83 November 2004 - The Best Yet!! - Greenhead College

Project &
Workshadowing
g c
21-25 June 2004
Projects Update: This year there were 343 students involved in projects running in PaWs week, continuing to increase the number
of projects on offer. The choice of project also continued to vary. New project choices included Leadership & Management Skills
led by Lt Steve Conneely from the Royal Navy, and DNA Techniques organised in conjunction with Bradford University.
Work Shadowing Placement Update: A grand total of 556 student placements operated this year which was an upward trend from
the previous year when 476 students were placed. A new development involved 18 students being placed in London: ten ‘capital’
student placements were arranged directly by the college. Carol Hibbert (London Placement Supervisor) accompanied the student
party down for the week. Accommodation was provided for the group in the University College London (UCL) Halls of Residence.
An international dimension to work shadowing reached Besançon in France. Seven students were accompanied by Avril Looseley
and Professor David Looseley from the Leeds University French Department. Elaine Maynard organised placements in Unna, Germany.
The items below are a snapshot of the positive staff and student experiences encountered across the week.
PaWS
Bretton Sculpture Park
by Anne Credland (Project Supervisor)
The park plays host to people who have a diverse range of interests
and ages from career minded to casual aesthetics, from
primary to retired; they all work under the guidance of three
professional artists.
In June this year a group of 19 Greenhead College students
completed their projects and work shadowing experiences
there. Many of them were extending their art studies from college
and enjoyed the tour of art work on display in the grounds
of the old mansion.
The artists Gary, Jayne and Linda gave them insights into
the lives of the artists whose work is on display, the times they
lived and worked in (1960 – 2004), and how their sculpture
was influenced by their environment. A favourite was the Barbara
Hepworth Family of Man; a series of nine pieces that is
displayed on a gently sloping hillside where they stand among
beech and fir from another age. Hepworth was the subject of
Jayne’s thesis for her Art degree and she spoke particularly
knowledgably about the work. Back in the studio our young
artists were encouraged to create their own sculptures to reflect
their feelings and understanding of the world around them. In
small groups they collaborated to design, produce maquettes
and create their final pieces, which were entitled: Monkey
Man, Rose and
Barbs (pictured) and
Reaching Hands.
Student views of the
week included: “I
gained a new aspect
to my work,” “The
teaching was topnotch,”
“I enjoyed
the freedom and
relaxed approach of the course” and “It should be longer, more
hours in the day.” If you would like to see their works they are
displayed in the grounds of the education centre and will be
there throughout the summer and autumn.
Guardian Angels
by Cory Hazelhurst
In June 2004, Matt Keighley, Laura Summers and I spent
two days of our Work Shadowing week with Martin Wainwright,
the Northern Editor for The Guardian. In those two
days we travelled the North in search of news. The stories
ranged from nationally significant issues, such as the suspension
of Humberside’s chief constable, David Westmoor; to
local events like the Pontefract Liquorice Festival. Our article
about the festival appeared on the newspaper’s website. Martin
was supportive, generous and helpful, and ensured that the trip
was an invaluable insight into the life of a journalist.
Work Shadowing Week
by Sophie Parker
During Work Shadowing week I visited Mytholmroyd, near
Hebden Bridge, and spent my time with the Reverend James
Allison. Although primarily a vicar, Mr Allison fills various
other positions including that of the Mayor of Hebden Royd, a
youth and community worker, the president of a local charity
organisation and of a children’s storyteller. I don’t think I
could possibly have asked for a better placement. My most
challenging day was Wednesday, a day mainly fuelled by an
Arts Festival event. After conducting a short storytelling assembly
at a local school, we travelled back to Mytholmroyd to
prepare for the Arts Festival event, a visit from a small group
of Tibetan Monks
who were due to
take part in a
schools workshop
in the afternoon,
and a performance
in the evening.
Fortunately, everything
was done in
time, all ran
smoothly, and the
Monks were intriguing to watch and to listen to both for the
children in the workshop and the adults in the evening. A thoroughly
worthwhile and satisfying week!
Stop Press: The Huddersfield Examiner
by Mark Hollingworth
As an aspiring journalist I was delighted to be informed that I’d
be shadowing print journalists for a week at The Huddersfield
Examiner. A large section of my week was spent shadowing
reporters, inside the newsroom and out on various jobs. I was
lucky enough to observe the full reporting process. The placement
served as a brilliant overview of working life within the
field I wish to pursue, confirming my ambition to be a reporter.
Mark working on a
press release at The
Huddersfield Examiner
PaWS week 2005 will be held between 20th-24th June 2005.
Please contact Claire Barnes on 01484 422032 ext 281 or
cbarnes@greenhead.ac.uk if you can offer a placement.