’s overarching theme, Contrast, encouraged students to explore opposing ideas, perspectives and visual approaches. From this starting point, each student developed their own individual concepts and creative responses, resulting in a highly varied and personal exhibition.
Some students, like Will who created a unique print influenced by foreign architecture, took direct inspiration from a College trip to Lisbon earlier in the year; whilst others took a more abstract approach, focusing on more conceptual themes, expressing ideas, emotions and perspectives.
Level 3 student Ruby shared: “I decided to create an animation because I wanted to explore movement, shape and transformation. The piece begins in one form and gradually evolves before returning to where it started, creating a continuous cycle.
“I liked the idea of contrasting shapes, colours and movement while creating something that felt familiar but abstract at the same time.”
The exhibition is open to the public, from 19-21 June, 10am-4pm daily.
We encourage everyone to head down and celebrate our students’ success and to see some fantastic pieces on display.
Music | Live sets at Olby’s Soul Café
On the same evening, Music students from both Level 2 and Level 3 courses took to the stage at Olby’s Soul Café for their End of Year Show.
Performing to an enthusiastic audience of family and friends, students delivered a memorable evening of live music featuring a mixture of well-loved covers and original compositions. The setlist spanned a wide range of genres and influences, from indie and acoustic performances to metal and reggae, demonstrating the versatility and creativity of the learners.
The showcase provided students with valuable live performance experience while celebrating the progress they have made throughout the year. Any donations from the evening will be going towards Nordoff & Robbins, a fantastic charity who deliver music therapy to vulnerable people across the UK.
Amongst those attending to celebrate and support the students was Tracey Sanford, Head of Department, who told us: “The End of Year Showcase is the culmination of our students’ learning across the year.
“Both the art exhibition and the music gig offer a fantastic opportunity to show parents, stakeholders and our local community the impressive skills developed on our creative programmes at EKC Broadstairs College. None of this would be possible without the dedication and hard work of our lecturers, who support and inspire our students every step of the way.”
Together, the two events highlighted the exceptional talent, passion and commitment of students across the Creative curriculum, providing them with a platform to share their work with the wider community and gain experience in professional environments.
Learn more about our Art and Design courses.
Learn more about our Music Performance and Production courses.
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