city times autumn 2014

12
City College students on our Trades4Aid project, which enables young people from Brighton and Hove to travel to Africa to work on construction projects, recently experienced a life-changing trip to Tanzania. The eight students, who are on Pathways courses aimed at improving their vocational and employability skills, spent a week in the remote village of Wasso renovating school rooms which were in an advanced state of disrepair. During their visit to the country, the students also experienced the excitement of going on safari, seeing the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater and playing football with Maasai tribesmen. “The welcome we got from Wasso villagers was unbelievable,” says Lisa Beresford, Pathways tutor. “We were amazed to see councillors, teachers, local dignitaries and Wasso’s oldest man, who founded the village, all turning out to celebrate our arrival with gifts and dancing. We were all incredibly moved by the gratitude and warmth we were shown.” City College joined forces with The Fonthill Foundation educational charity, led by Andrew Goodall (Brunswick Developments), for the trip. The Foundation generously contributed to the funding of the College’s trip, with the students covering most of the cost themselves through various fund-raising projects. “The Fonthill Foundation has been working with teachers, officials and villagers in Wasso to make a sustainable difference to the lives and education of school children in this remote area,” says Andrew. “We’re delighted that the Pathways students were able to travel to help in our latest building project. They worked very hard with great results which were appreciated by the villagers and I am sure they’ve also gained personal long-lasting benefits from their achievements.” Winter 2014 P.7 City Business l P.10 City Arts l P.11 City Sports www.ccb.ac.uk Tel: 01273 667788 Keep up-to-date with College News, follow us @CityColl or Like us on City times INSIDE For more information on Pathways courses at City College, call 01273 667759, email [email protected] or see www.ccb.ac.uk COLLEGE STUDENTS HAVE TRIP OF A LIFETIME IN TANZANIA The Prince’s Trust ‘outstanding’ P.2 Youth in Action award winners P.3 BTEC Adult Learning of the Year P.4 Students help ‘beat the blues’ P.6 Launch of new bobble hat range P.8 Dance masterclass for students P.10 College partners Grace Eyre P.11 Boxer beats national champ P.12

Upload: city-college-brighton-and-hove

Post on 06-Apr-2016

222 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

 

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: City Times Autumn 2014

City College students on our Trades4Aid project, which enables young people from Brighton and Hove to travel to Africa to work on construction projects, recently experienced a life-changing trip to Tanzania. The eight students, who are on Pathways courses aimed at improving their vocational and employability skills, spent a week in the remote village of Wasso renovating school rooms which were in an advanced state of disrepair. During their visit to the country, the students also experienced the excitement of going on safari, seeing the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater and playing football with Maasai tribesmen.

“The welcome we got from Wasso villagers was unbelievable,” says Lisa Beresford, Pathways tutor. “We were amazed to see councillors, teachers, local dignitaries and Wasso’s oldest man, who founded the village, all turning out

to celebrate our arrival with gifts and dancing. We were all incredibly moved by the gratitude and warmth we were shown.”

City College joined forces with The Fonthill Foundation educational charity, led by Andrew Goodall (Brunswick Developments), for the trip. The Foundation generously contributed to the funding of the College’s trip, with the students covering most of the cost themselves through various fund-raising projects.

“The Fonthill Foundation has been working with teachers, officials and villagers in Wasso to make a sustainable difference to

the lives and education of school children in this remote area,” says Andrew. “We’re delighted that the Pathways students were able to travel to help in our latest building project. They worked very hard with great results which were appreciated by the villagers and I am sure they’ve also gained personal long-lasting benefits from their achievements.”

