Students amalgamate for an amazing final show

A Level and vocational students from Shrewsbury Colleges Group have come together for their end-of-year Art and Design show following the decision to locate all art courses at the English Bridge Campus.

The campus has been taken over this week and filled with inspiring student work. Over ten different courses have displayed their work for Amalgamate, the Art and Design show of 2018. The rooms are filled with drawings, photographs, paintings, videos, designs, textiles and so much more. The show commenced with the private view on the evening of Friday June 15, when the vocational Fashion and Textiles students put on their annual show and turned the sports hall into Shrewsbury’s very own catwalk – with a decorative transformation that wouldn’t look out of place at London Fashion Week.

This integration of A Level and vocational arts provision is one of the exciting results from the merger between Shrewsbury Sixth Form College and Shrewsbury College. Shrewsbury Colleges Group have set out to create a Centre of Excellence for the Creative Arts & Design  and this has proved successful with a brilliant end-of-year exhibition that showcases all aspects of art.

James Staniforth, Chief Executive of Shrewsbury Colleges Group, said: “The Art and Design show is spectacular. The hard work that students have put in during their time with us is evident and they have bright futures ahead of them.

“The new arts facilities are providing our students, of all ages and abilities, the opportunity to strive for excellence and higher grades. Now all of our arts courses are being taught together, giving all our students the opportunity to mix and share ideas. The students have larger spaces with more natural light and we have invested in new equipment. It will add significant value to the town.”

Amalgamate will be open until June 22 and is already being well received by visitors; one happy visitor commented: “I was at the Royal Academy of Art’s Summer Exhibition and saw more in one room here than the whole of Burlington House! All I can say to the students is to keep up the good work.”

Fine Art A Level student Steven Scull, 19, from Ellesmere said: “I love studying Art at A Level; it is such an inclusive subject. It helps you to gain a more in depth understanding and see the story behind the art – there is no wrong or right answer. This is presented in the end-of-year show, which is a great final farewell.”

For your chance to see it head over to the English Bridge Campus in Abbey Foregate 9am-4pm and report to the reception desk.

For more information on A Levels, visit www.ssfc.ac.uk or call 01743 235491. For more information about vocational courses and Apprenticeships, visit www.shrewsbury.ac.uk or call 01743 342342.

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