A PHOTOGRAPHY magazine that is read across the world has challenged Priestley College students to design some of its pages.

Professional Imagemaker – which is delivered to photographers in 72 countries – has asked BTEC Graphic Design students at Priestley to create pages fit for its readership.

“The biggest thing the students bring to it is they have no pre-conceived ideas of how our pages should look so therefore they come up with some incredibly fresh and original ideas,” said Mike McNamee, editor of Professional Imagemaker.

“I don’t put any restraints on them other than the page size and on more than one occasion I have sought an appropriate article to fit their design.”

It is the 10^th year the magazine has worked with Priestley to give students the opportunity to have their work displayed in an internationally-known publication.

All their ideas will be printed in Professional Imagemaker, but the best ones will be used to inspire actual feature designs with the students being credited as ‘guest designers’.

Priestley Tutor Paul McConnell said it was a great opportunity for the graphic designers to work on a brief set by a client.

“It gets them used to working with professionals on a project that has real expectations and deadlines,” he said.

“It is something for all of them to include in their CVs and portfolios, especially for those whose designs inspire actual pages in the magazine.”

Professional Imagemaker recently published its 75^th edition and has grown over the years from a 16-page publication to now regularly boasting over 150 pages.

Readers subscribe from across the world including America, Korea and China and those involved in the magazine hold seminars in the UK, Europe and as far away as Dubai.

Mike, who lives in Wirral, said he hoped working with Priestley College was helping young graphic designers of the future.

“This will give them a story to tell when they go for job interviews and hopefully a lot of confidence in their own abilities,” he said.

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A ROYAL Air Force helicopter landed at Priestley College earlier this week to collect presents for children in two hospitals.

Students raised more than £2,000 to pay for the presents, which were flown to Alder Hey in Liverpool and The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital on Monday.

Father Christmas boarded the helicopter at Priestley where the RAF were greeted by Public Services students who were able to sit in the cockpit and carriage.

“Working with the RAF on this kind of project has been a great opportunity for our Public Services students this year,” said Tutor Chris Seaton.

“They’ve worked hard to fundraise and are well aware of the difference they are making to the children at the hospitals.”

Flight Lieutenant Ed Stephens, from the Royal Air Force Outreach Team said: “Our aim is to help raise morale amongst the children in hospitals over the Christmas period by delivering Christmas presents in a way only the Royal Air Force can.

“The presents and hospital donations are raised throughout the year by the RAF team who this year have worked with Priestley College in Warrington, Runshaw College in Leyland and Cheadle & Marple College who have worked tirelessly to run various events to help us out.

“All monies raised will be split between the two hospitals to buy the presents and hopefully buy a much needed piece of equipment for the wards.”

Angela Harris, head of children’s services at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, said: “Our young patients really enjoy the chance to have a word with Father Christmas, and the gifts he brings. With the generous support of the RAF they really do spread Christmas cheer and brighten up the day.”

• To see a video of the helicopter landing go to our facebook page > http://on.fb.me/1z7IYDD

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Priestley College is working with Golden Gates Housing Trust (GGHT) to provide introductory  FREE workshop sessions in Bewsey and Dallam to help anyone who wants hints and tips on sprucing up their house and garden on a budget.

GGHT is providing a prize of £300 for one lucky  tenant from the area who is judged to have made the most improvement to their home. GGHT are also providing ‘milestone incentives’ at different stages through the campaign to help residents to transform their house into a home.

The first introductory workshop session is to be held on Tuesday January 13 at Bewsey Pavillion in Troutbeck Avenue from 1 to 3pm.

This will include learning more about the campaign and how to make your own ‘bath bomb’! Please phone Adult Learner Services on 01925 624455 to book your place.

WHEN budding thespians from Neoteric Theatre group first trod the boards it was in front of just 30 friends and family.

They tripled their audience when 90 people watched their performance of When The Rain Stops Falling at Priestley College.

But now Neoteric Theatre’s directors Ben Thomas and Zoe Blundell are expecting an audience of around 400 when they present A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Full story > http://bit.ly/1xg6vLZ

THERE was bound to be a few bizarre moments when a former Priestley College student doubled for Johnny Depp in his new film.

But sitting in a bathtub opposite Gwyneth Paltrow’s double probably topped them all.

Sam Allen stood in for the Pirates of the Caribbean actor in various scenes in the caper, Mortdecai.

Read the Warrington Guardian’s full story – http://bit.ly/15CHKUS

Creative Writing students have used annonymous portraits from history to contribute to #MuseumSelfi Day at Warrington Museum > http://bit.ly/18xuiCV

Tonight’s open event will be going ahead as we have been advised the snow is due stop this afternoon and the weather to clear. The open event starts at 5.30pm and runs until 7.30pm, there will be a presentation at 6.15pm by the Principal. The event is a great opportunity to meet students, tutors and see the campus.

