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From elaborate up-dos to amazing special FX make-up, Uxbridge College’s hair and beauty students demonstrated their creativity and technical skills in their end of term show The Final Curtain.
Students on Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 courses took part in the catwalk and dance performance staged in the Edge theatre at the college’s Hayes campus, creating and showcasing beautiful looks from current trends and characters from famous films and stage shows from across the decades.
Among the students’ choices were the musical film drama Greatest Showman, which saw the Level 3 Hair and Media Make-up re-creating the bearded lady and tattooed man, as well as including other high-impact theatrical special FX make-up in their set.
Level 2 Hair and Media Make-up brought beautiful beach waves from the film Mamma Mia while NVQ Level 2 Beauty Therapy nailed the glamour of Bollywood. VRQ Level 2 Beauty Therapy focussed on burlesque beauty, while Media Make-up Level 2 chose The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. The Hairdressing students concentrated on themes including the 1970s hit films Grease and The Rocky Horror Show, the 1980s hit Hairspray, and stage shows Wicked and The Lion King also provided inspiration.
Louise Southam, Head of Hair, Beauty & Hospitality, Early Years and Performing Arts, said: “This event is a fantastic way to showcase some of the very best skills our students have developed during their studies, thanks to their commitment and hard work as well as the excellent training and support they receive both in college and out. Hair and Beauty at Uxbridge College is fortunate enough to have the facilities, industry expertise and connections to offer the highest quality on-site learning and to continue to create and maintain excellent relationships and opportunities with employers across west London. I’d like to say a huge thank you to all our students, staff and employer partners for all their efforts over the last year.”
The students worked closely with the performing arts department to produce the show, with the college’s musicians and dancers opening the show with acoustic vocals and a street dance performance. Hair and beauty students also provided hair and make-up services throughout the year for performing arts students.
The show also gave students and staff a chance to share some of the highlights of the academic year including partnership and community activities. As well as providing hair and beauty treatments to the public in the Distinction training salons at the college’s Hayes campus, the students take part in work experience with local salons and spas, this year including B Relaxed at Heathrow Airport and The Hilton Hotel, which both offered part-time jobs to students, as well as in Daniel Galvin’s West End salon. They also took part in a wide range of employer-led activities with companies including Wella, Steiner, Headmasters, Dermalogica, Harrods, B:UNDENIABLE cosmetics, Kat Von D Beauty, and Kryolan.
* For more photos from the show go to https://www.facebook.com/pg/uxbridgecollege/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156871558905283
Creative Arts students heading for prestigious universities and art colleges including Central St Martins, London College of Fashion and Chelsea College of Arts were among those showcasing their fantastic skills at Uxbridge College's exhibition - entitled Kenneth Goes to the Art Show and named after a real-life show-going dog.
The work by students at Levels 1, 2 and 3, covered a huge range of skills and media including painting and drawing, sculpture, ceramics, digital design and fashion. Inspiration was drawn from a wide range of topics from World War II, to global warming, to a K9 Dr Who desk tidy, to the ballet Romeo & Juliet. The canine theme continued throughout the show, with graphic paw prints on the floor to show visitors the way, and ‘Best in Show’ rosettes for the best work.
David Storer, Section Manager for Creative Studies, said: “We’ve seen some really fantastic work this year and been extremely impressed by the standard at every level. The quality of the development, planning, design and technical skill reflects a commitment and professionalism which all the students have every reason to be extremely proud of. They have created great foundations for their futures whether they’re continuing to study at college, going to university, taking a gap year, or going directly into work.”
The Private View and fashion show was attended by guests including Kenneth - a 16-month-old miniature schnauzer - students’ friends and family, Uxbridge College Principal Laraine Smith OBE, and Barbara Fisher, Non-Executive Advisor on the Stakeholder & Scrutiny Committee.
Some of the work included:
Michaela Mirza-Ghaderi’s installation evoking the sights and sounds of a slaughterhouse to challenge audiences to think about the reality of meat production. Vegetarian Michaela visited the historic Smithfield wholesale meat market in London to see the industry in action as part of her research. The first year Level 3 student will now progress to the second year on her UAL L3 Extended Diploma in Art & Design.
