THE work of talented young musicians and artists at Teesdale School was celebrated at a special event.
The Summer Celebration was the first time since pre-Covid that an audience of family and friends was invited into the school to view and listen to the youngsters’ efforts.
And for some of the musicians and singers, it was the first time they had stepped out in front of a crowd.
Sally McGrath, from the music department, said: “We are so proud of the work our students put in to rehearsing for the evening. Some are experienced, but many performed to an audience for the first time.”
Nicolette Bell, head of art, said that as well as art produced by A level and GCSE students, work from all year groups had been included in the exhibition.
In addition, work produced by students in projects with the North Pennines AONB Partnership, at the Bowlees Visitor Centre, and Plants on the Edge, organised by the Teesdale Special Flora Trust, was also on show.
“We wanted the exhibition to celebrate their work and invite parents and friends to come in an see it,” added Ms Bell.
Among those whose work was on show was lower sixth student Libby Robinson, who was particularly proud of a large picture she had produced. “It’s a statue of the Roman goddess Venus in oil on a background acrylic. It fits in with my project which is mythology and took about three weeks solid to produce,” said Libby, who plans to study art at university.
“I am mostly pleased with it – but I will go back and tweak it.”
Budding photographer Jeni Bainbridge, also in the lower sixth, was inspired by the pictures in Vogue magazine – and she managed to talk her friends into modelling for her images.
“Photography is something I had always been interested in, even more so during lockdown when I had more time to do it,” she said.
Fellow photography fan Matthew Hendry plans to devote plenty of time in the summer holidays to taking pictures.
“I enjoy the technical side of using a camera,” he said.