PRINCIPAL Matthew Grant has vowed to continue to drive Priestley College forward while maintaining its place at the heart of the Warrington community.

Matthew, who took over in January, said he was proud to lead the College and added that it was one of Priestley’s strengths to not sit back.

“Priestley and its students have achieved so much in recent years and in 2014 we celebrated a decade of outstanding exam results,” he said.

“One of our strengths is that we are not a college that stands still. We want to continue to move forward for the sake of all our students and for the benefit of the local community.”

Matthew, who is 57, was inspired to help others after becoming a prefect at school.

Ever since he has been committed to helping young people achieve their dreams and ambitions.

He worked at Blackburn College from 1984 to 2002 and has been at Priestley for more than 12 years.

Now, he counts his own family as a source of inspiration.

“As a dad of two and a grandfather of two, you see how important education is from my own children’s perspective as well as the future generations like my grandchildren,” he said.

“Education faces many challenges going forward, but we will make sure we stick to what we believe in, which is making a difference to the lives of young people and ensuring they are able to progress into work or university. If we can do this then I will be really pleased.”

The college has appointed George Contos as the college’s Vice Principal.

TWO friends have raised awareness about road safety after one of their pals was in a collision with a car.

Sophie Crisp and Kelsey Gray, both formerly of The Heath but who now study at Priestley College in Warrington, were inspired to come up with a campaign after their friend lost her memory following the incident.

“It was horrible to see her like that and she couldn’t remember who we were,” said Kelsey, who studies Health and Social Care, Photography and Children’s Play, Learning and Development.

“We wanted to do something to raise awareness and try to make sure a similar thing doesn’t happen again.”

Sophie and Kelsey volunteered to complete a four-week programme with the National Citizen Service during their summer holidays including a two-week residential. The service is open to all 16 and 17-year-olds and is designed to help them build skills for work and life.

It was during this time their friend was involved in the incident and they were inspired to create a radio advert that was broadcast during National Road Safety Week.

Their advert – which was supported by Halton Borough Council and charity vInspired – began with two friends talking before the screech of a car and a bang are heard.

Sophie, who studies Health and Social Care, Photography and Creative Writing at Priestley, said: “We are really pleased with how the advert turned out and thankful to everyone who helped us to put it together.”

YOUNG designers have taken part in the kind of challenge that has led to the creation of some of the world’s most successful computer games.

Priestley College staged a ‘game jam’ for students on the Computer Games Design course and four different ideas were developed to the point of playing in just four days.

Joni Ashton, a former student at The Heath, said he’d been surprised by what could be achieved in such a short timeframe.

“A lot of people were being very ambitious given the time we had, but it meant there were lots of great ideas,” said the 18-year-old, who is combining the course with an A-Level in Computing.

On day one of the jam students were given four themes from which to develop their idea.

After that, they were on their own. No assistance from teachers, they were just asked to put the skills and knowledge they had collected on their BTEC Level 3 course to good use.

The results even impressed BAFTA-nominated Niall Taylor who oversaw the challenge along with former Priestley student Josh Campher who recently graduated from Futureworks School of Media in Manchester.

“I was amazed by what they achieved,” said Niall. “To create a working game with visuals in that time is a real credit to them.”

Students created games called Spoonfeeding your Nan, Alien Escape, Eve of the Living Bread and Killer Kev’s Magical Christmas.

Each game was completely different both in terms of story and playing style with one group opting for a 3D visual that leant itself to use with the Oculus Rift, a piece of technology now available for students at Priestley.

“The jam was all about generating ideas and seeing how far the students could take them,” said Tutor Matthew Wilson. “A lot of major games on the market today started in this way and it was so successful in Priestley we definitely hope to do it again.”

The four games produced by Priestley students are now available at www.priestleycgd.itch.io

An exhibition featuring the work of former Priestley student Pete Regan is currently being staged at the Warrington Museum and Art Gallery.

‘From the Depths’ was inspired by Pete’s experiences of learning to live with depression and features art, film and photography.

You can watch a time lapse video of the exhibition being set up here > http://bit.ly/1C97rVq or read more about the exhibition in Pete’s words below..

I was diagnosed with Cyclothymia (considered to be a milder form of Bipolar Disorder) in my early twenties. It was a dark point in my life. I was struggling, spending months in bed without leaving the house, completely isolated from society.

Thankfully from the depths of depression, I was given a camera.

The camera has over the years transformed my life. In this project I explore how the arts can help people who are suffering, as I was. Beauty can be found in the smallest of things and I attribute the camera for seeing beauty and purpose in life again.

The exhibition contains images that have been taken since I first picked up a camera, all from different points in my life but all with a common theme of atmosphere.

