Colleges get creative

Photo: Anthony Miller

Greater Manchester College Art and Design competition, held at Oldham College. Winners Hopwood Hall left to right, Denise Bowler (judge, the Whitworth), Morgan Tunnicliffe, Natasha Openshaw, Rachel Wrigley (judge, Paper Gallery), Nicole Jenkinson, Lee Ashworth (judge, HOME), Carly Kalonji.

ART and design students from across the region used their creative skills to fight for the winning title in the Greater Manchester Colleges Group (GMCG) Skills Competition.

Held at Oldham College, the competition had the theme of 'Home' and homelessness including ideas of protection, shelter and entrapment.

Five students from colleges in Oldham, Bolton, Rochdale, Bury, Manchester, Salford, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan and Leigh designed and presented their idea to a team of judges using a range of different media styles.

The competition aims to build skills in communication, creative thinking, presentation, professional behaviour and working to a deadline.

Taking home the title were students from Hopwood Hall College who impressed the judges with their model of a life size, interactive art installation which helped raised issues of the causes of homelessness.

Coming joint second place were students from Tameside College and Oldham College.

Jo Manship, head of Digital and Creative, said: "The competition is a great experience for students to work creatively in teams to a specific brief.

"It enhances the development of world class skills which underpin economic competitiveness for Greater Manchester."

The GMCG is a partnership of ten further education colleges across Greater Manchester, the group works together to open up opportunities and distribute its benefits across local communities.

Joan Scott, chair of GMCG Skills Competition Steering Group, said: "Since starting three years ago, the GMCG Skills Competitions have grown tremendously.

"This close collaboration of the ten colleges provides a showcase of the fantastic skills and talents of our learners."