London-based indie rockers Charles & the Big Boys proudly released their first EP, Say What You Want, on 2 May, 2020.
Charlie Raphael-Campbell (vox, guitar, bass, lyrics), Owen Jack Turner (guitar) and Léon Bounds (drums) formed the group while studying at our sixth form centre in Angel.
Leaving in 2019, the band recorded the majority of their first EP, Say What You Want, together in Owen’s living room. Drawing on its punk and garage rock roots, Charlie cites Arctic Monkeys, Nirvana and Courtney Barnett as primary influences.
During the pandemic, many artists have chosen to delay releases or find virtual ways to self-promote. Charlie spoke to us about the decision to publish now, and the impact of the lockdown on the young musicians:
“Léon and I are quarantined together so are doing virtual gigs to keep up the hype following the EP. We decided to release the EP now as we did not want to wait any longer and thought it was a good idea to release while everybody was at home, making it more accessible as most people will be on the internet 24/7.
“The EP had a very DIY approach due to our low funds and it being our first project together. Due to the pandemic getting in the way, all the final mixing and mastering had to be done over the internet. We sent the songs to Distinct Recording, who produced the final product.
She added that, under the circumstances, the band were happy with the final sound, but recognised the limitations imposed by quarantine. Having worked on the songs for several years, Charles & the Big Boys were “itching to get something out” and added that it was “awesome to finally have them come to life with such a talented band.”
She continued: “Owen and Léon both studied Music Technology at A Level, and without those skills and knowledge, the DIY side of home recordings and mixing wouldn’t have been possible! It was a great help to have that head start but also to know what you’re talking about when you’re getting another person in a studio to record and mix your music. They were even able to pass on some knowledge to me, allowing me to record and mix my own music – which got me places at uni to study Music Production.
“That level of knowledge from A Levels always does stay with you.”
Neil Barnes is a Commercial Manager at Transport for London. He had been working in this role for 12 months before being signed up for a Commercial Procurement & Supply – Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship at Capital City College Training.
He recently passed his apprenticeship and, although parts of TfL’s network have shut down due to the Coronavirus lockdown, he is still working full-time at TfL on a number of projects. We connected virtually with him to discuss his role and his apprenticeship.
Neil had previously spent 10 years working in the private sector, for Xerox UK Ltd. Wanting a change in scenery, and a new challenge, Neil joined TfL in 2016 and expanded his potential by taking on the Level 4 Apprenticeship.
The work of procurement and supply chain professionals include the process of procurement, or buying goods and services; however, these roles can be much broader than just procurement, they can extend to a huge range of related commercial activity such as influencing policy, financial analysis, engaging in contract law, and developing strategy to deliver services.
Starting in September 2018, Neil had completed his two-year apprenticeship by January 2020, well ahead of schedule. Neil was part of the first CCCT cohort for this apprenticeship and said: “Studying at college one day a week, with structured learning, was great. It worked for me, I liked it.
“By studying at CCCT I was able to successfully complete my apprenticeship, achieving distinctions in 4 out of 5 exams. Furthermore I was successful in completing the full apprenticeship in just 16 months. Having been one of the first groups to undertake the new End Point Assessment project and interview stages of the apprenticeship, completion of the apprenticeship within just 16 months feels like a significant achievement, and one I am very proud of.
“Studying out of the King’s Cross Centre, I had access to great facilities, and even better teaching and support staff who were always on hand to help, whether in person, or via email/phone. The staff were extremely experienced and knowledgeable, and held classes in an easy to follow and digestible manner. The support staff similarly were always on hand to offer advice on best practice, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply membership renewals, exam bookings etc.
“Our class was full of different people, some from TfL, some straight out of school, some from other companies operating in different industries and/or sectors. This meant that the classroom produced lots of differing opinions and viewpoints which you wouldn’t get if you were self-studying. We had a good mix of people.
“Since completing the apprenticeship, I have been able to take on more responsibilities within my role, developing my strategies and the way in which I work, to extract greater value and achieve the targets set by senior management”.
Over the last two months, much has been done to address the growing concern for mental wellbeing across the country.
As early as February, The Lancet published a paper outlining the daunting possibilities of long-term isolation, which anticipated a rise in the reported cases of post-traumatic stress, confusion and anger. In March, the Department for Health and Social Care pledged £5million to bolstering the leading mental health support charities, officially recognising the strain on vulnerable people.