Life has moments of serenity, of beauty, of calm before the storm. It is these moments we hold onto, when things become difficult, when every day becomes a battle, when life deals brutal blows. My work is about capturing the beauty and brutality of life in equal measure. It doesn’t shy away from capturing loneliness or depression. It hints at the fact there is more, it accentuates moods, by honing in on details that would escape everyday attention.

Accompanying the images with textured sound, the viewer is given free rein to imbue the work with their own meaning. The projections of my childhood don’t account for the whole picture but give fragmentary glimpses into memory. By looking at fleeting apparitions of the open road, the viewer is invited to interpret their own journey. The cyclical projection of the two hour slide-show interspersed with different sound throughout, acknowledges the ups and downs of life, the ebbing and flowing of our moods, the jarring effect this can have.

The cyclical aspect of our lives preoccupies me. In this way all emotions are finite and have their season. Just as weather changes, so do we. So do our moods. There is chaos in life. There can be acceptance of it, and at the end of that hope. It doesn’t mean the chaos or the darkness won’t re-appear again, but that there is movement, there is change, there is fluidity to life.

I work for an Arts for Health scheme and every day I see how art has the capacity to improve people’s lives. I see art as transformative, comforting, even healing. This exhibition seeks to provide a space to reflect upon our lives, a place to slow down and seek solace.

A FORMER Priestley student – who is now in one of the world’s most famous rock bands – returned to college this week to inspire the next generation of musicians.

Leon Cave, 36, is used to holding the attention of thousands as Status Quo’s drummer but on Tuesday it was a smaller audience of Music Technology students who listened to his every word during a series of workshops.

“It’s strange being back here after 18 years, a lot has changed at Priestley,” said Leon.

“I just hope my being here can inspire some of the college’s talented musicians to greater things just by knowing that, not long ago, I was in their shoes.”

Leon recently completed a gruelling 23-gig, six-week tour with Status Quo and performs on their latest album, Aquostic, which is their best-selling record for more than 25 years.

During a day in Priestley’s music studios and classrooms he shared his technical knowledge and performance tips with those hoping to pursue a career in the industry.

His message to all young musicians is to believe in yourself as he recently achieved a lifelong ambition to join one of the world’s greatest rock bands and will soon tick off another when he performs with Status Quo at the Royal Albert Hall.

“All I’ve ever wanted to do was become a musician,” he said. “It’s never been about fame and fortune, it has always been about the music and playing to large audiences.”

As a five-year-old Leon would stare at the latest Iron Maiden artwork and listen to their music, only briefly taking a break to play with his Lego.

His parents realised he had musical talent and arranged for him to have drumming lessons at eight-years-old. Leon later joined Priestley College, attracted by its reputation and the music course that was available.

He studied A-Levels in Geography and Psychology, but it was predictably in Music where he excelled.

“It really helped me because the course covered a lot of music theory that is extremely useful to this day,” he said.

Since college he has performed with countless artists, toured extensively worldwide and recorded with a wide range of producers.

Every year he performs in more than 100 shows including large pop gigs, radio performances, corporate functions and open air festivals.

Priestley Tutor Mike Grainger said: “For our students to be able to spend time with Leon is an incredible opportunity and I am certain they have all learned a huge amount from their time with him.”

FOR decades the portraits have remained a mystery, faces without names or personalities.

Now, though, 30 English students from Priestley College have breathed new life into the characters seen in a series of paintings included in an exhibition at Warrington Museum & Art Gallery.

Every Picture Tells a Story features the portraits and alongside words crafted by the creative minds on Priestley’s English A-Level courses.

Former Lymm High School pupil Sophie Thomas was among those who provided a backstory and told her character’s ‘life’ through tweets.

“My inspiration was really my friends and what we would usually post on social networking,” said Sophie.

“I found that it was a quite difficult trying to make sure that it was modern while at the same time keeping the elements from 400 years ago; but it was a really enjoyable challenge.”

Warrington Museum & Art Gallery’s exhibition – which runs until March 21 – features very different portraits that span 400 years. All of them depict persons unknown giving people a blank canvas on which to create their own stories.

“We have quite a few portraits in the collection where we don’t know who the person in the portrait is. We thought it would be fun to give people the chance to come up with identities for these people,” said exhibition manager Derek Dick.

Priestley’s students – who all study AS Creative Writing, English Literature or Creative Writing as an enrichment – used poems or stories, CVs and even tweets to provide some words for the pictures.

Jennie Atherton, who formerly attended St Peter and Paul RC College, chose to write about a man whose face appears distorted. Her poem begins: Are you judging me? Who are you to look at me? You do not know me.

Tom Conolly, Creative Writing tutor, said: “This was a great chance to make links between academic study and the world beyond Priestley. As part of the creative writing course we try to provide platforms for students’ work to reach a wider audience and be valued, which this has done perfectly.”

BARCLAYS asked Priestley College students how they would market its innovative smartphone service.

