Art and fashion designs inspired by architecture are on display at an exhibition of work by students at City and Islington College (CANDI) this month.
The exhibition is being held at Resource for London, a charity offering community space at its building on Holloway Road, near the college’s Centre for Business, Arts and Technology.
The exhibition features a colourful array of vibrant 2D and 3D artwork created by Art and Design students including drawings, paintings, prints, models, fabric designs and digital animations.
It also includes a collection of shirts designed and produced by Fashion and Textiles students in collaboration with Menage Modern Vintage, which sells pre-owned designer clothes and accessories.
Both Art and Design and Fashion Design students visited London’s Square Mile to get inspiration from various types of architecture before exploring different materials and techniques in class.
Fashion and Textiles student Berfin Sunna, 17, said: “My shirt was inspired by The Shard and how the top of the building points, so I made the collars sharp.
“I was really pleased with how it turned out. It was identical my design. It’s been nice to see my drawing brought to life. I put it on Instagram and have had a lot of nice comments.
“My interest in fashion started at secondary school. I’ve always been very creative and been drawing fashion illustrations since I was a young. I enjoy coming into college every day.
“We design garments, make samples and learn different skills and techniques like sewing, pattern cutting and quilting. The teachers are always by your side if you need help. I enjoy it a lot.”
Menage Modern Vintage donated surplus secondhand and vintage stock including a box of Savile Row shirts to CANDI as part of a wider project to encourage recycling and sustainable fashion.
The finished designs were then modelled by the students and photographed by professional photographer Isla Mathieson before being displayed at the exhibition.
Read more about the project on Menage Modern Vintage’s blog here.
Marie Bradley, Head of School for Creative Arts and Media, said: “We have some wonderfully gifted and talented students at CANDI who have produced some outstanding work this year. Each brush stroke, line drawn and thread sewn is a reflection of their passion and creativity.
“The exhibition has been a fantastic opportunity to showcase their work to the wider community.”
Find out more and apply for Art, Design and Fashion courses here.
Sector Insight Event at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday 28 February from 11am to 2pm
Capital City College Group (CCCG) has teamed up with LIFT and Arsenal in the Community to give people the chance to find out how they can boost their career prospects.
Jobseekers can learn more about gaining skills at CCCG’s Mayor of London Academy Hubs at a Sector Insight Event at Emirates Stadium on 28 February from 11am to 2pm.
Last year CCCG successfully bid to run four Academy Hubs specialising in the Creative, Digital, Hospitality and Green industries, to support the capital’s economic recovery from COVID.
The event will give people the chance to gain an insight into careers in these sectors and training opportunities available through the Academy Hubs and CCCG’s industry partners.
Attendees will be able to apply for live vacancies on the day, visit employer stands, take part in workshops and get help and advice to improve their employability skills.
They will also have the chance to sign up to follow-up sessions to get more information on specific jobs and courses along with further advice from employers at Arsenal Community Hub in March.
The Academy Hubs aim to support adults hardest hit by the pandemic including those from diverse ethnic backgrounds, those with SEND, carers and other underrepresented groups.
Find out more about CCCG’s Mayor of London Academy Hubs and other Skills Academies here.
LIFT is a programme across Camden, Hackney, Islington and Tower Hamlets that aims to help people into tech, digital, creative and science careers, and support businesses in these sectors.
Places at the Sector Insight Event must be booked in advance on Eventbrite here.
Stands and Sessions at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday 28 February
Creative
Digital
Green
Hospitality
Partners
Camera Skills with Middlesex University
Coding Games with 01Founders
Jobs in the Green Industry
Making Mocktails
Promotional Stall of Opportunities with LIFT
Be a Graphic Designer
What is User Experience (UX)?
Green Quiz
Coffee Beans Competition
London Square – Building Modular Kits
Media Make-up and SFX
Get The Best Out of Linkedin
Green Courses and Jobs
Breakout Job Coaching Booth
Islington Adult Community Services – Courses
Video Editing and VFX
Digital Jobs and Employer Q&A
Employability information
Make Hospitality Work For You
iWork – Employment Support
Film London – Equal Access Network
Breakout Job Coaching Booth
One-to-One Job Support
A World of Opportunities
Sector Employer Stands
Follow-up Sessions at Arsenal Community Hub in March (exact dates and times TBC)
Week Commencing
Creative
Digital
Green
Hospitality
6 March
Production Crew – Lighting and Electrics
What are the Digital Skills in Demand?