Winter 2014

P.7 City Business l P.10 City Arts l P.11 City Sports www.ccb.ac.ukTel: 01273 667788Keep up-to-date with College News, follow us @CityColl or Like us on

City timesIN

SIDE

For more information on Pathways courses at City College, call 01273 667759, email [email protected] or see www.ccb.ac.uk

COLLEGE STUDENTS HAVE TRIP OF A LIFETIME IN TANZANIA

The Prince’s Trust ‘outstanding’ P.2Youth in Action award winners P.3 BTEC Adult Learning of the Year P.4Students help ‘beat the blues’ P.6

Launch of new bobble hat range P.8Dance masterclass for students P.10College partners Grace Eyre P.11Boxer beats national champ P.12

Page 2: City Times Autumn 2014

2 www.ccb.ac.uk

Four ‘outstanding’ years of The Prince’s Trust Our Prince’s Trust Team programme has recently been graded as ‘outstanding’ by The Trust in their Annual Quality Review. This autumn also marks four years of The Prince’s Trust at the College and, during that time, the energy, enthusiasm and commitment of the college’s dedicated team has seen almost 700 young people across Sussex complete the programme. The Prince’s Trust Team programme is a 12-week personal development course for 16-25 year olds which helps unemployed young people gain the skills and confidence to find a job. Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, training or education.

“The College stepped in to support The Prince’s Trust in 2010 and it’s gone on to become one of our biggest success stories,” says Vice Principal Rebecca Conroy. “We’ve established Prince’s Trust Team programmes in Shoreham, Hove, Brighton and East Brighton and provided courses for hundreds of young people. I’m so proud of our Prince’s Trust graduates, so many of whom have turned their lives around, gained new confidence, energy and drive and become a force to be reckoned with.”

For more information on Prince’s Trust Team programmes at City College, call 07552 446724 or simply text the word TEAM and your name to that number.

Welcome to the Winter edition of City Times, the magazine that brings you all the latest

news from City College, Brighton & Hove’s largest provider of vocational and professional training. As you’ll see from these pages, there is so much for the College to celebrate in regards to successful projects with community partners and students having their hard work and high achievement recognised with a range of awards. We remain so proud of our students past and present and were delighted to learn that so many former students from 2012-13 have secured work as a direct result of their courses. Throughout this edition of City Times, there are stories of former students who have gone on to find success in their careers both as employees and entrepreneurs. A key focus for the College at the moment is forging stronger links with these former students in ways that benefit alumni and current students alike. With this in mind, we have launched our City Friends & Alumni group which is also open to our many friends and partners in the local community. Please see www.alumni.ccb.ac.uk or email [email protected] if you’d like to find out more. I hope you enjoy City Times and if you have any comments, suggestions or feature ideas, our editor would be delighted to hear from you.

Lynn Thackway PRINCIPAL & CHIEF EXECUTIVE

College NewsEditorial

City Times is produced by the City College Marketing Department.

If you have any feedback about this publication please contact Brian Bell on 01273 667788 Ext. 488 or email [email protected]

About City Times

“I’m so proud of

our Prince’s Trust

graduates”

Rebecca ConroyVice Principal

Page 3: City Times Autumn 2014

www.ccb.ac.uk

Vana O’Brien, a former bricklaying student who was named as the College’s overall City Achiever 2014 in our annual student awards ceremony, has achieved a national accolade for her building skills. At a ceremony held at the House of Commons Terrace in Westminster, Vana was named joint runner-up in the Youthbuild UK Young Builder of the Year Awards. The Awards, now in its 15th year, celebrate the achievements of young people, who despite having to overcome a range of barriers have succeeded in training for and or gaining employment in the construction industry.

In 2012, Vana was homeless during the first six months of her Level 2 Bricklaying course at the College and she had many barriers to accessing education which initially affected her attendance. Despite this difficult start and the fact that she was the only female on her course, Vana persevered, and linked up with College services to secure housing at The Foyer and to build a support network. She has excelled in the last year, passing GCSE Maths, the CSCS Health & Safety test and gaining a Level 3 qualification in bricklaying. Throughout this time, Vana also worked on behalf of others, firstly as a course rep and then as a student councillor. Since leaving the College, she has found employment with Sussex building firm, Marston Renovations.

“The College is delighted for Vana and we’re so proud of her success,” says Principal Lynn Thackway. “She made a lasting impression on

many staff and students at College through her positive attitude and determination to succeed. While she was at College, she made a huge contribution to helping others, through her work on the Student Council, organising events for students or charity fund raising. She’s truly inspirational and a well-deserving winner of this award.”

