OPENING NIGHT | DANCE AND DRAMA SHOWCASE | FILM FESTIVAL 2023

OPENING NIGHT EXHIBITION

Dudley Artsfest incorporates an art exhibition, a dedicated website and a packed schedule of live events – all showcasing the fabulous work of our students here at Dudley College. The festival takes place over several Dudley College sites, including Evolve, Dudley Sixth, Enhance and our Inspired campus in Brierley Hill.

Our Artsfest opening night on Monday, 12th June 2023, was a resounding success, with students, staff and their families and friends all braving the warm temperatures (and torrential rain shortly afterwards!) to enjoy the occasion. On the night, we were also joined by the Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Andrea Goddard and renowned local artists and photographers, including Andy Kruczek and Anand Chhabra.

Simon Muttitt, department manager for visual and performing arts at Dudley College, says: “I’d just like to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone involved who ensured this year’s Artsfest was such a resounding success. We’ve had some fantastic feedback from SLT and the Mayor as well as parents. A lot of hard work has gone into making this exhibition happen, but it’s been brilliant to celebrate our students’ success and see Artsfest return to being such a bustling, vibrant event after the pandemic in recent years.”

Also there on the opening night was Tourism and Health and Beauty tutor, Aimee Garratt, who set up the baby-loss awareness charity, Ronnie & Friends, after losing her beloved son in June 2022. During the past year, Dudley College has supported her cause in a wide number of ways, including the baby-loss awareness book created by our photography students and tutors and promoted during the Artsfest opening exhibition.

Here are some photos from the opening night – we hope everyone who came had a great time!

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DANCE AND DRAMA SHOWCASE 2023

The BTEC Level 3 dancers gave an excellent performance of different pieces from the work they have created throughout the 22/23 academic year for ArtsFest this year.

ArtsFest provided a fantastic opportunity for the dancers to perform various dance styles, such as commercial jazz, salsa, contemporary, jive and traditional jazz.

Many of these styles are explored on our BTEC Dance courses, so if you would like to know more about the course and opportunities offered at Dudley College, you can check these out here

Here are some photos from what was an incredibly varied and thrilling performance during this year’s Dudley Artsfest!

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FILM FESTIVAL 2023

This year’s Dudley College Film Festival was held on Wednesday, 14th June 2023 and was a huge success for everyone involved. Staff and students all dressed for this red carpet occasion (despite the sweltering temperatures on the night) and took their seats in Evolve Theatre to enjoy the show.

The event, hosted by curriculum leader for visual arts and digital at Dudley College, Sian Taylor, along with media tutors, Stuart McConnell and Sean Dunn, featured a wide range of fantastic films created by our students, with the winners in their respective categories announced on the night. These were:

Level 3 Documentary – Flynn Hobley

Level 3 Animation – Khriss Cun

Level 3 Music Video – Emily Parkes

Level 3 Short Film – Nyall Fairclough-Mcintosh

Level 2 Horror Trailer – Amber Aston

Level 2 Short Film – Daniel Shirley

Level 2 Still Image – Libby-Lee Myring

Best in Festival – Natasha Darby

During the evening, selected learners were also presented with their Journey of Success awards to celebrate their outstanding progress while studying with us. You can see a full list of all our Journey of Success winners here.

Thanks to everyone who worked hard behind the scenes to help make this event such a great night…and well done to all our students for another fantastic film festival – we can’t wait to see what you create next year!