"Our students are hugely talented & have been working hard to develop their artistic skills. Its great to see this recognised by the Washington Arts Centre. We hope you enjoy their masterpieces!"
Jessica Sharman, Teacher of Art
The creative artwork and photography of talented students from two outstanding secondary schools in Sunderland has been chosen to feature in a major local arts exhibition that will be advertised across the region.
Supported by the art and photography teaching team at St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy, 11 students from St Anthony’s and their mixed sixth form with St. Aidan’s Catholic Academy, which are part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, put forward their work that will now appear in Youth Arts Exhibition 2021: Bright Lights at the Washington Arts Centre.
The Bright Lights exhibition, endorsed by Sunderland Culture, will showcase some of the most exciting artwork by young people from across Washington and the wider Sunderland area.
Teacher of Art Jessica Sharman said: “The last year or so has been full of the unknown and been particularly difficult for young people across the region, including our students.
“Whether they’ve had to adapt to remote learning, social bubbles or mask wearing in school, things have constantly changed but our students have shown such resilience throughout.
“They’ve continued to work hard and their artwork has been incredible capturing real sentiment and emotion during such an uncertain time.
“It’s wonderful that 11 of our pupils have been selected to showcase their work at the Bright Lights exhibition.
“Our students are hugely talented and have been working hard to develop their artistic skills. It’s great to see this recognised by the Washington Arts Centre. We hope you enjoy their art and photography!”
The students work will also feature in an advertising campaign to highlight the new exhibition with billboard posters displayed in The Galleries Shopping Centre in Washington and around the Arts Centre Washington.
Kate Mitchell, a Year 10 student at St Anthony’s, said: “I’m so happy that three of my photos have been chosen for the exhibition. I love being able to photograph our local area and to hear the news that they’ll now feature in a regional exhibition is amazing!”
The Youth Arts Exhibition 2021: Bright Lights exhibition is available online and can be viewed here: https://sunderlandculture.org.uk/our-venues/arts-centre-washington/youth-arts-exhibition-2021-bright-lights/
For more information about St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy, St. Aidan’s Catholic Academy or the mixed sixth form, please visit: https://st-anthonys-academy.com/ , https://www.staidanscatholicacademy.co.uk and http://aaasixthform.com