3

Double success at Youth in Action awardsThere was double success with two accolades being awarded to our students at The Argus’s Youth in Action Education awards, which recognise the best pupils, teachers, staff and schools across Sussex. Over 300 people gathered at the American Express Community Stadium for the event, with 51 nominees shortlisted in 17 different categories from scores of submissions.

The Against All Odds Award went to inspirational Acting student Jesse Cooper, who has Cerebral Palsy that affects his hands and legs. When he first started at City College Jesse was only able to walk with crutches, and missed a lot of school. He took on a diploma in acting training, despite his mobility and balance issues and the fact he wasn’t physically able to write. However, Jesse kept pushing himself and at the end of his first year he took a very full role in Steven Berkoff’s The Trial - a demanding piece of physical theatre using mime skills. Jesse shone in the role and received distinctions, both for his performance and movement.

‘The confidence and physical strength he gained in his first year he has taken into the second. He is now working fluently as a physical actor,’ says Acting Team Leader Andrew Hoggarth. ‘His limitations in movement are no longer limitations, they are his unique strengths.’ Jesse has now progressed to study Theatre at Chichester University.The Pupil of the Year Award was won by Motor Vehicle student Anthony Booth, who was quite shy and reserved when he first started at City College. His previous struggles at school had seriously knocked his confidence. His tutor at City College, Phil Hill, believes that Anthony is a star pupil and inspiration to his peers and tutors, describing him as ‘a shining example of how life-changing further education colleges can be for young people.’ Anthony’s natural flair for motor mechanics has led to him being approached by Formula One team McLaren, which is interested in taking him on as a trainee mechanic.

College News

Former student scoops national ‘Young Builder of the Year’ runner-up award

For more information on apprenticeships with City College, call 01273 667788 x 617 or email [email protected]

Vana O’Brien with Youthbuild UK President, Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP

Page 4: City Times Autumn 2014

www.ccb.ac.uk4

College News

Chefs awarded coveted places in exclusive Academy Two of our talented young chefs have been awarded places in the Exclusive Chefs’ Academy, a two-year, life-changing training programme from Exclusive Hotels and Venues which launched recently after a three-month selection process. Following a huge amount of interest from talented chefs, George Martin and Jacqui Drynan were among the 13 chefs who succeeded in securing a place on the prestigious programme.

The successful candidates undertook a series of processes to secure their place, including completing a rigorous online application form, two skills tests and an onsite assessment day, before Exclusive Hotels and Venues’ Executive Chef Andy Mackenzie and his panel of judges reached their decision. Each of the chefs will have

the opportunity to learn from Exclusive’s award-winning chefs including two-Michelin-star Head Chef Michael Wignall at The Latymer at Pennyhill Park in Surrey, one-Michelin-star Executive Chef Richard Davies at The Bybrook at The Manor House, Castle Combe, and current MasterChef The Professionals winner, Steven Edwards, who is Head Chef at The Camellia in South Lodge near Horsham.

Catering tutor Allan Paul says: ‘George and Jaqui were really committed students who made the most of the opportunities we gave them to refine their culinary skills, so its fantastic to see them progress onto this exciting programme.’

For more information on Catering courses at City College, call 01273 667788, email [email protected] or see www.ccb.ac.uk

National award for ‘inspirational’ Simon

Interactive Media student Simon Wilson has been named Outstanding BTEC Adult Learner of the Year at the National BTEC Awards. The ceremony was held in recognition of the nearly one million students around the country who are studying BTEC qualifications this year. Pearson, which owns Edexcel, the awarding body for BTECs, received over 1000 nominations across the 20 award categories for this year’s awards.

Simon, who was nominated by his tutor Phil Jackson, was born with cerebral palsy and is not able to move or speak. He communicates though a speech programme and controls his computer via eye-gaze software. Despite all of this he holds a degree in Social Psychology and a GNVQ in Advanced Information Technology, and is currently studying for a BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Interactive Media at the College.