At City and Islington College, Public Services lecturer Nigel Lewis made an individual pledge to help support his students with a series of ‘life lessons’ videos and activities. The aim, he said, was to “find something to take their minds off the current situation.” We spoke to Mr Lewis about the outcomes of his project and the role of mental health support under the circumstances.
“During a tutorial I asked the students how many could cook, and it appeared that many couldn’t,” he said. “So I set about making a video on how to cook an omelette and a simple loaf of bread with no kneading. The response was fantastic.
“It became apparent that the lockdown was affecting some of the students’ mental health. A day has not passed since lockdown when students haven’t contacted me for support or a chat; [sharing extra lessons] has been a brilliant experience for them and for me, and a crucial link for students to talk about how they feel and to get the support they need, or to be signposted to specialist help organisations.
“Some of my students have lost family members to Covid-19 and being able to talk about their feelings on our support link, which I set up to be available from 8am to midnight, has been important to them. For some, we were the first port of call for support, because we are trusted as their mentors.”
Mr Lewis added that students had, for the first time, requested extra learning time during the Easter holidays. The class of 26 were happy to have something to do outside of term-time, with Mr Lewis publishing a quiz and a series of cooking tutorials through the week.
Public Services student Freddie Cook told the college: “During the lockdown, lessons have continued as usual on Microsoft Teams – which is very useful as we are able to finish the school year and get our assignments done. It’s slightly more difficult not having it taught in person, but we are still good to go and finish the school year on time.”
Mr Lewis noted that the switch to online learning has helped prompt a higher attendance and engagement rate in class. The Public Services lecturer has aimed to make the most of the situation, relating assignments on command and control in the public services to the ongoing circumstances.
At any time, but especially during this time, students are encouraged to speak to their tutors or our mental health team if they have any concerns or worries.
With no lights and no camera, can there be action? Without a stage to perform on and an audience to receive it, can live performance exist? This is the dilemma facing the performing arts industry across the globe during the Coronavirus pandemic. At WestKing, lecturers are tackling this challenge head on by finding new and experimental ways to allow students to hone their craft whilst in lockdown.
The end of year performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream turned in to a nightmare for Year 2 Performing Arts students when the Coronavirus hit the UK. The perfect location at the Story Garden in central London had been found, and since early January hours of rehearsals had been put in. But with theatres and stages across the UK sitting in the dark, and end of year exams cancelled, it all seemed futile.
Positive that there will be light after lockdown, lecturer Rob Alexander regrouped and found a revolutionary way to allow students to perform. Through the camera lens on laptops and tablets, students are now performing a socially-distanced version of the Shakespeare play from their homes via Zoom. Each day an act is practiced, performed and recorded with the entire play being completed within a week. Once restrictions are lifted, the recorded performances will be edited together by our technicians at WestKing’s Creative Arts Studio to produce one seamless performance.
Student Gabriela Madalina said: “Of course, watching your plans fall away is not a pleasant way to finish college. However, as I thought more about it, there’s nothing new here that an actor shouldn’t be ready for and maybe this is the final challenge college will bring upon us. The online meetings turned out to be the perfect solution and allowed us to continue with the performance. Radio theatre has been around for a long time but somehow it is overshadowed by all the performances meant to impress the eye. Now we get to impress the ear. Sure, it’s not what we were preparing for, but that’s what actors do: we improvise.”
Rob Alexander said: “Like playing an instrument, acting is a skill which has to be practised, and exams being cancelled was no reason to become complacent. In fact, it drove our students to dig deeper and much like a radio performance, learn to perform in isolation. They have had to adapt quickly, for example, getting their timing right and waiting for different cues so there isn’t a lag. This is an experience that they would not have had without the lockdown.”
Our Year 1 students have been working hard too. In conjunction with film and theatre company Broken Hearted Youth, they were set the challenge of writing and performing a monologue which could be unrelated to the lockdown but has the underlying theme of isolation. Artistic Director at Broken Hearted Youth , Michael van der Put said: “For a number of years we have had a rewarding collaboration with Westminster Kingsway College. We were in the early stages of planning a theatrical production around the theme of mental health when the lockdown arrived.
“Luckily for us, being a film and theatre company affords us some flexibility in our approach. In planning what comes next, we’re able to look to Rob and the team to see the adaptations they make in teaching and evaluating their students. This in turn informs our approach to the creation of future work. It’s early days in this period of change, but we know the passion and enthusiasm from both Rob and his students will weather the storm.”
