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Seven years of First Campus

More than 150 people have packed the Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay for First Campus’s seventh anniversary celebration event.

Young people who had taken part in the First Campus Summer School produced a mix of live drama and short films that demonstrated the new skills they had developed. The group of 16 young fc7celeb_1people from schools across RCT chose their own themes, and the work produced ranged from a James Bond spoof, ‘James Wrong’, to a Charlie Chaplin style silent film.

Contributors to First Campus were invited to attend and Helen Marshall, the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan and First Campus chair, gave a welcome address.

The Pierhead Building was packed with displays and demonstrations. Guests were able to try out theatrical make-up, as cuts, scars, and vampire bites were skilfully applied. There were rigs available for guests to ‘have a go’ at creating their own animation. An audio CD of the four songs produced as part of the Music Tech Summer School provided background music, as guests browsed displays of artwork from a Year 7 Fashion project at University of Wales Newport and an exhibition of stage design and animation created as part of a community project with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Upstairs in the gallery, an audio visual loop was showing a variety of successful projects including Stock Market Challenge, fc7celeb_2the Year 9 Residential at University of Wales Institute Cardiff and the University of Glamorgan’s Junior Rock Music Academy and Music Tech Summer School. A number of iPads were shown with content including animations, films, Junior B and Dragons’ Den from across the collaboration.

Kathryn Maddy, First Campus Manager, said ‘The event showcased just some of the ways in which we have engaged and inspired young people from disadvantaged areas across South-East Wales. We aim to raise their aspirations in learning and post-compulsory education. We are delighted to see so many people here to celebrate what First Campus has achieved’.

The pictures show Helen Marshal, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan and First Campus chair, trying out a chemical scent test, and a team of young people limbering up for their drama performance outside the Pierhead Building.