An Introduction to Green Skills Industries
Imperial London Hotels
13 March
Production Accountant
CV and Interview Tips
Introduction to Building Envelopes
The Ivy Group
20 March
Games, Animation and VFX
Learning How to Code
Level 3 Certificate in Domestic Energy Assessment
Greene King
27 March
Set Decorator, Designer, Costume and Make-up
Morgan Hunt – Jobs, Tips and Advice
Level 3 Award in Electrical Vehicle Charging Point Installation
InterContinental Hotels Group
Find out more information and to apply for all our courses and apprenticeships here.
Anna Formela’s talent as a professional make-up artist, face and body painter has seen her work on everything from children’s parties to music videos.
Her artistic flair has seen her create many spectacular colourful and vibrant designs on themes of animals, sci-fi, beauty and horror to more avant-garde and abstract imagery.
Anna, 38, who is from Poland, successfully completed a Hair and Media Make-up Level 2 Diploma at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) in July.
Prior to studying at the college, she had already established her own face-painting and make-up business but admitted it was not a career that she had considered while at school.
She gained a BA (Hons) Public Healthcare and later learnt English in Liverpool before taking part in exchange programmes to New York and Belgium either side of an MA Pedagogy in Poland
“I saw a face-painter at an children’s party in Brussels. She was working with all the colours and making everyone happy. I thought this is such an amazing job, I want to do this job,” said Anna.
Anna returned to the UK and took a one-day course with a face-painting and body art business based in Hackney to increase her product and health and safety knowledge.
“I volunteered to do some face-painting for school fairs. I began to get more and more bookings for kids’ parties, office parties – it just started rolling from there. I always had a job on the side, but there came a point when I thought this is what I want to do full time.”
Anna took a business class and began networking and promoting her work on social media. Through this and word of mouth she went on to gain work for corporate events, festivals, theatres, short films and music videos. She also began teaching her skills.
“When I paint something on someone’s face or body and they look in the mirror and they smile, it’s priceless. I’m getting paid for being creative and making people happy. I’m literally painting a smile on people faces. Even if you’ve turn them into a zombie, they still smile,” she said.
Anna explained it was her love of working with people that turned her attention to make-up rather than working as a lone artist in a studio.
“I think I’ve always liked to paint on something different to paper. I remember my mum being upset when I was a child because I liked to draw on walls and different surfaces,” she said.
“When you paint in a in an art studio, usually it’s just you. It’s the human aspect of what I do and having a living, breathing canvas that gives me the biggest satisfaction.
“I cannot teach creativity, but I can teach techniques. Like everything in life, if you practice enough you’re going to do much better,” said Anna.
Work dried up during the COVID pandemic, but Anna continued teaching online while gaining financial help from a government scheme to provide income support for the self-employed.
She decided to enrol at CONEL to further develop her own skills, particularly in classical make-up and hair, which she had no experience or a recognised qualification in.
“I found there was the potential for more bookings if I was able to do 60s and 20s hair and make-up, and I wanted to add that to my services. The class was very diverse, so we were able to learn from each other and practise on different ages and skin colours,” said Anna.
“My teacher had worked in the industry and was always giving us tips. For example, if you want to work in theatre, then you also need to know about wigs; or during demonstrations she might say, ‘That’s good eyeliner but the foundation is a little off.’”
Anna, who is neurodiverse, also praised her teachers and staff at CONEL for the extra help they gave her with written assignments during her studies.
While at college, Anna came first in the Student Character category of Warpaint Paintopia Makeup Competition 2022 at the United Makeup Artists Expo in Liverpool for her version of the Marvel comic character She-Hulk.
She said: “I went into the competition just wanting to add another piece to my portfolio, and was very surprised to win because I’m the kind of person who is never satisfied with my art.”
Anna’s achievements earned her an Excellence Award from Capital City College Group, which includes CONEL along with City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway College and Capital City College Training.
Find out more about Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy courses and apply here.
Competitive computer gaming, known as esports, is one of the fastest growing sports globally. At the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) we run esports courses and an Esports Enrichment Programme at our Enfield Centre. Here, our newly appointed esports coach Finlay Stewart shares his passion for gaming and how it can help students’ education.
Tell us about your esports journey.
I graduated from university in 2015 and went straight into esports. Since then, I’ve worked many different jobs in the industry from sales executive to managing and coaching teams. I’ve worked as an esports coach for the past seven years with some of the best players and teams from around the globe and also at grassroots level. I’m very excited about our project here at CONEL.
