Art and Design students have work showcased in exhibition and championed by BBC

Posted on July 15, 2021

Art and Design students have work showcased in exhibition and championed by BBC

A group of our Year 12 A Level Art and Design students have had their work featured in an online exhibition hosted by the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA).

The exhibition, known simply as Fake News, is a haunting reflection on the blurred lines between fact and fiction. It consists of work from sixth form students up and down the country and is being hosted on the SFCA website from now until Thursday 22 July.

a scream-style painting of a mask-wearing figure with their hands on their head in dispair, flanked by a hooded figure with a needle next to a sign that says 'COVID 19 Vaccine clinic'

‘Tracked’ – Ella Smithies

Bill Watkin, Chief Executive of the SFCA, said: “The Fake News exhibition is a celebration of the arts and a recognition of the excellence in sixth form colleges, which are a vital supply pipeline of talented artists.

“But it also highlights how young people feel about having to navigate the vast amount of news and information that is available in the modern world, and at the same time, to discern what is the truth.”

The students who have their work on display are Anna Steward, Edan Wilson, Ella Smithies, Sophie Britton and Sophie Kenworthy.

One of the artists, Edan Wilson, has even been spotlighted by a recent article on BBC news.

Edan’s painting, an evocative work entitled ‘In the Shadow of the Mushroom Cloud’, depicts a post-apocalyptic scene where social media platforms, in the form of aliens, destroy a city.

A town being attcked by tentacled aliens bearing the facebook, instagram and twitter logos. It is exploding into a mushroom cloud

‘In the Shadow of the Mushroom Cloud’ – Edan Wilson

Explaining the thoughts behind the piece, Edan said: “I wanted to show the power of fake news through social media and how destructive these sites can be for people’s careers and lives.

“I liked being a part of an exhibition which looked into the serious topic of fake news. I was amazed and excited to have made the BBC article when there are so many other amazing pieces of work.”

Megan Baker, A-Level Teacher for Art and Design, added:

“I was so proud to see our students’ work exhibited online and in the news. They have all created brilliant and thought-provoking pieces – the exposure they have received from this exhibition is thoroughly deserved.”

To view the exhibition in full, visit the SFCA website.
Featured image: ‘The Demonization of Trans People’ by Sophie Britton