It set the BTEC Graphic Design students the task of creating a marketing storyboard to promote Pingit – a service that allows users to send and receive money with just a telephone number.

“We asked the Priestley students for their ideas on how they would market Pingit to people in their age group,” said Julian Bucknall, of Barclays.

“This is the second year we have worked with Priestley and once again have been really impressed with the students’ creativeness and professionalism.”

Barclays processes millions of transactions for its customers every day, managed from technology centres like Radbroke Hall in Knutsford.

In a second brief, Art and Design students were asked how they would redesign one of the buildings on the 64-acre campus.

“We have to thank Barclays for giving our students the opportunity to work with a global bank on a live brief,” said Tutor Paul McConnell.

“It is invaluable experience and an amazing achievement for our students to have on their universityapplications and CVs.”

Former Birchwood Community High pupil Elli Hill was judged to have the best ideas for the building redesign and ex-Lymm High School pupil Jennifer Hall’s storyboard for Pingit impressed Barclays the most.

THEY’VE impressed audiences in Warrington, but now some of the town’s young performers are heading to even bigger stages.

Priestley College’s Performing Arts students have been offered places at some of the country’s top acting and dance schools including East 15 School of Acting, Bird College of Dance and the Urdang Academy in London.

“Audiences enjoyed watching these students in their winter showcase and that kind of experience has helped them to achieve their places at these top performance schools,” said Sarah Graham, Head of Performing Arts at Priestley.

“What they have achieved is incredible and it has been wonderful for us to watch them blossom into such strong and talented performers.”

Most recently audiences were entertained by their winter showcase of set pieces taken from the likes of Mary Poppins, Dogfight and Decadence.

Next they will be starring in Priestley College’s production of ‘Spring Awakening’ on May 12, 13 and 14 giving them a final chance to impress Warrington audiences.

“They will want to go out with an impressive show so everyone is in for a treat,” said Sarah.

Priestley’s first years will also be performing ‘A Chorus Line’ on June 23, 24 and 25.

All performances for both shows start at 7.30pm and tickets are on sale now at £9 for adults, £7 concessions. ‘Spring Awakening’ is only suitable for over 16s.

Call 01925 633591 to book your ticket.

HUNDREDS of students gathered at Priestley College to watch the first solar eclipse of their lifetime.

Science students turned up prepared with colanders, cereal boxes and eclipse glasses whilst almost everyone seemed to have a mobile phone to record the historic moment.

“It was great to see students from across the college experiencing this truly astronomical event,” said Deb Pressage, head of Science and Maths at Priestley.

“When the clouds cleared it was wonderful to see the look on everyone’s faces.”

In a solar eclipse, a swathe of the Earth is plunged into darkness as the Moon comes between us and the Sun.

For science student Eleanor Bradbury, formerly of the University Academy Warrington, it was a memorable experience.

“We’ve seen this happening on the TV in other countries so to have it happen here is really special,” she said.

*You can see more pictures in our gallery > http://www.priestley.ac.uk/galleries/

WHEN Laura Harrison last trod the boards at Priestley College she dazzled audiences as Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers.

Now the 27-year-old is in Blood Brothers again – this time touring the country with an award-winning national production of the musical.

“Blood Brothers was our last show at Priestley so it’s really fitting that I am now part of the professional company,” said Laura, from Woolston.

“The major difference is that at Priestley we were doing it for educational purposes so everyone was given a role. On tour there is probably half as many cast members and I play numerous roles and have to change about 11 times.”

Laura, a former Woolston High School pupil, left Priestley with the top marks in the country for Performing Arts and also secured A-Levels in Drama and Music.

She then took home first class honours from the Cumbria Institute of the Arts and gained a distinction in MA Music Theatre at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Although not long into her career she has already been a face for Henry Holland, performed at the Royal Albert Hall for the Stephen Sondheim’s birthday proms, sang with Peter Andre, played numerous roles in Panto, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors and dueted with Jason Manford at the Bridgewater Hall.

Now she is touring with the acclaimed production of Blood Brothers in which her title role is Donna Marie/Miss Jones Understudy Mrs Lyons but she also plays Marilyn Monroe, Nurse and Woman in Window.

Laura picks the moment she received the call telling her she had the latest part(s) as her career highlight so far.

“It’s amazing to be involved in something like Blood Brothers and it might sound a bit pretentious but I feel blessed every day,” she said.

For others wanting to pursue a life on stage Laura recommends being focussed on what is best for you.

“It is your journey and is not to be influenced by anyone else,” she said. “Work hard and be hard. You have to be tough in most jobs, but in this one rejection plays a big part of it, so toughen up if you need to.

“You are not going to get handed anything on a plate, so don’t expect to go to the bright lights of London and stroll into your Les Mis audition and land your main part in the West End. Be real, and be yourself.”