Students have come up trumps with a rich tapestry of stories and will perform and record the final piece from their homes. One student, Nami Olivia, centred her monologue on the faults in the American justice system and racism in the 1920’s – 1950’s. She said: “It is focused on a woman called Aubrey Browne who grew up in downtown Detroit and moved to New Orleans where she got caught up in a murder investigation. Despite the fact she was 17 years old and the evidence was in her favour, she was tried as an adult, found guilty and spent 25 years in jail. The monologue is set the day before she’s due to die by lethal injection and she’s reflecting back on her life.”
Another Year 1 student Alexandra-Stefania Chiran said: “I really enjoyed working on this project I think that it’s really exciting that we get to write our own script from scratch. I’ve been working on a monologue about a girl that is isolating herself from all of her friends and family and everyone is starting to get worried about her. They try and get her to talk to someone about how she feels.”
With Patrick Stewart reading a Shakespeare Sonnet a day on Twitter and the Royal Shakespeare Company enlisting help from the likes of David Tennant with homework, performing artists are very much fighting back. The adaptability at WestKing is the perfect illustration that even though we are locked down, things are very much looking up.
Although the regions also have thriving theatre scenes, London is still the UK’s performing arts hub, as it’s home to West End theatres, TV studios and more. Learn with us and your career options after college include TV and film, radio and theatre in areas such as acting, dance, direction and choreography. Please click here to find out more about studying Performing Arts at Westminster Kingsway College.
“It’s been really busy. We’re in week 8 and so far we’re coming up to our 6000th meal.” Trainee chef Benji Nathan doesn’t like to have nothing to do. When faced with the prospect of no work for weeks or maybe even months because of the UK-wide COVID-19 lockdown, some people might be tempted to kick back a bit and relax.
Not Benji. In addition to his online studies with Westminster Kingsway College, he works for his cousin Adam in his catering business Adam Nathan Catering, preparing delicious dishes for the company’s clients. When the lockdown was announced in March, Adam asked Benji if he could help out more, as Adam wanted to continue creating dishes for any of the firm’s clients who still needed them and to help support the NHS at the same time.
As Benji explains: “A friend of Adam’s works at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Central London. She told us that many of the staff weren’t eating properly, because they are really busy and the canteen is closed now, because of the virus. We thought we could help, so whenever we get an order for our meals from a paying customer, we offer them the chance to spend an extra £10 to ‘donate a meal’ to the hospital. With the help of Richard Delow, who trained to be a chef at Westminster Kingsway College too, we’re averaging 130 meals for the hospital each week, which is all thanks to the generosity of our customers.”
As well as catering for the company’s customers and the donated NHS meals, Benji also bakes for a north London community organisation called You Donate We Deliver, which provides free meals for NHS workers. Since it was started by a north London mum and her daughter at the end of March, You Donate We Deliver has gone from helping a handful people to feeding thousands of staff in hospitals across north London every day, with the help of a small army of delivery drivers and chefs like Benji, coordinated through six ‘hubs’ across the region.
Benji continues: “When I leave college I want to be a chef. I am studying on the college’s Pastry diploma to expand my knowledge and become a more well-rounded professional. So every week at home with my family, I bake around 150 portions – cakes mostly – for my local You Donate We Deliver hub in Totteridge. It’s wonderful to be able to do what I love, while helping the NHS at the same time!”
But that isn’t all. As well as baking for NHS staff, and the catering work and NHS meals he prepares with Adam and Richard, Benji also has to keep up his Westminster Kingsway college studies, even while it’s closed. He is in his third year at the college and, before the lockdown, was studying at our Victoria campus full-time. Now working at home or from Adam Nathan Catering’s St Albans kitchen, Benji has been able to continue learning and has enjoyed watching the college’s ‘lockdown’ online Culinary Masterclasses series too. “The other chefs in the kitchen and I have watched the Masterclasses and really enjoyed them. The next Masterclass is with Sarah Mountain [a well-known Pastry Chef] and I’m really looking forward to that!”
As you’d expect, Benji’s Level 3 Patisserie Diploma course has many practical elements, so, although he can’t attend college and practice his craft in the kitchens there, he’s definitely keeping his eye in at home. “I am very busy doing college work, plus all the meals I’m doing with Adam, and baking for You Donate We Deliver. I love it and it’s very rewarding!