In 2007 Simon set up his own freelance business focusing on equality and independence for people with physical disabilities, and started his own website – simonsable.com – to provide training workshops and consultancy in disability awareness to others. Alongside his BTEC Simon also visits schools and colleges to work with children and young adults who use communication aids, encouraging them to feel comfortable and confident about using their communication.

‘I find Simon incredibly inspirational,’ says his tutor, Phil Jackson. ‘He sets his mind to doing something and just gets it done. I tell all my students you have to be pro-active; don’t wait for the opportunity to come to you, use your skills and get out there and make it happen yourself. That’s Simon all over, not letting things get in his way.’

Interested in a full time college course? Find out more... www.ccb.ac.uk

Page 5: City Times Autumn 2014

5www.ccb.ac.uk

High praise for College’s contribution to Waste House project The Brighton Waste House, the first permanent building in the UK to be constructed from waste, surplus material and discarded plastic, has reached completion recently, and the contribution of the College has been acclaimed as fundamental to its success. The University of Brighton provided the concept and site for the Waste House and the project, based at the University’s Faculty of Arts campus on Grand Parade, Brighton, was three months in production followed by 12 months on site. It involved the installation of discarded materials including 20,000 toothbrushes, two tonnes of denim jeans, 4000 DVD cases, 2000 floppy discs and 2000 used carpet tiles. The project was built by students from City College and the University’s Faculty of Arts, apprentices from Mears Group plus volunteers. In all, over 250 students helped on site.

“I can’t praise City College highly enough,” says the project’s architect, Duncan Baker-Brown. “The College’s teaching staff, students and apprentices have been totally committed right from the onset. When it comes to the day-to-day construction work across carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing and electrical installation, they’ve been there in all weathers providing the backbone to ensure that the project was a success. We simply couldn’t have built the Waste House without them.”

College News

Students praised by Council for awareness-raising films Film-making students have been praised by Brighton & Hove City Council for their series of short films aimed at raising awareness of local issues, including the recent transformation of The Level, mental health considerations and voter registration. The professional-quality films were commissioned by the Council in partnership with the College to provide the students with work experience, and to help the Council to communicate more effectively with the residents of Brighton and Hove.

“I was so impressed by the students” work,’ says Councillor Sue Shanks, Chair of the Children & Young People Committee. “The films are well thought through and excellently produced. I hope this project has given them a valuable insight into the workings of Local Government and will help kick-start their creative careers.”

“This project was a perfect opportunity for the students to not only develop their technical skills and creative ideas, but to also get hands-on experience of what it’s like to work to a professional brief, deal with real clients and respond to feedback,” says tutor, Dan Jubb. “They responded brilliantly to the challenge and dealt with the subject matter in really imaginative and original ways.”

The students’ film about The Level can be seen on the Council’s website and their films on mental health and voter registration are being featured in forthcoming Council awareness-raising campaigns.

AGED 16 - 25 & LOOKING FOR WORK?For more information, call 07552 446724 or text ‘TEAM’ and your name to this number.

Alternatively, email princestrustbrighton@

ccb.ac.uk or see www.ccb.ac.uk

Build the skills and confidence to get the job you want by taking part in the FREE Prince’s Trust TEAM programme

Page 6: City Times Autumn 2014

www.ccb.ac.uk6

College News

Public Services students meet Blind Veterans UK war hero Paul JacobsA group of 16 of our Public Services students were recently given a personal tour of the iconic Blind Veterans UK Brighton Centre in Ovingdean - previously known as St Dunstan’s - by young war hero Paul Jacobs. As well as a tour of the centre, which provides free services and life-long support to vision-impaired ex-service men and women, Paul gave the students a candid talk about his experiences as a soldier, having joined the army at 17 after a difficult childhood spent mainly in foster care in Brixton.

