City of Westminster College students came together last Friday to devise an original performance for the ‘One Day in May’ event. The culmination of a three-day College arts festival, ‘One Day in May’ challenges students from performing, visual, media and music disciplines to create and perform a work from scratch in just one day.
Last week’s festival was well timed as it coincided with the first meeting of founder colleges within the recently launched National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills. The meeting was held at the College’s own Cockpit Theatre. The National Skills Academy is working to develop and broaden provision and strengthen links between training providers and creative industries. As one of 12 founder colleges involved in the launch, City of Westminster College is helping to design and deliver training and facilities that match creative employers’ needs.
Now in its second year, ‘One Day in May’ is an exciting – and sometimes nerve-wracking – event. A group of some 40 students start off with infinite possibilities and a fixed deadline of 6.30pm – the start of the performance! Over the course of eight hours, they work separately and in groups, taking time out to observe each other’s contributions and develop coherent themes. The result of their collaboration is a public performance at the College’s Cockpit Theatre.
Head of School for Performing Arts and Tourism Craig Hanlon-Smith said: “’One Day in May’ is an exciting and sometimes seat-of-the-pants experience for everyone involved. The event also embraces the Olympic Values in preparation for London 2012. These include Courage; Inspiration; Determination and Excellence.
“We were delighted that the event coincided with the first meeting of founder colleges within the National Skills Academy Creative & Cultural Skills. This is an opportunity for our College to work with industry to ensure the best education for students and develop career possibilities through creative and cultural apprenticeships.”