Live Art Club is the latest virtual enrichment hit

Clubs, societies, volunteering and work experience opportunities haven’t stopped at Birkenhead Sixth Form College in spite of the lockdown, with virtual sessions running each week to ensure that students continue with extracurricular activities outside of their timetabled lessons. 

As part of the College’s ‘Do More, Be More’ enrichment programme, long-standing, popular activities such as Guitar Club and British Sign Language have moved seamlessly from face-to-face to online, but brand new clubs have been established too, making the most of the current circumstances of remote learning.

Art Club is the latest venture added to the expanding list of fun and engaging projects, with members meeting each Friday and undertaking live creative tasks, such as the current portraiture challenge or the previous focus on anime.

Vice Principal at Birkenhead Sixth Form College, Paula Blakemore, said: “Continuing our Do More, Be More programme during this period of remote learning has been extremely important to us, and the benefits that it offers students cannot be underestimated just because activities are being done virtually.

“Not only do the skills or qualifications gained make a student’s CV stand out when applying for university or employment, but exercising creativity and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to accomplish something is an invaluable character trait to nurture. It’s certainly part and parcel of the all-round experience that coming to this College offers.”

Paula also explained: “Aside from the long-term benefits, the many and varied activities are a way for all students, at any stage of their College journey, to make new friends and take part in something worthwhile at a time where activities on offer in general life are more limited. An afternoon’s escapism with Art Club or even some healthy competition in a FIFA tournament lets students use a different part of their brains to academic work, and is a fun way to stay engaged in the College community. There’s something available for everyone.”