On Tuesday 23 January 2024, our Design Faculty took Year 10 pupils studying GCSE Art and GCSE Textiles to London in order to expand their horizons and inspire them. Although they shared a coach to travel, the two subjects separated upon arrival to visit different institutions, sharing their experiences on the return journey.

GCSE Art Trip
by Mr Armshaw

Thirty four Year 10 GCSE Art pupils and three members of staff spent a day in January sampling two of the capital’s best art galleries.

By 10am we were filing into the wonderful National Portrait Gallery, just off Trafalgar Square, to see the superb permanent collection and the Taylor Wesley Photo Portrait Prize, which did not disappoint. The latter was a beautifully printed collection of images of people from all over the world - intimate, moving, humorous and full of humanity. The gallery's building is worth a mention too - great spaces, materials and detailing. The visit was a real pleasure and our pupils responded positively to the experience.

At midday we made our way past the tourist sights of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, along the banks of the Thames to Tate Britain at Millbank. We had entry to the Women in Revolt! exhibition, a wide-ranging exploration of feminist art by over 100 women artists working in the UK. It shines a spotlight on how networks of women used radical ideas and rebellious methods to make an invaluable contribution to British culture. Their art helped fuel the women’s liberation movement during a period of significant social, economic and political change. Our pupils used their time wisely, slowing down to take in the visual language of each work they chose to observe, many of them attempting drawings of details or taking photos of the artwork with their phones. We had a good two hours to explore, which wasn’t nearly enough time to take in all that was on offer, but neither were we rushed, and it certainly made for a memorable afternoon.

"I really enjoyed walking around the galleries and seeing how differently the artists expressed themselves." Evelyn 

I would like to thank Miss Simpson and Mr Sanders for their good humour and professionalism in accompanying our pupils and, of course, a big thank you to the pupils themselves who, as well as having fun, treated the experience with respect.

GCSE Textiles Trip

12 Year 10 pupils studying GCSE Textiles and 2 members of staff had the privilege of spending a day at the V&A South Kensington, which holds the national collection of textiles and fashion.

The objective of this visit to London was wider than their current 'Journeys' textiles project - it was to inspire our young people! They were able to explore the museum, visiting the free exhibitions and permanent collections, and were asked to look at objects from different eras and find their favourites. One pupil said "It was a brilliant trip and certainly a day to remember! All the artwork was very inspiring and wonderful to see. I am so glad I experienced this." 

The museum is home to thousands of objects from around the world spanning more than 5,000 years, and whilst one can view a wealth of objects in the V&A online collections, nothing beats being able to see things in person.

The current Re:Imagining Musicals exhibition celebrates the glitter and glam of musical theatre. Whether Eliza Doolittle's beaded gown designed by Cecil Beaton and worn by Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady, the diamond-studded outfit sported by Satine in Moulin Rouge!, Catherine of Aragon's  glitzy gold costume from SIX, or any other items, there was something to inspire and educate in each of these pieces of musical history.

Our young people were able to take inspiration from the vast collections of jewellery, fashion, fabrics, ceramics and so much more: "It was a wonderful day, seeing lots of inspiring pieces of art"; "We saw fantastic pieces of history"; "The musical theatre costume designs were very eye-opening and inspired me to think out of the box." Mrs Hobson commented "It was a great trip and our pupils were really well-behaved."