What was your first game console and the first game you played?
I had a Nintendo Game Boy when I was around six years old. My first game was Pokémon Yellow – a classic! Soon after that I got into PlayStation and PC gaming.
What do you enjoy most about playing esports?
I enjoy the social aspect. Playing videogames is great fun on your own but even better with friends or family, especially when you’re all working together towards a goal. These days I rarely play online games on my own.
Tell us about the Esports Enrichment Programme at CONEL.
The Esports Enrichment Programme brings gamers together to play, train and have fun. At the college’s Enfield centre, students have access to 20 powerful gaming rigs and compete against gamers from other schools and colleges in the British Esports Student Champs competition each week. Games include Valorant, League of Legends, FIFA and Rocket League. For the past three years the college team, CONEL Cyphers, have been consistently placed in the top four teams in the country.
What skills can you gain playing esports that will benefit your education and career?
Playing in an esports team teaches you many things. First off, it develops your leadership and teamworking skills. It also improves your hand-eye coordination, ability to multitask and your IT, communication and problem-solving skills, to name just a few.
How do you coach someone to be a better gamer?
The way to coach people to be better gamers is the same way you would teach or coach them to do anything really. You find their current level and from there identify their strengths and weaknesses. Teach them to focus on their strengths and work on minimising where they are weak. Show them what they are doing wrong and give them additional areas to work on. The get them to watch back their mistakes and analyse them.
Is gaming still very much a male domain?
It depends on the game in question. Different games have different demographics. For example, mobile gaming is pretty much 50-50 between male and females. Console and PC games are still very male dominated, but some games like Valorant have a huge female player base.
Tell us about the esports courses available at CONEL!
CONEL offers one and two-year esports diploma courses at Level 2 and Level 3, the equivalent of three A Levels, endorsed by the British Esports Association. The courses cover streaming games, tournaments, event planning, game design, video production, coaching and entrepreneurship.
What job opportunities are out there if you become a competent gamer?
The esports industry is expanding at a huge rate and there are many different jobs and roles within the industry. On professional teams you have the pro-players, managers, analysts and coaches, but there are also backroom roles in marketing, sales, HR, merchandising, IT and media.
What do you think of the decision not to include esports in the Commonwealth Games?
It’s disappointing as it had the potential to really raise the profile of esports. I’d like to see it recognised in the Olympic or Commonwealth Games as an actual medal sport. Like any other supports it requires skill, training and commitment to be the best.
What are the side effects of too much gaming and how do you prevent them?
Too much excess of anything is never good. In gaming it can lead to back, neck and wrist problems. The other issues such as headaches are more short term and easier to fix. In general, just don’t overdo it. Take breaks, drink lots of water and eat healthily.
What is a healthy amount of time to spend gaming each week?
I wouldn’t say that there’s a hard limit to the amount of time you spend gaming as long as you are able to meet all your other commitments, get a good eight hours’ sleep, eat well and stay healthy. When it starts to take precedence over everything else, I’d say that’s when it becomes an issue.
What is your best advice on how to become a top esports player?
Play the game. Watch professional players and learn from what they do. At the end of the day, it just comes down to playing more and having the right attitude. Look at your own mistakes and don’t make excuses or blame others. And enrol at CONEL of course!
Find out more about esports courses at CONEL here.
On Wednesday 21 September, Capital City College Group (CCCG) and Central District Alliance (CDA) came together to celebrate the launch of the Mayor of London Academy Hubs in the Digital and Hospitality industries. The Hubs are a key part of the Mayor’s Academy Hub programme – a £44 million initiative to support the capital’s recovery from the pandemic.
They were joined by London’s Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills, Jules Pipe, and employer partners who are working with the Group and CDA to deliver the Academy Hubs’ work.
Supporting Londoners into work for the first time or into higher paid and more secure work – especially from under-represented groups such as minority ethnic communities, women and disabled people – is a key priority for London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan. The Digital and Hospitality Hubs will work with employers to train Londoners for work in those industries, helping them meet their staffing and recruitment challenges.
Having strong Digital and Hospitality sectors will be critical to London’s recovery. For example, the hospitality industry employs around 400,000 people in London, but the lack of suitable and trained staff means there are too many vacancies which is costing the sector billions in lost revenue.
