News & Press
From ghastly ghouls to beautiful brides, this year’s Freestyle Hair & Beauty catwalk show gave students a chance to demonstrate their professional skills.
The dynamic Level 2 and 3 Hair, Beauty and Media Make-up students both created and modelled hair, make-up and costume inspired by diverse sources. They even danced, sang and acted in the show, which was performed to friends and family in The Edge theatre at Hayes Campus.
The signs of the Zodiac, Hollywood glamour, 1980s hits such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and the forces of nature were among the themes for the night, which was sponsored by Dennis Williams.
Around 150 students took part, spending just two weeks preparing for the show starting with creating mood boards, designing their looks, sourcing and making costumes, learning dance routines and putting it all together on the night.
The show was opened by Performing Arts student Rachel Morgan who sang and played the guitar, and supported by technicians and additional dancers from the department. Lisa Edwards and Tasmen Styles compered the show, which they organised with Cheryl Robinson.
Louise Southam, Head of Hair, Beauty & Hospitality, Early Years and Performing Arts, said: “This was a fantastic show and we are so proud of the professionalism of everyone who took part. It is so impressive that not only do they create their looks from scratch but take part as models and performers no matter how shy and retiring they might be in their usual roles! This annual show is a fantastic showcase for the whole range of Hair and Beauty skills and great experience for everyone.”
For more pictures see: https://www.facebook.com/pg/uxbridgecollege/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156129410095283
The Our Hayes Our Heritage Project and Hyatt Place West London/Hayes are proud to present an exhibition of photographs taken in and around Hayes by local photographers in a free two-week public exhibition at Hyatt Place West London/Hayes, 4–17 June 2018.
There will be an evening reception and prize-giving on 8 June 2018, 6-8pm – both the exhibition and prize-giving are free and open to all, so please do come along, celebrate with us, meet the photographers and show your support for local artistic talent.
The exhibition includes a selection of images commissioned especially for the Our Hayes Our Heritage project taken by local professional photographer, Toby Van de Velde. Also on display are the three prize-winning entries from our photography competition, alongside the shortlisted entries and further works by burgeoning local talent.
First prize goes to Mark Collins for his evocative piece, ‘Industry’. “It really speaks to me of the area’s historical position in industry,” said competition judge, Toby Van de Velde. “In black and white it gives a grainy, well composed vision of the heart of Hayes’ working heritage.”
Second prize goes to Michael Gaga-Hale for his capture of the early morning commute. “It’s atmospheric lighting and silhouetting of modern day commuters coming and going to work from Hayes and Harlington Station juxtaposes against the first place image very well. A complimentary pair,” Toby explains.
Third prize goes to Annette Sissons for her atmospheric shot of Nipper. “EMI, and Nipper the dog, have such an important place in the history of Hayes,” said Toby. “The moody sky against the harsh industrial buildings with Nipper filling the foreground works well.”
The Our Hayes Our Heritage project is led by Uxbridge College and supported by A New Direction, Hillingdon Community Trust funded by Heathrow, Segro & Barratt London. The project utilises the industrial heritage of Hayes, with a focus on EMI, Nestle and the Grand Union Canal, as a springboard for local cultural activity. The project aims to enhance community cohesion, bringing together different groups and ages through the exploration of local heritage.
As part of the project, Toby facilitated two film photography workshops – one with Age UK Hillingdon and one with young carers from Hillingdon Carers at Hayes and Harlington’s Young People’s Centre – and also led a film photography walk from Botwell Green Library around Hayes Town, encouraging locals to use their cameras to pay attention to the town and see it with fresh eyes, documenting places and faces.
“As a Hayes resident for five years, and a Hillingdon Borough resident for 11 years, plus a photographer on the Uxbridge Gazette for 13 years, I know Hayes very well,” said Toby, speaking about his involvement in the project. “The opportunity to be involved in the Our Hayes Our Heritage Project was one that I was very pleased to be given.
“The wealth of diversity in Hayes, coupled with its history, makes it a fascinating area, and the chance to be involved in documenting its residents and scenery is one that I have very much enjoyed doing.
“The enthusiasm shown by the participants in the photography courses was amazing to witness, and the changing face of the area as I document the old and the newly developed side by side, shows that Hayes is a place that not only has history, but also has a future as well.
“The resultant exhibition and online resource that will come from the work I am involved in, will be a source of fascination and delight for generations to come, I am sure.”
Find out more about the Our Hayes Our Heritage Project, share your own photos and memories quoting #ourhayesourheritage and get involved:
Our thanks go to Hyatt Place West London/Hayes for hosting the exhibition. The Hyatt team also recently hosted work by local artist Komal Madar and Uxbridge College Art and Design students – it is wonderful to see a local business supporting arts and heritage and engaging with the local community in this way.
Students from Afghanistan, Eritrea, ‘Kurdistan’, Somalia, Syria, Egypt and Vietnam gave compelling presentations about their countries of origin to peers who have grown up in the UK, as part of the Unity 2018 event.
They talked about the unique histories and cultures of their homelands, from human rights issues such as fair elections and whether girls as well as boys are allowed to go to school, to the right to free speech and the consequences of civil conflict, to religious festivals, and the most beautiful scenery and tastiest dishes. They also shared that despite there being an estimated 35 million Kurds living on the borders of Iraq, Iran, and Turkey where the countries meet, Kurdistan is not recognised as a permanent nation state.
The ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students also proved they could teach as well as learn by getting the audience to say words such as ‘hello’ in their own languages.
The group gave their speeches using the information boards they had created, which featured important landmarks, food and facts, and were displayed in the LRC at Uxbridge College in Hayes.
Unity at Uxbridge College is an annual event which brings together students from all backgrounds to learn more about each other’s cultures and experiences of life, and to promote British values. This year Unity ran for four days with a series of class groups visiting the exhibition to hear the talks.
Claire Beale, Course Team Leader - ELT - Young Learners, said: “Unity is a fantastic opportunity for both students and staff to find out more about each other’s cultures - I certainly learned a lot! For those who have been raised in the UK and grown up in peacetime with rights like a democratic vote, access to education regardless of gender, and laws to protect everyone’s human rights, it can be a real eye-opener to find out that there are so many people of their age who have not been able to take these things for granted. And it was great to see English speakers learning foreign languages as well as the reverse!”
Ofsted, which requires British values to be promoted as part of spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) education at schools and colleges, defines them as relating to: democratic process; the rule of law; separation of power between the executive and the judiciary; freedom to choose a faith and tolerance of other faiths and beliefs, and combatting discrimination.
For more photos from the event see https://bit.ly/2IZSVdL