Each year, we carefully select students from our courses to receive a ‘Journey of Success’ award for their outstanding achievements during their time with us. Here are their stories…
L3 Animation: Joshua Aldred
L3 Ext Dip Music Technology: Jake Arnold
L3 Y2 Art and Design Group B: Eden Beaven
Extended Production Arts: Ffion Bessey
L3 Ext Dip Art and Design B: Lisa Bullows
Level 2 Art and Design Skills: Ashley Colley
L1 Diploma Art and Design: Bradley Colley
L3 Music Performance Year 2: Hannah Contes
L3 Ext Dip Performing Arts (Acting): Abigail Dingley
A-Level Textile Design: Zoe Flavell
L3 Ext Dip Computer Games Design: Adam Fletcher
Entry 3 Ext Cert Art and Design: Amelia Grainger
L4 Prof Dip in Performance: Beth Hall
L1 Vocational (Music): Charles Harrison
A-Level Photography: Daisy Hill
BTEC L3 Diploma in Photography Yr2: Jack Hinton
L2 Dip Creative Media Skills B: Flynn Hobley
Level 2 Diploma Performing Arts : Amy Kitson
L2 Music: Shay McGinn
L3 Ext Dip Fashion and Textiles: Navdeep Najran
Art and Design Level 2: Megan Parker
L3 Ext Film and TV Production: Joe Potter
A-Level Graphic Communication: Will Powell
L3 Ext Dip Performing Arts (Dance): Sharni-Rose Sanders-Bunce
Art and Design Level 2: Hasibah Sarfraz
L1 Voc Dip Creative Industries: Louis Simcox
A-Level Product Design: Caitlin Siviter
L3 Ext Dip Graphic Design: Tiana Szalajda Smith
L2 Dip Creative Media Skills: Alex Smith
L3 Ext Dip Art and Design A: Kian Smith
A-Level Fine Art: Abby Staniland
L4 Professional Diploma in Performance: Dan Stiffel
L4 Arts Practice: Diana Waldron
Creative Media Production: Ed Wragg
The Andy Perks Award
Andy worked for Dudley College for over 30 years and was an integral part of the Art and Design department. He is passionate about learners , especially those who have worked hard to overcome challenges. After dedicating so much of this life to art and education, Andy is now enjoying his retirement working in his studio creating beautiful sculptures. This award is to honor the dedication that Andy has shown over 30 years at Dudley College.
My creative independent project is focused on fashion photography. In my work I have shown modern garments made by the fashion students and I am collaborating with them for my final 6 images. Also, the garments are based of environmental issues such as weather patterns, so I have tried to link them by taking some of my images outside. By the end of this project, I want to be able to achieve some creative photos that outline some environmental issues and showcase the fashion students work. I also want to be able to create a time lapse of photos to show the working stages.
For my creative independent project, I decided to work in a commercial context, choosing to promote analogue watches. Research shows that young people are not wearing wrist watches but rely on the phones that tell the time. It’s more commercial based than artistic. I used different products like shower gel and glass bottles to experiment with. I attempted action shots including dropping the shower gel into water and trying to capture the moment where it splashes. For the watches I mainly used a dark background and soft lighting. The metal of the watch reflects some light and gave a sharp edge to the product.
My independent project is called ‘Challenging Society’s Pressures’ and explores the struggles women must go through in everyday life and the stereotypes men and women face. I tried to break the stereotypes of modern society through my photography. I also tried to explore the things women are expected to do to fit into the patriarchal society we live in. My project also looks at topics like body image, stereotypes for both genders and feminism. I want to show how all women are different, yet we are all brought together by feminism and issues regarding how women are treated and seen in society. My project aims to bring women together and educate people on feminism but to also go against society’s gender standards. I also did this to show that it’s ok to go against standards and it’s normal not to have the ‘ideal body type’.
I decided to do this project to show how people suffer with mental health. I wanted to do this using a colourful approach rather than a dark, monotoned one, so I’ve achieved this by painting with light and using coloured gels over lights. By using a colourful approach, I hope it will catch more people’s attention and raise awareness of how mental health is often pushed off to one side. I am happy with the photos I have taken and I hope they convey the message that a lot more people go through mental health problems than you initially realise. Basically, what I’m trying to get across is this: Be kind to everyone because you never know what someone is going through.
“Are you a man or a mouse?” Three quarters of all suicides in the UK are men and it is the most prevalent death of men under 30. I feel that our modern post-industrialist era has perhaps affected men’s place in society, but despite this, stigma and pressures have been maintained. My images attempt to explore these issues and make you think, raising awareness and encouraging understanding in an aim to save lives and give people a voice after centuries of being silenced. Suicide statistics outnumber all war and crime statistics combined, so this is something we must address.
