Over the last few weeks, learners have been building skills in image composition. This week they have been learning about perspective photography, focusing mainly on adopting a variety of angles when taking photographs.

The transformation in these students is amazing – they have progressed from tentative engagement in weeks one and two, to throwing themselves right in and getting involved at every step, and you can see for yourself in the images above and below. Photography Trainer, Sally Montague, says “Our students have demonstrated creative flair when producing their own perspective photography. They put their skills to great use and produced some brilliant images.”

Students have also been working with Fashion and Textiles Trainer, Nabeel Hussain, creating their own fashion products. The boys were so engaged that they worked right through their lunch break, and managed to create a finished, high quality product in just one session!

Hybrid Arts currently have 20 European-funded places open to Year 9 students, through our partnership with North Warwickshire and Hinckley College; these are free to schools.

This intensive 12-week programme will support students in ICT, Design and Technology, Art and Design, Graphics and Music. The programme will be underpinned by self-esteem building, encouraging students to reach their potential in a mainstream setting.

The training has the potential to prepare the student to take up a Level 2 GCSE course in KS4.

]]> http://hybridarts.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=2731 0 http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2721 http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2721#comments Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:54:45 +0000 admin http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2721 Hybrid Arts currently have 20 European-funded places open to Year 9 students, through our partnership with North Warwickshire and Hinckley College; these are free to schools.

This intensive 12-week programme will support students in ICT, Design and Technology, Art and Design, Graphics and Music. The programme will be underpinned by self-esteem building, encouraging students to reach their potential in a mainstream setting.

Students will receive high quality training in a chosen specialism. The training has the potential to prepare the student to take up a Level 2 GCSE course in KS4.

The programme is designed to support young people who have creative flair, but who are not necessarily demonstrating a consistent level of engagement across their core curriculum.

Sally Montague, Trainer, says: “We have been providing introductions to the different creative qualifications on offer, at Foundation level. Our 20 learners will be working in a simulated industry environment, alongside mixed age groups – which is a great way of building confidence, maturity and self-esteem.”

This programme is now in its second week – so far the students have been exploring photography and graphics. Over the coming weeks they will experiment with fashion and textiles, interactive media, music technology and music performance.

Yet, we were daunted by the cost and logistics of having enough desks, chairs, cupboards and shelving to facilitate our needs. Then, Colin Jones – WCC Facilities Manager and Paul Jeffs – Asset Strategy in WCC’s Resources team came to our rescue. Together they have provided us with a range of second hand furniture, including shelves, chairs, desks and cabinets, and stationary.

This sustainable partnership working has proved invaluable as Hybrid Arts expands across two sites.

All of the items are now beautifully installed across both sites, and as a result our offices and studios are transformed. This makes our staff and students feel valued and efficient, and has upheld the atmosphere in Hybrid Arts as a chic creative industry and inspiring simulated work environment.

Paul Jeffs has said, “It’s great that these resources have found a good home and will be appreciated.”

Stella Carr, Director – Hybrid Arts, said “This is a perfect example of the outward looking partnership approach we are experiencing as the County Council appraises the way it works.”

We would like to thank Paul and Colin from Asset Strategy in Warwickshire County Council’s Resources team for their kind attention, keen eye and fast response in supporting us. This is sustainable partnership working in action.

In return for his support, we will be supporting Nabeel in setting up his own business, providing him with a studio space to work and sell from.

From this studio space, Nabeel will be making products in consultation with our clients, and will act as an outward face for the Hybrid Arts fashion & textiles enterprise. He has also been inspiring some of our young people to produce their own fashion and accessories.

It’s exciting to see the studio taking shape and we look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.

Malcolm told us he has been working on lighting the new Bond film – he can’t reveal any juicy details we’re afraid; other than that it took three months work to light ten seconds of footage…wow.

His other 2012 credits include The Dark Knight Rises, Total Recall and Snow White and The Huntsman.

Malcolm will be working with us on a new film project which we are putting forward to the First Light funding programme – if the project is successful he will be supporting us as a Visual Effects Supervisor, advising participants on lighting during post production.

Malcolm was still incredibly positive about his experience at Hybrid Arts – in fact he was back in town to catch up with friends he made with fellow Hybrid interns. “Making new friends and keeping in touch – this wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the Future Jobs Scheme and Hybrid Arts.”

Fashion and Textiles tutor, Catherine Makin, has been using this concept to demonstrate how we can change our own identity using clothes alone.

In last week’s session, the students decided on a look for each person and, as a group, chose individual items to put each new look together. Everyone really enjoyed dressing up and creating a new identity. You can see the amazing results for yourself, below.

]]> http://hybridarts.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=2616 0 http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2595 http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2595#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:56:44 +0000 admin http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2595 Danni joined Hybrid Arts in September 2011 as a Year 11 student from North Leamington School. She was reserved, finding it difficult to socialise with her peers, and it was clear this stemmed from insecurity and very low self-esteem.