CDA is the Business Improvement District for Holborn and Clerkenwell. Its footprint, which spans Holborn and Clerkenwell, is also home to a world-leading tech cluster, including household names such as Google, TikTok, Snapchat and LinkedIn. These employers – alongside hundreds of others in the CDA district and across the city – can provide a range of jobs and career opportunities for Londoners and so CCCG, working collaboratively with CDA, will establish partnerships to facilitate these new roles.
However, 210,000 people are currently unemployed in London and a further 1,080,000 adults – some 21.7% of the working age population – are economically inactive. So, the Academy Hubs’ role will be to unlock the valuable contribution that businesses can bring and enable more socially-excluded Londoners to gain employment.
As Jules Pipe explained at the event: “The inequalities that were already present in London were laid bare by the pandemic. Over 750,000 working people in London are still paid less than the London Living Wage and more than a quarter of Londoners are living in poverty once their housing costs are taken into account.
“We’re committed to using the skills funding that we have at our disposal to support Londoners – particularly the most disadvantaged and those most impacted by the pandemic – to acquire the skills they need to progress in life and get into good work.
“I’d like to congratulate all the partners for the leadership shown by the CDA and Capital City College Group for making this possible.”
Also speaking at the event, Alexander Jan, Chair of Central District Alliance (CDA) said: “We want to ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth, which means delivering skills and employment opportunities for our communities.
“We need some big ideas and collective action, and we very much believe that connecting and encouraging people back into the labour market and to help people who are looking for work gain the skills they need to do so, is at the heart of that approach.
“We and our members are delighted to be working with Capital City College Group, to help provide long-term unemployed people with opportunities to gain good quality jobs and helping them gain the skills they need to do so.”
Westminster Kingsway College is part of Capital City College Group and already runs a wide range of courses in the hospitality and digital sectors. The Group is therefore ideally placed to support even more Londoners into these exciting industries. To illustrate the transformative effect that skills training can have, current and former students from the college also spoke at the event about their experiences.
She said: “My teachers at Westminster Kingsway College helped me with advice and boosted my confidence. I worked at events and did internships at four different restaurants to gain experience and at the end of my course, I won the overall best student award. My mum was so proud of me!”
The college also exposes students to industries that they will be working in when they have qualified – helping them gain contacts and eventually secure good quality work.
Student in Hospitality Archie Smitton said: “Working at events with the college helps me get contacts in the industry and work out where in the industry I want to work.
“Last year I did work experience in a Peruvian restaurant in Green Park and a modern English restaurant in Soho and later this year I’m going to Lisbon for two weeks’ work experience. I’m really looking forward to learning a different language and working in a different country.”
The Hubs have already started work – holding taster sessions and introductory courses hosted by industry experts. These have been in, for example, culinary skills, coding for women, digital marketing, cyber security and user experience (UX) design.
In addition, the Digital Hub will be running internship programmes which will come with additional support including employability training, ongoing support, advice, and guidance on getting the most out of the programme, as well as support for interns to build their network and prepare for their next steps.
And the Hospitality Hub is working with Westminster TalentServe (Westminster City Council’s new recruitment service for its hospitality and leisure businesses) to provide all the training to people who are referred to the service.
Westminster Kingsway College student Bella Morley hopes to become the biggest star in fashion to come out of Croydon since supermodel Kate Moss.
The aspiring designer travels from her home in south London to the college’s King’s Cross Centre every day, where she is studying for a Fashion and Textiles Level 3 Diploma.
Bella, 18, said: “I’ve always been very creative and interested in fashion from a young age. I really like the art and design aspect of it and the course at WestKing really appealed to me.”
Bella explained how one day she will be learning about textile design and printing, and the next she’ll be creating her own fashion collections and gaining the skills to make her own clothes.
“I enjoy fashion illustration and experimenting with different textiles and printing techniques to create imagery, learning different sewing techniques and using lots of different materials,” she said.
“I didn’t know any of these things before. I had an interest in it, but never really went into it in any depth. It was completely alien to me, but now it just comes naturally.”
Bella initially studied A Levels at sixth form but soon realised that she preferred the practical side of a more vocational course.
She said: “The course is more focused on what I want to do and more hands on. At school it’s more about learning by writing about it, but personally I find it easier to learn when I’m doing something.
“The facilities at the college are much better than other places I’ve been. You’re really free to use them as you like, which I’d not really experienced before. I like having that creative freedom.”
While at WestKing, Bella has joined in various activities including an art session at Central St Martins where she will be studying for a BA (Hons) Fashion Communication in September.
