Students are putting their 'lives thru a lens' on show

BUDDING photographers and video-makers from The Henley College are inviting visitors to view their end-of-course work at two exhibitions at the Old Fire Station Gallery this month.

Students from the photography
A-level course will showcase their portfolios from next Thursday (June 15) to Saturday, June 17, at the gallery in Upper Market Place.

The work going on display sees the students capture their experiences and observations through digital and traditional film photography.

Then from Sunday, June 18, until Tuesday, June 20, there will be a selection of viewings from students on the BTEC Creative Media Production (CMP) course.

On show will be a range of music videos, short films, radio dramas, documentaries as well as social-action videos highlighting community issues.

Students will be at the gallery throughout the day to talk to visitors about their work.

Student Darcey Mathers has work in both exhibitions. The 18-year-old from Chalfont St Giles plans to study at the University of Gloucester after taking a gap year and then hopes to work in television production.

Her A-level photography project explores family history through landscape , with work from Scotland, Yorkshire and the Chilterns, while her final major project for the CMP course is a promotional video highlighting the work of children’s cancer charity William’s Fund.

Darcey said: “I was trying to look at photographing skylines but in a more intimate, personal way, looking at landscapes that relate to my heritage.

“My grandfather lived in Glasgow, my parents were born in Yorkshire and I was born down here. They are three very separate areas of the UK with very distinct landscapes.

“My video aims to help William’s Fund raise money by raising awareness of their work. They are trying to raise £1million for research into childhood cancer in Oxfordshire, which is an amazing achievement, and they are a large part of the community.

“I wanted to help by educating people who don’t know about the charity and hopefully encourage people to donate.”

Darcey, who is dyslexic, added: “The Henley College has been a really supportive environment and I’ve learned a lot. School didn’t really suit me. College suited me much better because it values creativity. I had the support of teachers and friends and it has given me an environment where I can really progress.”

Students showing their work at the Old Fire Station Gallery from next week have gained places at some of England’s top arts universities, such as Bournemouth, Bath, the University of the West England, Nottingham Trent and the University of the Arts, where they will be reading for degrees in either film, media or photography.

Course leader Sarah Wilson said: “The media and photography department at The Henley College continues to grow from strength to strength and we are proud to reach out to the local community and present this exhibition to celebrate our students’ hard work, creative skills and passion for the arts.”

The exhibition will be open to the public from 9am to 4pm each day.

You can see the video produced by Darcey Mathers here: