Supported Learning Students from Southwark College participated in the Twenty Thrive exhibition, celebrating 25 years of Young Vic stage shows. The exhibition was curated and designed by young creatives from Southwark and Lambeth. They worked with multi-disciplinary artists, Myah Jeffers and QianEr Jin to celebrate and explore The Young Vic's role in shaping the local community.
Chantel Davies, Southwark College alumna, said: "I'm pleased I could participate in this project with the Young Vic. I learned about it through the Pathway to Work Programme in my course. It is an excellent opportunity to collaborate with young creatives and artists, build on my confidence, and express my creativity.
"As part of the project, I drew props and participated in curating the exhibition rooms. What I liked the most about this project was the patience and understanding of the management team. I recommend to other students to use this creative opportunity to develop key skills such as communication and teamwork, and it is a great addition to your CV."
The exhibition was an immersive experience, consisting of five different worlds, where attendees can pose under a giant disco ball and walk through a celestial forest with the room centred by a timeline of all historic stage shows performed at Young Vic.
Tramo Alloysius Fitzroy Gillespie, a Supported Learning student at Southwark College, said: "I watched a video at the College of Southwark students participating in a project at Young Vic; this sparked an interest and encouraged me to join the project.
"For the Twenty Thrive Exhibition, I helped with the creative aspect, from spray painting seaweed and creating clouds for the angel space to working on graffiti for the timeline. I enjoyed working alongside other students on creating this exhibition, and I look forward to future projects."
Lorna Mcginty, Participation Producer at the Young Vic, said: "The exhibition celebrates the Young Vic and looking back on its history. What was special about this project was that we only recruited young people who required extra support in workspaces to bring this exhibition to life. We wanted to give them a space to experience project work, build skills and confidence, learn to multitask, and express their love for theatre.
"It was an intense experience for them, as everything at the exhibition was handmade and created from scratch. I am extremely proud of the young creatives for their hard work and the pace they made this exhibition go live."
Jane Button, Principal at Southwark College, said: "We are very proud of our Supported Learning students for participating in the Young Vic's Twenty Thrive exhibition as part of the Taking Part programme ran in partnership with the Young Vic. It has been great to see their creativity come to life and to see them working collaboratively with industry professionals and other young creatives from Southwark and Lambeth boroughs. This has been an excellent opportunity for our students to build on their confidence, apply the knowledge from their course and develop essential skills in preparation for entering the creative industries.
"Southwark College is committed to developing relationships with local employers to offer opportunities for our students in various sectors to prepare them for their future careers. We look forward to continuing working with the Young Vic in this significant project and developing further links within our community to provide students with an outstanding college experience leading to careers in the creative sector."
Through strategic partnerships with various employers, students at Southwark College can raise their employment prospects by boosting their qualifications and transferable skills and benefit from guest talks, workshops, and visits to relevant organisations. Visit southwark.ac.uk/employers to learn more about our partnerships.
For more information on Supported Learning courses, visit southwark.ac.uk/supported-learning.
