Each year, our photography and graphics students work with Dudley Zoo on a variety of exciting projects aimed at raising awareness of animal welfare and conservation.
This focus of this year’s project was carnivores, with many students making regular trips to the zoo to photograph the animals and learn more about them and their eating habits. Not only is this a good chance to put their knowledge of camera techniques to the test (as animals can be notoriously difficult to photograph) , it’s also a great opportunity to get closer to wildlife in a way that can’t be achieved simply by watching nature documentaries online or on TV.
Below is a gallery of some of our students’ amazing images – we hope you enjoy.
On Monday 13th March 2024, a combination of Photography, Art, Graphic Design, Production Arts, Music and Tourism students, along with the members of staff and the Students Union, took on the challenge of climbing Scafell Pike, despite challenging weather conditions.
Accompanying the group on the day was former Dudley Mayor Steve Waltho. As an experienced climber, he helped the group of 30 reach 1,500 ft from the foot of the mountain.
As the weather took a turn for the worst, achieving this height was even more impressive and a great reflection of the resolve and enthusiasm of our staff and students.
The hike was in support of the College’s nominated charities, Ronnie & Friends and Black Country Mental Health, for which students and staff raised an incredible £1,500 with photography student, Louis Simcox, raising more than £300 through his own efforts.
At last year’s Dudley Holocaust Memorial event, we were commissioned by Lord Ian Austin to explore the life stories of the current refugees and migrants who have sought sanctuary and safety in our community of Dudley.
This project, which included photographs, video interviews and paintings, culminated in an exhibition at Dudley Archives in February this year which celebrated the resilience, diversity, inclusion, togetherness and community of our local refugees.
Dudley College Photography students worked with local art photographer, Anand Chhabra, to produce a compelling set of images, while our technician/artist, Chris Davies, made some wonderful paintings to complement the students’ work.
Our TV and film students also conducted interviews with the refugees featured in our exhibition to explore their individual stories and investigate more deeply their sense of feeling supported and welcomed by the community of Dudley.
Thanks to the Dudley Archives, we also researched some fascinating historical refugees who had made Dudley their home in the past and contributed to society in often very interesting cultural, artistic and scientific ways.
Thanks to all the wonderful people and especially to the refugees who worked with us on the project, many of whom are English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students here at Dudley College. It was an amazing and often humbling experience to meet people from Ukraine, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, Uganda and lots of other places and learn more about their culture, experiences and traditions.
The opening night of our exhibition at Dudley Archives in February was a huge success, with more than 100 visitors who came to see the work on display, talk to the refugees and watch the interviews conducted by our students. It was also featured in local newspaper, the Express and Star.
Chris Davies’ portrait of one particular refugee, Mansoor, was also featured in this year’s highly-acclaimed RBSA Portrait Prize exhibition, which was on show at the society’s gallery in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, recently.
Phil Brooks, photography course tutor Maddison Wellsbury, 2nd year photography student Miah Bryan, 2nd year photography student
Watch the Refugee Project film created by media students at Dudley College of Technology
Dudley College of Technology hosted our 2023 Film Festival on Wednesday, 14th June. The festival showcased shortlisted student work for horror productions, final projects, animation, short film, documentary and still images. Winners of the categories were given awards based on the technical quality of their work along with scriptwriting, creativity and working to professional standards. The work showcased in the festival was as usual of a high standard. The college is very proud of what all students studying Creative Media have achieved this year. Check out the winners in each category below!
During investigations into a theme for my FMP I was drawn to and fascinated by all the different light sources around me such as LED lights and glow in the dark materials. This led me to look at the works of artists who used light in their work such as Cristoforo Scorpiniti, Dan Flavin and Adela Andea as well as fashion designer Hussein Chalayan.
Andea incorporates ropes and fibres in spherical forms that light up and create an unusual glow and brightness which I loved, whereas Chalayan has managed to successfully play with small LED lights incorporated within his garments that are able to shine and project linear lights when switched on in the dark.
For my own work I wanted to investigate how I could work with the idea of light and colour in my fashion work. I investigated a range of fashion designers and artists who used colour and light in their work as well as looking at alternative ways to create abstract designs and silhouettes.
By exploring different sketchbook work and playing with other silhouettes I was able to take the best ideas forward into 3D shapes. I initially tried these on the mini mannequin and then to a large-scale wearable garment through trials in pattern cutting and construction techniques.
Dudley College of Technology hosted their 2022 Film Festival in June. The festival showcased shortlisted student work for horror productions, final projects, animation, short film and documentary. Winners of the categories were given awards based on the technical quality of their work along with scriptwriting, creativity and working to professional standards. The work showcased in the festival was as usual of a high standard. The college is very proud of what all students studying Creative Media have achieved this year.
LEVEL 3 ANIMATION
Emily Bourne – Angel’s Paradise
Connor Broadley – The Stickman’s Escape
Aaron White – Inner Demons
Mia Hickman-Wright – Sleepless Night
LEVEL 3 DOCUMENTARY
Elizabeth Allcroft – Documentary
Rhys Atkinson – VPower in my Blood
William Bayliss – Street Art
Elijah Campbell – Be Your Koi Fish
Kacey Howell – The Rise of TikTok
Aman Kang – Runitup
Mia O’Farrell – Science Behind Music
Kyle Salmon – Believe Christianity v Atheism
LEVEL 3 MUSIC VIDEO
Alannah and Sabrina – Somewhere Only We Know (Lily Allen)
My project focuses on architecture specifically different types of columns. I wanted to show the differences between each style and the buildings that these can be found on. I did this through experiments both by hand and digitally.
My project explores the idea of decay, more specifically how an aesthetic of decay and deterioration can be achieved through different kinds of media and techniques. I also explored decay in its many forms; mouldy fruit and vegetables to dried out flowers and leaves. From the beginning to end, the project developed from simply using charcoal, all the way to printing etching plates and using water colour paint on top of tracing paper.
The British Art Show is a landmark touring exhibition that celebrates the vitality of recent art made in Britain. Organised every five years by Hayward Gallery Touring the exhibition brings the work of artists defining new directions in contemporary art to four cities across the UK.
British Art Show 9 was developed at a precarious moment in Britain’s history that has brought politics of identity and nation, concerns of social, racial and environmental justice, and questions of agency to the centre of public consciousness. The artists presented in the exhibition respond in critical ways to this complex context; imagining more hopeful futures and exploring new modes of resistance.
BAS9 is curated by Irene Aristizábal and Hammad Nasar, and presented in collaboration with the cities of Aberdeen, Wolverhampton, Manchester and Plymouth.
We applied to work with an artist as part of the British artshow 9 opportunities available to local schools and colleges. We were one of 5 that worked with the multimedia artist Sophie Huckfield. Our brief was to create a story around the word ‘work’. The students investigated the word and what it meant to them. There were discussions on paid work, volunteer work and work that we do for a family member because we care. From this the students created the ‘tree of care’
