Students studying the Foundation Diploma in Art Design and Media at The Sixth Form College took a trip to Berlin, Germany to learn how the city’s history has impacted on their Art Community and gain inspiration from artwork within a different culture and context.
Students were able to take part in various tours during their 5-day trip such as Insider Berlin – Getting to Grips with Berlin’s History, which included visiting sites such as the Baroque Cathedral, The Berlin Wall, the site of the 1953 uprising and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe; and the Alternative Berlin Tour, visiting contemporary/underground galleries, Berlin’s Turkish quarters and local organic markets, Street Art/Graffiti and Mural Art Projects and architectural feats of East and West Berlin.
The students also visited galleries and exhibitions such as the Bauhaus Archive, Bahnoff Gallery and the National Photography Gallery.
The Foundation Diploma in Art, Design and Media launched at The Sixth Form College in September 2013 and is a full time Art & Design Course which follows A Level study and provides the thorough, specialist preparation for Higher Education that most Universities require from applicants.
Art Foundation Student, Elliot Haigh who chose to join the course after completing his A Levels at The Sixth Form College found the trip to be very beneficial to his studies,
“Berlin has given me the opportunity to explore and appreciate art to a greater extent from fine art to street art and the connections that all artwork can form within the context of a city such as Berlin. I now feel I have the knowledge and motivation to create work to a higher level due to the opportunities I was given in Berlin.”
Fellow student, Ruth Mitchell agreed saying, “I have gained knowledge and first-hand experience of a whole different art scene and style. This has pushed me to consider and further investigate artists and their concepts.”
Ruth added, “Visiting the Galleries in Berlin also allowed me to see one of my favourite artist's work – Laszlo Moholy-Nagy – in person, in the Bauhaus which was really inspiring.”
Art Foundation Trip to Berlin
More quotes from students:
"The trip really helped me to appreciate the history and backgrounds of other artists and the deep culture in which inspired each work."
Jacob Hulmston
"The Berlin visit has made me realise that more artists are experimenting with a mixture of materials. This has made me realise I need to use more materials to move my work forward."
Hannah McCulloch
"I learnt all about the different aspects of photography when we visited the National Photography Gallery, such as the rule of thirds, colour contrast and line."
Tom Shakespeare
"I have learnt that Graffiti/Street Art is a way for people to express their feelings in a form of art. The art on the West Side of the Berlin wall was to show a sense of freedom."
Gemma Palin
"Whilst visiting Berlin, I took in quite a lot of information on the background of the city and linking these points to my own artistic thoughts. I will now definitely link my own art work to my own background and whatever I am focusing on."
Lauren Carleton
"I had never been outside of the UK so did not know what to expect, but I have learnt a completely different way of looking at art. I had an amazing experience - I think it has honestly changed my life."
Lauren Dennett
"When visiting the galleries in Berlin, I was surprised by how modern and contemporary the art is in and around the city. We visited several famous galleries such as the Bauhaus, Hamburger BHF and the CO Photography Gallery. We saw a number of extremely famous pieces by artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Katharina Grosse."
Nicole Quirk
"I was able to take great inspiration from the diverse range of art on offer. I was most fond of Berlin's vast urban graffiti scene. Graffiti is used as a way of conveying liberation and freedom. I also appreciated the work of Robert Rauschenberg, which was on display in the Hamburger Bahnhof Gallery. Seeing it in person allowed me to assimilate the artist's intentions better and has prompted me into exploring his work more."
Stephen Whittingham
"The trip did affect me strongly and allowed me to both experience many of my favourite pieces as well as discovering new ideas and feel the energy of anarchy within the graffitied streets."
Georgina Rowlands