Serving as a member of 2nd Battalion The Rifles, Paul (25) was awarded the George Medal in March 2010 for “sheer courage and selflessness” in Afghanistan after being wounded when two home-made bombs exploded, killing two of his comrades. During the blast, Paul threw himself over the body of a colleague in an effort to protect him. He then dragged himself and his colleague onto a mine-free patch of ground so they could be retrieved. Paul was blinded and suffered serious injuries to his arm and leg during the blast and spent three weeks in a coma.

Following a period of rehabilitation Paul has since dedicated himself to charity fundraising, and has already raised thousands of pounds for fellow injured comrades by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, skydiving and taking part in marathons, triathlons and long-distance walking and cycling challenges. He was also the winner of a Pride of Britain award in 2011.

“It was rewarding for me to engage with these young people because, when I was at school at 16, I never had the encouragement of someone coming to talk about what I call the six services - army, navy, air force, ambulance, police and fire brigade,” says Paul. “I wanted the students to understand that the army transformed my

life for the better, because up until I joined I was getting into a lot of trouble and was definitely on the wrong path. I also think that, by telling them about the horrific side of war, showing my scars and making them aware that your world can turn upside down in a flash, I wasn’t sugar-coating it for them. I was very impressed by the students’ intelligence and curiosity, there weren’t any silly questions.”

“Paul gave the students a lot to think about, and it was clear that they were captivated by what he had to say,” says Kieran Allen, City College’s Public Services Curriculum Leader. “The way he’s overcome adversity and remained so driven and positive about his future is inspirational. Meeting him, and gaining an insight into his life and experiences, has also really developed their awareness of the important work of Blind Veterans UK in the context of their studies around citizenship and diversity.”

Students help Sussex pensioners ‘Beat the Blues’ Community spirited Beauty Therapy students recently volunteered to help out at ‘Beat the Blues’, an event in Burgess Hill organised by the charity Mid Sussex Older People’s Council (MSOPC). MSOPC is an independent organisation representing older people and the aim of the event was to offer pensioners a boost by promoting a range of local activities they can get involved in, while the students provided free manicures and pedicures along with make-up and massage treatments.

“This was a fantastic event for our students to get involved in,” says Beauty Therapy tutor, Amanda Willett. “They built up a lovely rapport with the pensioners so it was a perfect showcase for both their interpersonal and practical skills. These kind of events provide them with excellent hands-on experience that’ll help them in their future careers.”

Page 7: City Times Autumn 2014

7www.ccb.ac.uk

Microsoft boost for College games supremo A former Games Design student has won a place on Microsoft’s exclusive accelerator programme, Microsoft Ventures. Isaac Howie-Brewerton (22) is now Creative Director of games company Pixel Blimp, one of only 12 companies to be selected to take part in a 14-week immersive accelerator programme in London - which could result in an opportunity to pitch to top venture capitalists and investors.

To win its place Pixel Blimp had to go through a competitive application process, which consisted of an application submission followed by a two-day event for the shortlisted teams, who had 10 minutes to pitch to a panel of experts, as well as attending workshops and talks. “This opportunity means an exciting new chapter for our company, because it’s given us the resources and tools to upscale our development and deliver larger, better products than was previously achievable,” says Isaac. “The access to established industry veterans as mentors is allowing us to gain insight into the industry that we wouldn’t otherwise get.”

While at the College Isaac was given a solid grounding in games design, learning disciplines such as art direction, design, programming and production. He says: “My course was pivotal to my success, thanks to the skills I was taught and the exposure I got to the local games industry. Best of all was the quality of teaching and way our tutors were so engaged with our work, constantly pushing us to develop our own skills as well as providing information on all aspects of games development. The course leader Paul Grant was one of the most supportive and encouraging mentors I’ve ever had; it was his guidance and commitment that persuaded me to progress to university with the intention of forming a team that would create its own products.”

Pixel Blimp specialises in innovative games for children and is comprised of recent graduates from Abertay University. The team has already scooped multiple awards including a TIGA award for Best Student Game UK, a prize in the Microsoft Beautiful Games competition and the UK Microsoft Imagine Cup for Best Game.