Right from the outset, Danni showed real flair in Photography, and through this medium she started building an increasing confidence in herself to become a dynamic leader of the group, positively leading her peers to engage, and ultimately becoming a fantastic role model.

Danni expressed creative ideas through her photography and produced work that was to a high level. Her growing confidence allowed her to work with other students in different art forms in order to build her portfolio. On one occasion, Danni organised and conducted a fashion studio shoot and produced images close to industry standard. Below are some examples of this work.

As Danni reached the final weeks of her programme at Hybrid Arts, she showed great maturity when playing a lead role in Hybrid Arts’ Plugged In event. Danni worked alongside fashion tutor, Catherine Makin, customising recycled t-shirts, which then went on sale on Danni’s stall during the event.

Thanks to her hard work and motivation, Danni successfully gained a Silver Arts Award and has now progressed to Warwickshire College to pursue a career in Leisure and Tourism. Danni will also be volunteering her time one day a week at Hybrid Arts to develop skills in Peer Mentoring.

The Thursday group have been learning about the art of henna with tutor, Catherine Makin, and have used their skills to design messages on their skin in support of the global campaign.

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is held every year on September 10th, organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO).

www.iasp.info/wspd/

The Day is an opportunity for all sectors of the community – the public, charitable organisations, communities, researchers, clinicians, practitioners, politicians and policy makers, volunteers, those bereaved by suicide, other interested groups and individuals – to join together to focus public attention on the unacceptable burden and costs of suicidal behaviours, by organising activities to promote understanding about suicide and highlight effective prevention activities.

Our students channelled their creativity to engage in the campaign – the idea of writing ‘love’ on their arms is inspired by the To Write Love On Her Arms Foundation, a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. Their Awareness day takes place on the 13th of November every year.

http://www.twloha.com/

]]> http://hybridarts.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=2565 0 http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2541 http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2541#comments Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:12:42 +0000 admin http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2541 Hybrid Arts, a small social enterprise with a team of 3 full time and 5 freelancers, have become one of the selected providers to be accepted onto Warwickshire County Council’s approved providers of full time alternative education.

To prevent exclusion, Warwickshire Schools are working with Area Behaviour Partnership (ABP) teams to identify and arrange alternative provision for pupils in need of intervention. As of September 2012, schools using ABP funding will only be able to use those providers who are named on the approved list.

Hybrid Arts were successful in being accepted to deliver both part time and full time alternative provision, beating off competition from large colleges and national providers. To deliver full time provision, Hybrid Arts were one of only 5 successful providers, alongside North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, Stratford upon Avon College, Shaftesbury Young People and Hereward College. This recognition of the quality of the work we do has given us a massive boost and will mean we will be working with more young people on a long term basis than ever before, and potentially even taking on our first full time student.

Our history goes back nearly 10 years, but it is only over the last year – following changes to education nationally under the Coalition Government – that we have been able to work freely with schools to deliver a unique and successful programme of alternative curriculum to over 70 local school children.

With changes in legislation meaning schools now have more autonomy, we have built relationships with all of the Central Warwickshire schools, and are now working with schools further afield in Stratford, Coventry and North Warwickshire to support more young people and their families.

You can look at our prospectus here… 200×200_prospectusFINAL

]]> http://hybridarts.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=2541 0 http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2535 http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2535#comments Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:44:30 +0000 admin http://hybridarts.co.uk/?p=2535 Our Arts Award moderator, Roy Nevitt who visited us at the end of June, gave us a real boost by saying what a “brilliant job” we are doing with our young people.

Hybrid Arts Senior Trainers, Kyle Munro and Sally Montague, have been delivering the Arts Award to 28 of our students. As a result of the moderation we are pleased to announce that 20 students passed their qualification, with 14 receiving a Silver Award and 6 a Bronze Award. The remaining 8 students will be re-sitting their Awards.

It has been a pleasure to deliver this innovative qualification, which inspires young people to grow their arts and leadership talents. We have loved the flexible and creative approach of the Award, and because of this our students have found it very accessible and have gained a great deal from the process.

The feedback from the moderator is very encouraging. “You are doing a brilliant job with these young people for whom school does not work. They see Hybrid Arts as a priceless alternative to the inflexibility of their school routines and the Arts Award, with its focus on individual freedom of expression and breadth of opportunity, as the answer to their arts curriculum needs.”

This was Sally and Kyle’s first moderation experience, and they really did the students and themselves – and indeed Hybrid Arts – proud. They have been a constant source of inspiration and support to our students, who have been lucky enough to work closely alongside these two talented artists. As a result, the tutors have ensured the young people have come away with increased confidence, skills and excitement for the future. They were not afraid to be ambitious with the students, and this approach has paid off – all of the young people responded well to the challenge of leading our large scale community event, Plugged In.

“Sally and Kyle have inspired the 14 young people who completed the course for Silver to achieve portfolios of which they can be proud. It was ambitious to organise it so they all published their work online but it worked well for  the music, photography, light arts and other new media which was where most of their interest lies. Thank you for a most enjoyable moderation!”