“The teaching has been really great. All of my teachers have been lovely and really helpful. I could call them on any day to get help with my work. There’s a lot of guidance and support to develop your ideas,” said Bella.
“I definitely want to do something in the fashion and design industry. I don’t think I could do anything else.”
If you have creative and artistic flair and like Bella maybe want to work in fashion, apply now for our Art, Design and Fashion courses here.
Students showcased their creative talents when they exhibited a “stunning and thought-provoking” collection of work at an Art, Design and Media Show at Westminster Kingsway College.
The show featuring students’ final year project work filled the atrium of the college’s King’s Cross Centre and attracted viewings from creative professionals, teachers, staff, parents and students.
It featured a collection of paintings, drawings, textiles, sculptures, photographs and digital designs created by Art and Design, Fashion and Textiles, Creative Media Production and Animation and Games Design students.
Art and Design students’ work included designs and illustrations for books, vinyl record covers and product packaging. There were also character drawings, paintings and sculptures made of wood and plastic and other materials including some created using 3D printing.
Fashion and Textiles students exhibited various colourful fabric prints and garments alongside the materials they used to make them and photographs of students wearing the finished outfits.
Animation and Games Design students gave demonstrations and displayed large prints of screenshots of many of the games they had created, while Creative Media Production students displayed digitally manipulated prints and sculptures including some that incorporated video.
Grace Jackson, Head of School for Creative, Digital Media and Arts, said: “After many tribulations of multiple lockdowns it is great to see the students stunning and thought-provoking work on display at the college.
“The exhibition really shows their dedication. They have each shown to their creative specialism and the breadth of their knowledge and skills they have gained while studying at WestKing, from traditional methods to modern digital techniques.
“It was amazing to have a celebration of the students and their fantastic work with their friends, family and industry professionals. I am so proud of every one of them and I wish them all the best in the next step of their journey.”
Explore your artistic and creative side and express yourself at WestKing this September.
Apply now for Art, Design and Fashion courses here and Digital Media and Creative Computing courses here.
A student with autism at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) has shared his excitement at getting a place at university this September.
Chinwoke Edeh, 24, from Tottenham, has an offer to study a Foundation Degree in Media at Middlesex University when he completes his Creative Media Production Level 3 Diploma.
He said: “I’m really excited to be going to university and looking forward to the foundation course in media. It will give me even more independence and improve me as a person as well. I’m very proud of myself and happy with the progress I’m making towards my future career.”
Chinwoke experiences daily challenges with language and communication, literacy and numeracy, but has made huge progress and grown significantly in confidence since he started at CONEL in 2017.
“Sometimes when I’m asked to do things for the first time, I have to write it down step-by-step in order, so I get the hang of doing it. The college has really helped me complete the tasks to the best of my ability,” he said.
Chinwoke has completed Media diplomas at Levels 1-2, having previously been part of the college’s Supported Learning provision for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). During this time, he also studied English and maths courses to help him gain independence and work skills.
“I’ve always been very creative, firstly with pictures and then I got interested how to use Adobe. I like it because you get to express yourself and bring out your ideas and personality,” he said.
“The teaching I have had at college has been excellent. The teachers were really supportive and helped me with any areas I needed to improve. They were always around when I needed them.”
Over the past two years Chinwoke has been supported by Additional Learning Support Assistant Sandra Fox, who is also neurodivergent with dyspraxia and dyslexia.
She said: “Since I’ve been working with Chinwoke, he’s excelled to the extent he is now at Level 3 and done amazingly well at college to get a place at university.
“He will still need help, but each year he’s been moving away from support and working more independently. To go from SEND to mainstream is incredible. It’s been a remarkable journey and I’m so proud of him, but most importantly he is proud of himself.”
Tamara Lesniewska, Curriculum Manager for Creative and Digital Media, was also in awe of Chinwoke’s accomplishments during his time at CONEL.
She said: “Chinwoke is a really wonderful student to teach. I’m immensely proud of him and the high standard and quality of work he has produced at college. What he has achieved from when he started to where he is now with a university offer, is nothing short of fantastic.”
CONEL is committed to providing adjustments to ensure that everyone can succeed with us. If you, or your or your child, has a learning disability, we will provide an exceptional learning experience, understand that your needs are unique andl provide support that is most appropriate for you.
Find out more about CONEL’s Supported Learning provision here and how to apply for Creative Media Production courses here.
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