Music biz career success for former studentHaving completed a Music Production Foundation Degree at the College Gareth Halsall is forging a successful career in the music industry, with internationally-renowned Brighton-based company Loopmasters (a sound design label which is also an online store for music composers, producers and DJs). 25-year-old Gareth originally came into contact with the company on the work experience module on his course, and has now impressed them so much that he has been promoted to manager of Loopmasters’ sister business, Plugin Boutique.

“The last couple of years have been quite crazy,” says Gareth. “We’ve had to integrate ourselves into a very established market and really learn how this sector of the music industry works.

“It’s my job to keep our 50-plus commercial software manufacturers happy, and make sure Plugin Boutique continues to be an integral part of their distribution channels. These are things I would never have thought I’d be doing before I went to City College.

“I’ve also been lucky enough to work within a relatively small company which is at the top of its game, with individuals who are constantly teaching me new things.”

City Business Student success in the world of work and entrepreneurship

For more information on apprenticeships with City College, call 01273 667788 x 617 or email [email protected]

Thinking of taking on anapprentice? Find out more...

Page 8: City Times Autumn 2014

www.ccb.ac.uk8

City Business Student success in the world of work and entrepreneurship

Simon takes over as head chef at Preston Park Tavern Former catering student Simon Duncan has become franchisee/head chef of the Preston Park Tavern’s kitchen at the age of just 24, having been head-hunted by the pub’s general manager, Ben Murray. He has taken charge of six staff serving around 500 customers a week. Previously, at just 21, Simon was made head chef of highly-rated Kemp Town restaurant Sam’s of Brighton, and had three successful years in that role before deciding to accept this new challenge. The Preston Park Tavern has gone from strength to strength since its refurbishment in March this year, with its popularity exceeding its general manager’s expectations.

“I’d worked with Simon when he was only 18 and I could see he was in a different class to young chefs I’d encountered before,” says Ben. “So, when I took over as general manager at the Preston Park Tavern, I immediately thought Simon would be the ideal person to run our kitchens. I knew that his attention to detail, understanding of flavours and commitment to using the best ingredients would appeal to our customers.

“I’m delighted with the direction the pub is going in and see Simon as being key to our success in the future.”

“Becoming a franchisee/head chef has been a massive challenge - completely different to working for someone else,’ says Simon. “As well as being head chef, you’re taking on a lot of added responsibilities such as managing and paying your staff, organising supplies and dealing with accounts.

“Working in industry has been a rapid learning curve but I’ll always give City College a lot of credit when it comes to my work ethic. I found that I was able to reach a level of maturity at the College because there’s mutual respect between the students and the staff.”

Since taking on his new role at the Preston Park Tavern Simon has employed two other former City College Catering students, Stuart Teague and Blake Chrysantho, as commis chef and sous chef respectively.

Former students launch hip new bobble hat range Two former students, Jo Hawkins and Anna Dugard, have teamed up to launch Kubixl, a hip new range of colourful unisex bobble hats with unique interchangeable pompoms. The hats, designed by Jo and Anna, are made in the UK from a premium cotton blend yarn and branded with an embossed leather badge. They are then topped with an individually hand-made pompom, and hand-finished by the team personally.

With an initial collection consisting of seven distinctive designs in place, the team ran a successful Kickstarter funding campaign, raising £3000 to help cover manufacturing costs and fund marketing and promotional events in the run up to Christmas. Kubixl has already received pledges from the UK, Europe, Asia and USA and attracted interest from customers and larger buyers interested in stocking the product.

“We want to keep people warm with our cosy hats, and add a splash of colour to winter wardrobes,” says Jo. “Having lived in Brighton all our lives we wanted to reflect the style and individuality of our fellow Brightonians through our designs.”

