Autism was of course top of their list for discussion!

You can listen again at http://bbc.in/3VjYZ3

Jane Asher a Judge, Create! 2012

Beechwood College launched the national art competition, Create! Art for Autism 2012, at a Parliamentary reception in London, hosted by Alun Cairns MP for the Vale of Glamorgan on Monday 19th March.

In its second year, the competition has attracted high profile judges including Jane Asher, British actress, Gaby Roslin, television presenter and Mark Lever, chief executive of the National Autistic Society.

The judging panel also includes Alun Cairns MP, Michael Shaw, Times Education Supplement, Darren Jackson, Principal of Ludlow Orbis Education, Lucinda Bredin, Editor of Bonhams Magazine, Hugh Morgan, Chief Executive of Autism Cymru and Brendan Burns, twice winner of the National Eisteddfod Gold Medal in Fine Art and Lecturer at The University of Glamorgan.

Create! Art of Autism is open to all young people aged 11-25 years who are formally diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) including Asperger’s Syndrome. The competition aims to dispel the myth that people with autism cannot be creative and to show that art can significantly improve their quality of life, facilitating experiential-based learning and instilling life-long skills.

Young people with an ASC from around the UK are invited to enter the four main categories: 2D Art, 3D Art, Digital Art and Poetry. There will also be a People’s Choice award, the winner of which will be voted for by the readers of the Times Educational Supplement.

Finalists of the competition will be invited to attend a high profile awards ceremony in Cardiff in July, to celebrate the creativity of all the contestants, where the final winners of each category will be announced.

The finalists’ artwork will then be rolled out into a national art tour across four UK cities – Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham and London.

Darren Jackson, Principal of Ludlow Orbis Education and Beechwood College, said:

“At Beechwood we have seen how art and creativity can transform the lives of young people who previously struggled to express themselves.

“Last year, Create! Art for Autism generated outstanding interest and we were hugely impressed with the level of creativity from all the entries. With this year’s competition we aim to reach even further and we hope schools and colleges across Britain will encourage their students to explore their creativity and enter their artwork.”

Jane Asher, President of the National Autistic Society, said:

“I’m delighted to be part of Create! 2012: I’ve seen so much beautiful and inspiring art made by young people with autism over the years, and I can’t wait to see the entries.

“The wealth of talent and imagination of those in the autistic community has long been overlooked and I’m sure that this important competition, now in its second year, will help to bring it the appreciation and recognition it deserves.”

Last year’s Digital category was won by Sam Fitzgerald, aged 18 from St Cenydd School in Caerphilly. Sam’s mother, Lindsay Fitzgerald, commented:

“It is fantastic and inspirational to see that Sam’s skills have been recognised and that unnecessary barriers have been removed to enable his photography to be celebrated in public for all to see and enjoy.”

Entries to the competition can be submitted from March 19th, until the closing date of May 18th. Finalists will then be announced on June 12th and the awards ceremony will take place on July 6th.

http://www.beechwoodcollege.co.uk/entry-form-2012

In 2011, more than 350 entries were received from 52 diferent schools from all over the UK – and as far away as India and Croatia – and even bigger and better things are expected this year.

Awards will be presented in categories including 2D and 3D Art, and Digital, as well as the newly introduced Poetry.  There will also be a People’s Choice award.

This year’s launch will be celebrated with a Parliamentary Reception in London on March 19th, attended by a host of dignitaries as well as famous faces from our judging panel!

You can keep up to date with all of our latest news by following us on Twitter @create_a4a or joining our Facebook Page – Create! Art For Autism

You can keep up to date with all of our latest news by following us on Twitter @create_a4a or joining our Facebook Page – Create! Art For Autism

Careers Wales Mark Awarded To Beechwood College

Beechwood College is celebrating having been awarded the Careers Wales Mark: Continuous Quality Improvement – for its World of Work provision.

The College has been supported by Careers Wales to develop a “World of Work” framework – demonstrating its focus on continual improvement in the area of vocational provision and the quality of strategic planning.

Careers Wales has developed the Mark as a collaborative partnership with learning providers to support their processes for improved outcomes for all learners, and in response to the Welsh Government’s statutory entitlement for careers and the world of work for 11-19 year olds in Wales.

The College was presented with the prestigious award following a thorough assessment of its full development plan by the Careers Wales Board.

The College’s, under development, internet shop was singled out for particular praise – the idea for which was originally put forward by vocation lecturer, Ceri Furlong, who works very creatively with the students and is supported in its development by art lecturer, Robbie Gemmill.

Representing Careers Wales Cardiff & Vale, Mary Jeans said she was delighted to be able to present the award:

“I’ve been working very closely with staff at Beechwood College for a period of time and have been impressed by their commitment and determination to push ahead in this important area of educational provision.

“This recognition is certainly well deserved and I am confident these high standards will be maintained going forward as we continue to work closely together for the benefit of students.”

Ludlow-Orbis Principal, Darren Jackson added:

“We’re delighted that the efforts of both staff and students have been recognised in this way and will be building on the good work already achieved as we continue to provide only the highest quality education for our students.

“I’d like to thank the staff for their continued commitment and also Careers Wales for the support they have and are continuing to provide.”

The quality mark will remain in place for the next three years.

For further information about the Careers Wales Mark, visit www.careerswales.com

An annual event, the Big Draw sees thousands of events held across the UK throughout the month of October in all sorts of locations – from universities to schools, museums, libraries and galleries – celebrating the art of drawing and promoting its wider use as an effective tool for learning and engagement.

The Big Draw event at the University of Glamorgan – the theme of which was ‘The Senses’ – was held in the Fine Art Studio and encouraged staff and students to help raise the profile of drawing, engaging with them through a series of ‘hands on’ environments and adventures designed to present a multitude of sensory experiences.

Part of the Ludlow Street Healthcare, Beechwood College’s involvement follows on from the successful launch of its, Create! Art for Autism, competition earlier this year.  Open to all young people aged 11-25 years formally diagnosed with an ASC, it sought to dispel the myth that they cannot be creative and demonstrated that art can significantly improve the lives of those with an ASC.   Over 300 entries were received in the first of what is also to become an annual event.

Darren Jackson, Principal of Ludlow Orbis, accompanied a group of Beechwood College students to the Big Draw event and provided a short presentation about Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASCs), exploring the sensory world encountered by those with an ASC and encouraging people to think about the way in which our sensory reactions influence our creativity.

Speaking about the event, Darren said:

“We have seen how engaging in art and creativity programmes can transform the lives of young people with an ASC who previously struggled to make themselves heard.

“At Beechwood College, creativity is a key component of the curriculum and our students are encouraged to express themselves fully through their art.

“There are a whole host of senses outside of those we traditionally think of – those relating to things such as temperature, balance, pain and movement for example – which are often more acutely felt by those with an ASC and it was great to be able to encourage those attending from the University of Glamorgan to explore their own senses fully and really open up to their inner creativity!”

Darren was overwhelmed after his double success “in the presence of so many remarkable colleagues from across the vast sector of care.”

He said :”I am incredibly passionate about the role I play in supporting those with complex needs.”

To read more of this article, please click here.

This half day workshop will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday 22nd November 2011 at The Copthorne Hotel, Cardiff, finishing at 1 p.m.

Bookings can only be taken in advance, as places are limited. Please contact Colin Howarth on 029 20394410 or colin.howarth@lshealthcare.co.uk stating how many spaces you would like to book.

The Visitor Book is bulging with the most complimentary comments with the most dominated being that the artwork was ‘beautiful; fascinating and inspiring.’

Please do look take at a look at our Gallery!