Tasnia Alam’s drawings and 3D models of her brutalist re-imagining of the Nestle factory site in Hayes, which is being redeveloped to make way for nearly 1,400 homes and office space. Tasnia has been at Uxbridge College for four years and also studied GCSEs and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). She has been awarded a place on a BA Hons in Architecture at Central St Martins College.
An NHS-style sexual health campaign by Bardia Zandbaf, who is originally from Iran where there is a high incidence of sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) and education on the subject is banned. The work included leaflets and an animated infomercial. He now plans to study Graphic Design at Loughborough University.
Fashion designs were based on a range of themes including a design challenge set by the Royal Opera House, based on characters from its Kenneth MacMillan production of the ballet Romeo and Juliet, with the two finalists being Shivani Bamania (Year 2) and Rachel Odhialo (Year 1). Level 1 Art & Design students also showcased their range of jackets, creating brightly coloured and exciting designs under the title ‘Putting together’.
During the year, in addition to their coursework, creative arts students have taken part in work experience and partnership projects including creating murals for Rocket Software and Hillingdon Hospital, an exhibition in The Pavilions shopping centre in Uxbridge, a logo design project by branding agency Thinkfarm, and an assignment set by advertising agency JWT.
Best in Show rosettes were awarded to:
Level 1: Tajinder Virdee – K9 Dr Who desk tidy product design
Level 2: Isheda Lee – series of sculptures entitled The Rings That Bind Us about balance & harmony
Level 3 Fashion: Shivani Bamania – transparent fashion designs
Level 3 Art: Holly Hamilton – Monument to the Uncomfortable Truth about climate change
Level 3 Graphics: Bardia Zandbaf – for his sexual health info graphics campaign.
The participants would like to thank Art & Design lecturer Jill Tattersall for allowing Kenneth to attend the show.
For photos from the show (look out for Kenneth!) go to: https://www.facebook.com/pg/uxbridgecollege/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156860580805283
Pictured: (Left to right) Retail Gold graduate Zahia Sahraoui, intu Uxbridge General Manager Laurie Taylor, Alexander Nicoll from intu and Angela Vieira from intu.
intu Uxbridge has teamed up with Uxbridge College, Education and Employers, and Job Centre Plus to create a bespoke training course to help unemployed adults get into retail.
Designed to set the standard in retail, ‘Retail Gold’ is helping people to develop essential employability skills, boosting their self-confidence and giving them an insight into all aspects of working in the industry. intu Uxbridge has worked with West Met Skills, the Apprenticeships & Employer Services team from Uxbridge College, to create a course that leaves trainees ‘job ready’ when they complete the course.
As well as formal qualifications in Retail Knowledge and Customer Service, Retail Gold is also giving its students a path to real job opportunities.
Students on the first Uxbridge course learnt CV-writing skills, completed mock job interviews with intu management volunteers, took part in world-class service sessions and did a tour around the Boots store.
Retail Gold courses are happening across the UK via intu shopping centres. The first Uxbridge course included four days on Retail Knowledge and four on Customer Service. It was such a success that a second course has been planned for Uxbridge in July.
A graduation ceremony for the first intake of students took place last month, at which the graduates were presented with their official qualification certificates.
Representatives from intu, including corporate responsibility director Alexander Nicoll, corporate responsibility manager Kathryn Barber, as well as intu Uxbridge’s retail liaison and corporate responsibility coordinator Angela Vieira and general manager Laurie Taylor, attended to congratulate the winners.
Angela said: “The first Retail Gold course was such a hit that we cannot wait to do it again! It is wonderful to be able to connect education with employment in this way, to pave the way for a better future for these unemployed young adults, while helping employers to recruit. We are proud to be able to deliver positive change through our ongoing partnerships.”
Giles Strachan from West Met Skills (Uxbridge College’s Apprenticeship and Employer Services Team) said: "Retail Gold is a fantastic example of how employers and colleges can work together to provide the right people with the right skills for the right jobs. Uxbridge College and West Met Skills are really excited to be part of this initiative with intu Uxbridge, Jobcentre Plus, and Education and Employers to provide targeted training, education and employment support at the heart of our community."
To find out more about intu Uxbridge, head to www.intu.co.uk/uxbridge, and discover more about Education and Employers at www.educationandemployers.org, Uxbridge College at www.uxbridgecollege.ac.uk and West Met Skills at https://www.westmetskills.co.uk