“I’ve always loved art and design and taught myself how to knit in my teens”, says Anna. “My degree in Product Design at Sussex Uni really helped me focus on what makes a successful brand, but having City College adult learning courses available to me has also been integral to launching our company. As well as being on a dressmaking course I studied Dreamweaver, which has been invaluable while we’ve been developing our company website.”

www.kubixl.com

Page 9: City Times Autumn 2014

9www.ccb.ac.uk

City Friends & Alumni Life after City College

Persistent Peril Sam Bourner and Ginny Jones met while studying multimedia and graphic design at City College from 1999 to 2001. They’ve since gone on to launch the successful Brighton-based animation and illustration studio Persistent Peril, which numbers The Barbican, Proctor & Gamble and Shakespeare’s Globe amongst its clients. “We started the company in 2011 and it took a while to get our name out there and for the pitches to start coming our way,” says Sam. “In our first year, I still needed to work part-time, and Ginny and her husband Garth, who is the third co-director, would freelance to keep the work coming in and help build relationships with other local animation studios. Collaboration is uniquely strong in Brighton which is a real bonus for small studios like ours.”

Although over a decade has passed since they studied at City College, the skills Sam and Ginny learnt have stayed with them. “We learnt a huge amount at the College that we still use in our day-to-day work,” says Ginny. “This ranges from small things like the structuring of files, to the more general approach to projects, deadlines and schedules. We work with a lot of freelancers, and our basic project management skills and love of collaborating stems from our time at the College. While at City College, we’d often make films in teams ranging from two to seven people, and collaborate on live broadcasts which we streamed in the College. On individual assignments and projects, the course also really encouraged self-motivation. If you wanted to make the most of the classes you really loved, it was up to you how much extra time you put in. I remember making a hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation for my final project, which was a huge task!”

For Sam, his college peers often proved to be as influential as his tutors. “With the range of ages and backgrounds of other students, the creative input and feedback from them was incredibly useful.

Persistent Peril’s ‘top tips’ for current students• Make the most of college and keep in touch when you go

your separate ways

• Enjoy it, especially when studying hands-on creative courses - the chances that you’ll have the same sort of freedom to work so openly and freely in the future are pretty small!

• Make sure your creative work is online for people to see

• The likelihood is you’ll end up working for nothing at some point. So, if possible, try to do internships or work on personal projects - the more projects and experience you can build up the better

• Make the most of any opportunity that may come your way - it could lead to something unexpected

Working with so many creative enthusiastic people was a real thrill, and something we’ll never forget. After school, being treated as equals by our tutors was also something really refreshing. In particular, our main tutor Chris Piper was a big influence and we really appreciate everything he did for us.”

Looking to the future, Sam is very upbeat about Persistent Peril. “Seeing our work go live is still a thrill. We’ve loved making our music promos and without them, I doubt the company would have progressed as much as we have. Watching the hit count go up on our Leisure Society video Fight for Everything was a big highlight for us. Working with my oldest friend is a privilege not many have, and working with people you know and love is an incredibly rewarding experience.”

To find out more about our exciting new ‘City

Friends & Alumni’ group aimed at building links

between the College and its former students, see

www.alumni.ccb.ac.uk

Page 10: City Times Autumn 2014

10 www.ccb.ac.uk

City Arts News from City College’s Creative Community

Hip-hop stars from hit stage show ‘The Five and the Prophecy of Prana’ visited the College recently, to give dance students a hip-hop dance masterclass. Xena Gusthart and Lindon Barr, of award-winning dance company Boy Blue Entertainment, led the students through a series of urban dance styles that they’ve featured in their live performances. Xena has worked internationally in music videos and Bollywood movies and as a dancer for Kylie Minogue and Kelly Rowland, while Lindon was a featured dancer at the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony and has worked for Mariah Carey, Coldplay and Take That. Xena says: “The students were amazing; really energetic, focused, keen to learn and really talented too - overall, a pleasure to teach.” “The workshop was inspiring and introduced us to lots of new urban styles and we had to respond quickly to what we were being taught, which felt like getting a taste of being in the industry,” says student Zoe Hatch. “I’ve seen Xena and Lindon perform live and was blown away by how good the show was, so we felt really lucky that they took time out to come to the College and share their knowledge and skills with us.”

