Spotlight shines on outstanding education professionals

Performing arts technology students at one of Wales’ largest colleges have been putting their skills into practice after being asked to help create monstrous adversaries for the newest incarnation of Doctor Who.

Six students from Coleg y Cymoedd have completed a two-week placement with the prosthetics department at the BBC’s state-of-the-art Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff Bay and out on location across south Wales.

Prop student Lorna Hinton and make-up students Kelly Jones, Faye Evans, Kelly Jenkins, Janette Webster and Jessica Palmer were able to observe and assist the crew during the filming of the award–winning series with newest Doctor Peter Capaldi.

Kelly Jenkins, 22, from Merthyr Tydfil, who is in her second year of the foundation degree in performing arts technology, said: “I absolutely loved my work experience because it was really beneficial to see how a TV show comes together and how everyone plays a role. I got to stick on and remove prosthetics that cover the entire head and it’s made me realise that I definitely want to go into the prosthetics side of production make-up.”

This round of work experience is the latest in a series of placements for Coleg y Cymoedd students at BBC Wales, with last year’s students securing four make-up and one prop placements for Casualty and a further four make-up and one prop placements for Welsh-language drama Pobol y Cwm.

Kelly Jones, 28, from Cardiff, who was one of the students who had a placement on Casualty last year, said: “During the Doctor Who filming we were able to network with people in the industry which was really helpful, and we talked to the stars too. We were treated just like everyone else – even coming to the studio for 4am – so it was great to get stuck in and practice what we’d learnt at the college.”

Jane Beard, course leader for performing arts technology at Coleg y Cymoedd, said: “The BBC has been really kind to offer the students access to the Doctor Who sets as a learning experience. We pride ourselves on the range of opportunities we offer students and it’s great to get them out into the working world meeting people who could become their employers in the future.”

Judith Evans, principal of Coleg y Cymoedd, said: “The students are very lucky to have Jane Beard as a tutor who has many years of the production industry under her belt. Equipping our students with the right skills, attitude and knowledge that enables them to secure employment or higher education places soon after completing their courses is rooted in everything we do at the college.”

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