Creating brighter futures

Weston College is thrilled to announce its exciting new partnership with Pauline Quirke Academy (PQA) Weston-super-Mare; a collaboration that will offer young aspiring performers, aged 16-18 and beyond, even greater opportunities to develop their skills in musical theatre, film and television, comedy and drama. As a Career Excellence Hub partner, joining forces will exemplify the commitment to supporting the local community, providing young talent with access to additional training and inspire futures in Performing Arts. 

PQA Weston-super-Mare prides itself on nurturing creativity in an inclusive and supportive environment. With students ranging from 4 to 18 years, every individual is welcomed and encouraged to reach their full potential. Learners have the chance to perform in the West End, earn RSL Qualifications, perform in showcases, and support local charities and events; all while building life skills that will serve them in and beyond the world of performance. 

Founded by Pauline Quirke, best known for her role in BBC’s Birds of a Feather, PQA builds confidence, teaches vital life skills, and provides life-changing opportunities to young people. Quirke herself is a patron of numerous charities and has recently launched the PQA Trust, which aims to provide performing arts training to underprivileged children, continuing the academy’s mission of inclusivity and opportunity for all. 

Through this exciting collaboration, Weston College students can support their knowledge and understanding of the performing arts; potentially sparking an interest in teaching or careers in the creative industries.  

Lydia MacRitchie, Rose Bruford-trained and Principal of PQA Weston-super-Mare, explains, "the PQA team is working on an incredible selection of projects that feature our students in musicals, plays, and films.  

We are passionate about each student’s personal journey, and our team works tirelessly to help every performer shine. This partnership with Weston College will enrich their learning experience and may even inspire the next generation of performance teachers!" 

PQA offer a wide array of opportunities to its students. From performing in the West End to receiving professional coaching from industry stars; students have the chance to learn from the best.  

The academy’s creative management agency opens doors for students to careers and experiences in TV including BBC and Netflix shows, Emmerdale, Game of Thrones, His dark Materials and films such as Wonder Woman, Nativity Rocks, Jurassic World and more. Past PQA alumni have secured roles in West End shows such as School of Rock, Matilda the Musical, and Oliver. 

This exceptional team of dedicated professionals boasts impressive credentials. This includes a Musical Theatre teacher who has directed for local groups like the Worle Operatic and Dramatic Society (WODS), a choreographer who headed up Exeter Emeralds Cheerleading Squad, and an experienced factual producer with credits at the BBC, National Geographic, and Channel 4. The team ensure students learn the theories as well as the practical skills needed to thrive in a dynamic industry.  

The academy is rooted in inclusivity and is driven by a passion for performance. Every student is unique, and PQA’s role is to help them uncover and nurture that individuality. The academy’s impressive guest visitors regularly provide masterclasses to inspire the next generation. 

This partnership with Weston College will only strengthen these core values, creating an enriching environment where local talent can thrive. Together, they are providing a springboard for young people to follow their dreams, whether that be on the West End stage, in front of a camera, or in the classroom. 

If you are interested in joining one of our Performing Arts courses in September, click here.

Over Halloween, Puxton Park hosted their annual scare fest to haunt and spook the public. This year’s event, ‘Phobia’, was not only a great opening to the spooky season, but it also allowed students to practice their skills and develop their confidence.

Learners from Music, Hair and Media Makeup, and Performing Arts helped with the event, putting their knowledge into practice to make it even more fearful for the public.

Phobia featured multiple attractions tailored to create a thrilling and immersive horror experience, with different themed scare zones and interactive performances. There was also a VIP Tractor ride, live music, and food and drink available.

Some of the Music students performed in live bands, whilst others worked as stage crew, assisting with the full setup and takedown of equipment and managing the lighting and sound engineering. This ensured a seamless production and created a live show like no other, keeping their audience entertained whilst showing off their talent.

Oz Cahill, one of our Music lecturers, says, “events like Phobia are imperative to give young people that are interested in performance and events the opportunity to work with professionals from the industry and learn vital skills to enhance their future. They are also very valuable networking opportunities.”

Our Hair and Media Makeup students also went above and beyond in creating a night to remember by ensuring that all the actors were scare-ready for the event, spending 2.5 hours each night applying makeup for 40+ actors.

