THE spotlight shone on student talent as an academy opened its doors to showcase their success in performance, creative arts and design.
The King’s Academy held its annual exhibition of students’ work in fine art, textiles, design technology and product design, music, drama and dance at GCSE and A Level with many of this summer’s leavers returning to share their work.
The focus in the engineering department was on healthy lifestyles and using materials available in developing countries with tables made out of pallet wood, and skateboards and table football taking centre stage. In product design, familiar objects like computer tables and kettles were adapted creatively in Spiderman and Fortnite designs.
Head of engineering Michael Donnelly explained: “Whilst we’re very proud of the pieces students have produced, there are fewer marks now for practical work. It’s more about research, creativity, inventiveness and innovation and our students have definitely risen to the challenge.”
Megan-Leigh Robinson also took on big issues with her A Level fine art work sequencing the melting of Arctic ice fields based on Google images taken ten years apart.
“I chose global warming and wanted to show the effects of climate change over the three paintings. I titled it ‘The grand and fatal movements towards death’ which is a quote from Sir David Attenborough. I hope it gets people thinking about the issues a bit more,” said Megan, 17, of Hemlington, who is hoping to study fine art at Leeds University.
Ellanna Mai Lunn’s personal investigation work centred on her love of horses with a portfolio showing how she honed her ideas and tried different materials leading to her final piece.
“I’ve loved horses since I was little, they’re my passion, so when I got the chance to work on them in art I knew I would enjoy it. I learned a lot about the skeleton of a horse and its muscular structure from studying George Stubbs’s work and that really informed my drawings. I’m really proud of my final piece,” explained Ellanna Mai, 18, of Coulby Newham, who is exploring a career as a tattoo artist.
Hasna Javid, 17, of Coulby Newham, is combining fine art with other A Levels in biology, chemistry and maths with a view to studying medicine.
Her Year 12 work included a picture of her friend Safy. She said: “I just love art and it is a nice break from my other subjects. I designed some leavers shirts for students and made £600 and I also make personalised satin gowns, along with volunteering at James Cook Hospital – I like to be busy.”
The action then moved to the academy’s drama studio where the drama club, dancers Finley Bone and Kara Oostdijck, singer pianist Nilourfar Afshari, singer guitarist Layla Robinson, vocalist Megan Wilson and Year 12 theatre studies students Rhys-Llewellyn Lewis and Ryan Clark performed to an audience of family and friends.