News

‘Ball’room Blitz

July 3rd, 2009

National Diploma in Dance – Student of the Year Award

Congratulations go to Shanay Ball, pictured here with Angela Mann, Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts and Media Studies. Shanay  has been studying at Wirral Met for three years, initially at level 2 on the 1st Diploma in Dance and has just completed the National Diploma in Dance.  She will be moving onto the Higher National Diploma in Dance at Liverpool Community College in September.

Shanay has been awarded the ‘National Diploma in Dance Student of the Year Award’. This award is in memory of Emma New a past student who sadly passed away and is awarded to the student who brings enthusiasm, commitment and embraces all aspects of the course, is a team player and is helpful towards others in the group.

Well done Shanay and good luck in your future studies.

Young Apprentices Celebrate Achievement

July 2nd, 2009

Congratulations to Young Apprentices from Year 11 who have completed a two year programme.  Students apprentices from year 1 and year 2 attended Conway park on Monday 29th June to receive certificates in recognition of their attendance and participation on the programme. Part of the course involves completion of a BTEC first diploma in either construction or health and social care, along with 10 weeks work experience in their chosen industry over two years.

Pictured above (left to right); Curriculum Leader for Construction, Malcolm McGinn with students, Ryan Adams, Josh Martin, Liam Singh, Claire Griffths and (front) Oliver Diggory.

Pictured below (left to right); Health & Social Care Lecturer, Janie Richards with students, Jade McKay, Gemma Fowell, Sarah Jones, and Health & Social Care Lecturer, Pauline Fitzgerald.

Successful Open Day at Carlett Park to Celebrate VQ Day

June 25th, 2009

Visitors to Carlett Park campus enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in the summer sunshine. While enjoying a BBQ and refreshments, visitors were able to wander round the campus and find out about College life and sample some of the fun activities that can be enjoyed as part of courses at the College. The sunshine provided a perfect backdrop to a fun and exciting event. Over 1,300 people were invited, together with their parents or guardians, to enjoy the College’s hospitality and spend some time chatting to staff and students about their future and the courses available to them.

A live band entertained the crowds while dancers from Performing Arts gave a stunning dance performance. In the spirit of National Vocational qualification Day, adventurous students grasped the chance to take part in a High Ropes challenge, highlighting that taking on challenges and succeeding is what it’s all about.

Millions of people will gain vocational qualifications this coming year, joining the many successful students from Wirral Met who have achieved vocational qualifications in many different career areas. Who knows it could be you next year.

‘Mapping the West’

June 24th, 2009

The BA Fine Art Utah Trip was a two week international collaborative artists’ book project between Wirral Met BA Fine Art department and the Fine Art Department at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA. At the end of April ten of our students, accompanied by tutor Paul Bearman and myself (Michelle Rowley) flew to Salt Lake City to take part in this joint project.

This exciting collaboration began as a brief conversation between myself and BYU’s Painting Professor, Joseph Ostraff when we met at the ‘scissorspaperstone’ artists’ book fair in London in 2008, where we were both showing our artist’s books.

Over the past year we kept up a dialogue to work through the practicalities of setting up a collaborative relationship and to develop a project strategy for a shared book arts / printmaking master class which would result in an exhibition of the art works we would jointly produce. On our first day at BYU we introduced ourselves to their staff and students with some presentations on Merseyside’s culture and environment and another on our individual art practices. Over the first week we were treated to demonstrations on Lithography and Letterpress printing and I delivered a special Book Arts master class to the whole group of 35 participants.

We set off the very next day on a three day campout in the canyon lands of Southern Utah. Travelling through this desert region gave us the opportunity to gather visual research materials which informed our artists’ book ideas. Wewere totally knocked out by the landscapeswe visited and had a fantastic time and the group bonded together really well through all our challenges.

On our return to campus our books were produced in an intense four day period of franticmaking in time for the planned exhibition at BYU’s excellent art faculty gallery on the 7th May 2009. The opening night was a great success with lots of visitors and the show looked stunning. All the students, fromboth institutions, worked very hard on this project and we were given the most incredible support by BYU staff in order to make this such a
successful event. I would also like to add that WMC were instrumental in encouraging, and supporting,me to develop this relationship with Brigham Young University and this has now proved to be a firmand continuing link.

WMC will be reciprocating the exhibition of the ‘Mapping the West’ by hosting the show at theWilliamson Art Gallery in September of 2009.

By Michelle Rowley, Art Department.

For more details about the project see our blog:
http://www.a-n.co.uk/degrees_unedited/projects/single/523609
More of our books can also be seen on: www.movingfeast.co.uk

Email: michelle.rowley@wmc.ac.uk

VQ Day 24 June 2009

June 24th, 2009

24TH JUNE 2009 has been denoted Vocational Qualification Day, and since Wirral Metropolitan College has over 16,000 students every year who achieve vocational qualifications there is much to celebrate on Wirral.

These qualifications focus on the assessment of practical skills and knowledge and lead to opportunities for you to develop your skills in a whole range of new and exciting careers.

If you want to develop your potential and make the most of your career chances and choices, get in touch with Wirral Met College and see one of our Student Advisers, who are based at our Conway Park Campus throughout the Summer, to help you succeed!

Millions of people will gain a vocational qualification this year that will be the stepping stone to a brighter future, be that further vocational study, University, a better job or enhanced skills.

Join us in our celebration of our learners’ achievements – WHO KNOWS IT COULD BE YOU THIS TIME NEXT YEAR!

Read the rest of this entry »