Whilst it’s a worrying and uncertain time, it’s important for our mental health to find ways to distract ourselves, and have fun. Students have found many ways to connect; online apps and games have brought a new wave of creativity and are also a way to focus on the things we can control.
Media students from Newtown College have found they can come together and build creatively within the gaming world. The game ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ has taken on a new world as ‘Students and Dragons’ and along with their lecturer, students have been playing together in an online adventure where they have been teleported to a strange intertextual world full of film and video game references. At any point, there can be up to 10-15 players across the Creative and Media departments. It’s a virtual hang out session. A safe social world where students continue to connect and inspire creative minds.
Our Art and Design Department have been recreating famous paintings with images of themselves. This trend has also become popular across social media with Instagram flooded with images from Cleopatra to The Scream by Edvard Munch, often past portraits that take on a modern twist.
The Performing Arts department are in the process of producing a version of the musical ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ by collating the individual recordings of each student performing their roles.
It’s a busy timing in the farming calendar too and students and lecturers alike have been putting skills into practice to support lambing season. At Fronlas Farm the Welsh ewes have been lambing and lecturer Neil Bowden has continued to provide top tips via Twitter feeds with the latest on best practice when tagging. Meanwhile, the Friesian steers are tended indoors in the shed for the time being. The latest arrival in the shed is a big Charolais calf. Out on the land, fertiliser has been spread in time for the warmer weather to help as the grass starts to grow.
BTEC Level 3 first year Business Students Bethan Rees and Jack Matthews have been hard at work too over the Easter break. They took on the challenging work of helping to deep clean sites for the NHS. The pair signed up as volunteers via contractor Benji & Co of Llanidloes to deep clean Southmead Hospital in Bristol. After a challenging few days, the pair were then asked to get involved in the delivery of Easter eggs. They helped to deliver 15,000 for staff and patients at North Bristol NHS trust. Eggsellent work all round guys.
