Creative students can progress yet further at Leamington arts enterprise

Hybrid Arts, which supports young people to gain qualifications and jobs in the creative arts sectors, has, since its launch in 2003, progressed to now be seen as an alternative education provider in the West Midlands, having been described as “inspirational” by Ofsted and gained a 100 per cent academic success rate last year.

The organisation’s education manager Sally Montague said: “This autonomy has allowed us to develop a truly innovative provision. After a decade of pioneering training delivery, Hybrid Arts has grown to meet the changing needs of young people.”

So now the team at Spencer Yard are splitting up into Hybrid Arts and Hybrid: Two. Hybrid Arts will continue to operate from Spencer Yard and offer programmes in fashion and textiles, visual arts and photography and interactive media, as well as work experience projects, during which participants shadow graduates and take part in projects. And for the first time, from September sixth formers will be able to use the resources at Hybrid Arts to improve their artistic skills alongside professional artists.

Hybrid:Two has been set up in Adelaide Road for students of music technology, performance, film and interactive media and ceramics courses to use during the day, while they will be able to work with the neighbouring Leamington Live Art & Music Project (LAMP) during the evening. The young people will have access to a recording studio, lighting and chromakey facilities and high definition cameras.

Hybrid Arts Director, Stella Carr said “As education policy continues to shift, and we see GCSEs and A-levels re-developed to become more rigourous, Hybrid Arts are well placed to support young people taking qualifications in school, by offering programmes of study that are officially recognised by the Government as high-quality vocational learning.”

Hybrid Arts aims to use the arts and technology to encourage young people who may have had difficulties at school or in other spheres of their lives to make progress by learning. The young people are given the opportunity to work on a one-to-one basis with professional artists, who act as teachers and mentors, and use professional standard equipment in a working environment.

To find out more about Hybrid Arts and Hybrid: Two, download the organisation’s prospectus from: www.hybridarts.co.uk and leamingtonlamp.co.uk/prospectus

Alternatively, call 886188 or email [email protected]