‘Phobia’ gave the UCW Hair and Media Makeup students the chance to plan a project independently, considering budgets and time frames but also flex their creativity and have fun. It also gave Weston College students the chance to assist with the execution of the event, build up some work experience, and see first-hand what a university course in Hair and Media Makeup is all about.

Tara O’Hare, one of our Hair and Media Makeup lecturers, says, "I would like to say that the students work so hard in bringing this event to life!

They are professional and imaginative in their delivery of skills and techniques. They work to a pre-set budget (which isn’t always easy), and they work as a team to ensure everyone involved has a great experience.”

And finally, our Performing Arts students gave outstanding performances, embodying their roles as scare actors in various roles in order to enhance the immersive, horror experience for the public.

‘Phobia’ provided the Performing Arts students the chance to practice high-intensity character work, improvisation skills, and guest interaction, improving their confidence and skills in a fun and expressive environment, whilst also giving them invaluable work experience.

Jade Hicks, the Head of Performance and Production at Weston College, says, “all learners had to problem solve, be solution focused and think quickly on the spot and adapt to various situations.

The students were eager to apply their skills in a real-world setting and enjoyed the challenge of working within a themed, immersive environment.”

For our students, Phobia allows students to develop industry-based skills, put their knowledge into practice with the public, make networking connections, and it helps them to understand the expectations and requirements of their desired field of work. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!

Well done to all the students who took part in the event, you were spook-tastic!

We’d also like to thank Puxton Park for providing us with opportunities for collaboration that will further enrich our students' education and professional readiness.

If you are interested in joining our Music, Performing Arts, or Hair and Media Makeup CEH areas in September, click here.

Wes Cunliffe, a semi-professional rugby player for Cross-Keys, visited many of our students recently to talk about his story before he found rugby. He discussed his experiences with county lines and prison and how he came out the other side, providing the students with invaluable life lessons to help them make the right decisions and raise awareness that this can happen to anyone. 

Wes grew up in poverty and ended up down the wrong path, being groomed into a life of crime when he was barely a teenager due to the glamorisation of it and the prospect of money to support his family. However, Wes ended up getting attacked which was when he decided he needed to find his way out of that life, not only for himself, but also for his family. 

He joined the Ebbw Vale rugby club in 2010 where he was surrounded by supportive and positive people, saying “it was the time I completely separated from that life for good – the sport is more than just rugby itself, it’s the people involved in both the sport and the club. 

They knew my story and they knew my background, but they didn’t care, it wasn’t an issue for them, they just saw me as Wes". 

After Wes turned it around, he decided he needed to help other young people going through the same thing. He realised that his position as a runner would just be immediately replaced by another young person, so he wanted to try and do something about it. He took it upon himself to volunteer as a youth worker across the UK that both young people and parents could reach out to and get help when they were reaching a ‘crisis point’.  

He had lived their experiences and seen through their eyes and wanted to help young people choose the right path but also raise awareness of these situations. By doing this, young people can see that there is another option, and they can turn their life around.

Wes said, “it’s not about telling learners what to do or what not to do either – it’s about giving them the information and raising the awareness that this can happen to anybody. 

It takes one wrong phone call or text and you’re drawn into that life – that’s it. These talks are to give young people the chance to make positive choices.” 

Wes also discussed the impact that social media has on young people today, saying “in today's world, social media is a massive part of young people’s lives and it’s very important that they realise that it paints a very different picture to what reality is”. 

He even provided case studies to the students of how the young people that he works with fell into the life of crime by simply pressing ‘Like’ on a few photos which resulted in private messages. 

“Weston College was great to reach out to me. They knew how important the messages were for young people to understand like county lines, violence, knife crime, and weapons.  

They came to me and said that my story is very personable, and they thought that young people would benefit from speaking to someone like me.  

It was great that Weston College had the foresight to reach out to me and send the message to as many students as possible”. 

Wes encouraged anyone who may be falling down the wrong path to reach out to someone, whether that is a family member, a trusted member of staff, or himself, you are not alone and there is a way out.

To check out our interview with Wes, click below.

@westoncollege

From a life of crime to a semi-professional rugby player!🏉🏉 Recently we heard from Wes Cunliffe, a youth worker who fell down the wrong path as a teen but came out the other side and wants to help young people to avoid what he went through. Read more about it on our website.

♬ original sound - WestonCollege

Thank you Wes for sharing your story to our students in order to raise awareness of these situations.