Venta 5 - University of Winchester

West Downs is probably best known to recent graduates as home to
the Student Village and the Tavern and to pre 1987 graduates as a
boys prep school. In these pages we celebrate the transformation of
a derelict school building into something more lavish.
Lord Puttnam raises the curtain
on new Performing Arts Centre
Village is still a major pulling factor
After two and-a-half years and at a
with prospective students.
cost of £6,500,000, the restored listed
school building now forms an
The refurbishment of the former
imposing centre piece to the modern
school building on the other hand,
student village.
has been a nightmare at times for all
involved! The building had been long
neglected, was riddled with rot, and
close to being beyond economical
repair. No less than seven feasibility
appraisals were undertaken before
“...The building had been long
neglected, was riddled with
rot, and close to being
beyond economical
repair ...”
the idea was conceived of moving the
fast growing School of Performing
Despite last minute flooding a week
Arts into the teaching areas of the old
before, the show went ahead on 2nd
Top Left: A terrified refugee, as portrayed by
Founded in 1897, the School closed
building and converting the
May 2001, when film producer Lord
a Performing Arts student, remains in char-
in 1988, and King Alfred’s acquired
dormitories into more study
David Puttnam officially opened The
acter to pose for a photo with Principal Paul
the site in 1994.
bedrooms. This approach
West Downs Performing Arts and
Light and Lord Puttnam. Above: The exterior
complemented the College’s
Conference Centre. There were over
of the West Downs Performing Arts and
Soon after its purchase, plans were
academic needs during term time,
200 guests in attendance, ranging
Conference Centre. Below: Third year
under way for a student village and by
and would accommodate the
from governors and education
Performing Arts student Karen Tween, who
1997 nearly 700 students were in
College’s expanding conference trade
officials to clergy and former pupils of
wrote the music and performed a song writ-
residence. There is no doubt that the
during vacations.
West Downs School. The day
ten by Kings School pupil, James Rose.
award-winning West Downs Student
included a range of performing arts
Mark Hichen’s book about West Downs offers some interesting insights into the
teaching of the performing arts through the twentieth century.
An early custom was that boys would perform the plot of a Shakespeare play, but using
their words, not Shakespeare. One old West Downian has vivid memories of a
performance of Macbeth: "The curtains parted and two boys emerged from opposite
sides of the stage and ran into each other. One of them, acting as Lady Macbeth, said to
the other: "Let’s murder Duncan." "Yes, let’s," said the other, at which the curtains were
once again drawn."
Taken from
West Downs - A Portrait of an English Prep School
by Mark Hichen
Rebekah Bernstein graduated in
BA Performing Arts in 2000. She
shares her thoughts on the new
West Downs Centre:
to be invited to the opening. The
project aims to inspire and encourage
young people to participate in the
Arts and to develop a range of skills,
song, ‘Why?’ which takes an
expressive look at the issue of
bullying, and Daniel composed the
music.
and marked the beginning of a very
Since graduating, I have been
special relationship between the Anvil
As a graduate in Performing Arts, I
working at The Anvil Theatre in
and schools in Basingstoke.
must admit that I felt quite envious
Basingstoke as an arts assistant. I still
whilst admiring the wonderful
have close links with King Alfred’s
Sophie Hartgill and Daniel Van
facilities! Sadly, we did not have such
that have developed through my
Leeuwen are two pupils who
luxurious studios to work in and often
I think that West Downs will be a
work in Arts Education.
participated in the project from Fort
had to resort to rehearsing in a room
fantastic investment for the future of
Hill Community School. They were
that resembled something along the
the Arts at King Alfred’s, especially
It was through one of our most
invited by King Alfred’s to perform
lines of a rather dull and dirty port-a-
with the intake for the BA Performing
recent education developments, ‘The
their song on bullying at the new
cabin! In saying that, I did thoroughly
Arts course increasing yearly.
Schools Opera Project’, that we came
West Downs Centre. Sophie wrote the
enjoy my time at King Alfred’s!
2 Venta - King Alfred’s Alumni Magazine