In June and July, art and design students and regional champions Charina dela Cruz and Nuran Demir went on to win the UK gold medal and become national champions in Video – Moving Image, while regional champion in Acting Kadeem Pearse gained the silver medal nationally.

Charina from Willesden, and Nuran from Dollis Hill – both aged 20 - with Kadeem, 18, from Harlesden, were just some of an array of fantastically talented students recognized by the College of North West London at a School of the Arts awards ceremony in Willesden to acknowledge the achievements of the school’s more than 600 students.

Head of Arts Steven Keating said he was proud and privileged to be working at a College with such an extraordinary cohort of creative students and staff. “The quality of the work being done is amazing,” he said. “We’re estimating that the success of this particular school is probably going to be about 90%; so that means about 9 out of 10 students studying with us will succeed.”

Kadeem won the overall prize of School of the Arts Student of the Year and a prize for Performer of the Year, while Charina won Media Student of the Year and a prize for Achievement in Animation, and Nuran was awarded Video Director of the Year.

Presenting BTEC National Diploma of Performing Arts student Kadeem with his award, Steve said Kadeem had managed to gain straight distinctions in his course and gain a coveted degree place at the Central School of Speech and Drama  (see “Double whammy” website story in June).

“I hope I’ve managed to teach him as much as I know because I know that I’ve learnt so much from him. He’s an absolute inspiration to work with - no doubt we will see his name in lights in the years to come,” he said.

Both studying on the BTEC National Diploma in Media Production (Television & Film) course, Charina and Nuran won the regional and national competition with their quirky ideas for a fictional black comedy called blocked – about a formerly successful comedy writer who was suffering from writer’s block.

"Our idea was a lonely man walking on the beach in his seaside town and passing objects; the objects are like a representation of his past,” said Nuran.

“And there are thought bubbles, and outside the bubbles the objects are trying to get in, but they can’t because he’s blocked,” said Charina. “If you’re someone creative, imaginative, there’re so many inspirations around you. But because he’s blocked, he can’t see inspiration.”

Held at the Institute for Creative Enterprise at Coventry University, the final required competitors to research, develop, storyboard and submit a proposal for an original idea or concept for a 30-second television programme title sequence.

“It’s really exciting,” said Charina. “We want to thank our teachers at the College - without them we had no chance to win. They’re not like teachers for us, they’re like friends, they’re part of our lives.”

Both girls are going on to study Contemporary Media Practice at Westminster University..

Other major awards winners include Zechra Bati - Fashion and Clothing Student of the Year; Brea Edwards, - Creative Crafts Student of the Year; Khadra Said - Hairdressing Student of the Year; Hassan Masasi - Art and Design Student of the Year; Zeinab Ismail - Beauty Therapy Student of the Year; and Tanya Jimenez - Performing Arts Student of the Year.

Jessica da Silva won Most Promising Student of the Year in Graphic Design, following her gold medal winning Olympic pictograms in the Creative Campus Initiative (see Birthday girl website story in May) and Jakub Sinski won the Graphic Designer of the Year award (see also Anniversary logos by design in January).

PICTURE SHOWS:

Nuran in the blue shirt, Charina in the black and white check shirt.