Exploring some of the capital’s most famous galleries was the destination for Sixth Form artists; the objective was to inspire the various fine arts students, textile designers and photographers for their upcoming projects.

Year 13 students had been given their exam topics earlier in the month, so visiting the Tate Modern and Victoria & Albert Museum came at an excellent time. The V&A museum is home to hundreds of artefacts and artworks, with the museum being endorsed and named after Queen Victoria, who wanted the museum to educate the public with art and design.

Within the museum are various specific exhibitions, however the art lies in the construction of the building, as well as in the form of paintings or sculptures. Photography students spent the day trailing the corridors of the incredible building, gathering ideas to integrate into their own compositions. Many of the fine artists and textile students spent their day in a similar way, except they explored the futuristic halls of the Tate Modern on the other side of the Thames. Like the V&A, the Tate Modern has a huge range of sculptures, paintings, and interactive exhibitions. Fine art students were given an extra opportunity – to visit the closed-off Cezanne exhibition, an artist who had a profound influence on the avant garde artistic movement in the 20th century.

The visit proved essential in the deeper development of artistic ideas for all Sixth Formers, and was a thoroughly enjoyable break from normal academics.

Isabel M, Year 13