Hip-hop dance company gives masterclass to students

Interested in dance courses? Find out more... www.ccb.ac.uk

Get Creative this JanuaryWant to explore your creativity and develop new skills in the New Year? City College has a range of part-time courses starting in January covering drawing skills, photography, jewellery making, web design, creative writing and much more.

You’ll benefit from the facilities and teaching support of Brighton & Hove’s largest provider of vocational and professional training, with courses designed to bring creative subjects alive.

For more information, contact 01273 667712 or email [email protected]

Page 11: City Times Autumn 2014

11www.ccb.ac.uk

City Sports Sporting success at City College

Funding boost for Sport at City College Students at City College are getting better opportunities to get involved in sport, thanks to £52,260 of National Lottery investment from Sport England’s Further Education Activation Fund.

The College is one of 58 projects at further education and sixth form colleges across England to benefit from £4 m funding to help get 54,000 new students playing sport.

City College has established an excellent reputation for sport in recent years, with its football team being Sussex Schools FA County Cup Winners three times in the last five years and its Boxing Academy producing regional and national champions. “This funding provides a remarkable opportunity for City College, as we can now ensure that more students will participate regularly, creating a positive and healthier learning environment,” says Kirstie Hickson, the College’s Further Education Sports Coordinator.

Student volunteer success at Grace Eyre The College has formed a successful partnership with the Grace Eyre Foundation, the local charity that helps people with learning disabilities to gain independence, obtain housing, find employment and join in with activities. The partnership provides volunteering opportunities for students that enable them to achieve a Higher Sports Leaders Award qualification as well as generally proving highly beneficial to the both the charity and the young volunteers involved.

Public Services student Jack Birch, for example, now helps run regular lunchtime table tennis coaching sessions at Grace Eyre’s Montifiore Road centre every Tuesday and Thursday. “Jack came on board with us at the beginning of the year and was very positive from the outset,” says Jon Hart, Grace Eyre’s Sports Development Project Manager. “We got him involved in the table tennis club and he was really useful and built up a positive rapport with the participants straight away. After completing the volunteering hours required to get his qualification, he continued to attend the sessions and support the club which was fantastic. Since then, we’ve worked with Jack to find him employment and by putting him through a Level 1 table tennis qualification, he’ll soon be earning through his involvement in the lunchtime clubs. Jack has also applied to become a relief member of staff in our day centre which again is fantastic for us and Jack.”

Interested in sports courses? Find out more... www.ccb.ac.uk

Page 12: City Times Autumn 2014

www.ccb.ac.ukTel: 01273 667788

City Sports Excellence in Football, Boxing, Rugby & Golf

City DiaryThursday 6th November 2014 Business and Professional Open Evening Central Campus, Pelham Street, 5pm - 7pm

Thursday 27th November 2014 Business and Professional Open Evening Central Campus, Pelham Street, 5pm - 7pm

Thursday 4th December 2014 Business and Professional Open Evening Central Campus, Pelham Street, 5pm - 7pm

Thursday 6th January 2015 Business and Professional Open Evening Central Campus, Pelham Street, 5pm - 7pm

College boxer Charlie beats national champRising Brighton & Hove Boxing Club star and City College AASE Boxing Academy student Charlie Wise recently pulled off his best win to date at Rye Town Amateur Boxing Club’s showcase event at Rye Sports Centre. Charlie was up against last year’s national champion, Michael Chalk, and was very much the underdog against the considerably taller southpaw boxer. However, constant pressure combined with a high work-rate and excellent front-foot boxing allowed Charlie to force the pace and take a points victory.

“I’m delighted for Charlie,” says Adam Haniver, the College’s AASE Boxing Academy coach. “He has a superb attitude to his training, already has a wealth of knowledge about the sport and has incredible dedication. His ability has been tested at the top national level now and with continued support, he’ll undoubtedly reach great heights. He’s always enthusiastic about training and wears a constant smile. Brighton and Hove Boxing Club have a real star in the making and we’re proud to have him here at the College.”

it’s arrivedour full-time 2015/16 prospectus is out now!order a copy or view online: www.ccb.ac.uk

Keep up-to-date with College News, follow us @CityColl or Like us on