“I have also been practicing other baking techniques and learning new skills too. For example, I’ve been learning how to make flowers and things like that out of fondant icing, to decorate cakes. It’s my Grandma’s 95th birthday soon and I’m going to make her a cake and hand-pipe some flowers to go on it. I hope she likes it.”
Jessica Tunks is a current student at the City and Islington Sixth Form College. Here she shares her experience of lockdown in the UK so far.
“On 23 March, Boris Johnson made an announcement unlike anything the public had ever heard before. The transition into lockdown was gradual, beginning with reminders about washing our hands, social distancing rules, and people working from home, until eventually we were told we could no longer leave our houses for anything not deemed ‘essential’. Now, the government has announced its plans to begin easing lockdown measures as of 10 May. But what will a world post-lockdown look like? Can we go back to the way things were before? Or has all this time indoors taught us something? It’s definitely taught me a few things.
“I have learnt who the real heroes are. Whilst lockdown has been frustrating, with so many of us bored at home, many of us might eventually look back on the coronavirus outbreak as a period of calm. The same cannot be said for the essential workers that risked their lives everyday to do their jobs. The jobs they had become so used to changed overnight, and came with added risks. It would have been impossible to get through lockdown without refuse collectors, delivery drivers, public transport drivers, postal workers, supermarket servers, teachers supporting vulnerable students and of course the incredible staff in the NHS. The people we needed most were not superheroes, billionaires, or celebrities, they were ordinary, caring people, who stayed at work so we could all stay home. Too many of these people have lost their lives to the virus they were protecting us from, and that is a debt we can’t repay. Healthcare workers (many of whom have been separated from their families) are fighting this virus tirelessly on the frontlines, saying goodbye to more patients, and more colleagues, than they have ever had to before. We should remember their sacrifices, and learn to appreciate them so much more in the future.
“I have learnt to appreciate the people around me so much more. Not only has being apart from everyone for so long shown me how much they really mean to me, but the coronavirus has shown that we can never really know when our last moment with someone will be. I’ve seen countless stories of families losing their loved ones to the virus, having been unable to see or speak to them for weeks. This reminded me that it’s important to let people know they matter to you. Unfortunately, we don’t always get to say goodbye to the ones we love, and though that will always be heartbreaking, it stresses the importance of making the most of every second. So far the coronavirus has claimed 30,615 lives, and this number will continue to increase. But it’s important to remember that these people are not just numbers. The victims of this virus are friends, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Hundreds of thousands of people around the country will be grieving, and they will need to heal. In a time like this, we need each other more than ever, and in order to start recovering, we will all need to reach out to remind people they are loved.
“I have learnt that I am luckier than I ever imagined. Being forced to stay at home, away from friends and family, isn’t pleasant for anyone, but some of us were a lot luckier than others. I have a roof over my head, neither of my parents lost their jobs, I can still access my lessons, and we still have enough food. On top of this, I live in a home free from violence, which wasn’t true for many people around the world. Domestic violence incidents skyrocketed, millions of jobs were lost, thousands of families were left without food, and refugee camps have had to tackle the virus without sufficient shelter, soap, and water. So whilst it’s easy for me to reflect on the positives of lockdown, I can’t do so without acknowledging that for many people, lockdown was always going to be a nightmare. As the world slowly returns to normal, we need to learn from this. The coronavirus outbreak has shown us how vulnerable so many people in this country are, and how we have to support them more. We must ensure that everyone is safe in the future, not just those who can afford to be.
“I have learnt that people still know how to come together. Before the pandemic, the media was prone to portraying a modern world turned cold. People seemed divided, communities seemed fractured, and everyone apparently cared more about their phones than each other. But the heartwarming response so many people have had to the coronavirus outbreak tells us differently. People jumped at the chance to set up mutual aid groups to support the most vulnerable people in their areas, millions are being raised for charity, heroic individuals continue to put in extraordinary efforts to make sure children can eat, and every Thursday at 8pm, the entire country comes together to applaud the NHS for getting us through this. It is evident that we are stronger together, and we cannot forget this sense of unity we have gained. Even as lockdown measures are eased, many vulnerable people will still be living in fear, and need our support. The NHS will still be fighting, and many of the workers will be fighting their own battles with their mental health, as a result of everything they’ve seen. We will get through this, but we will need to keep fighting, keep supporting, and keep loving in order to do so.”
Students on Westminster Kingsway College’s Career Ready Programme were treated to an online masterclass on 23 April with renowned global design and consultancy firm Arcadis.
The Career Ready Programme is a prestigious year-long employability programme for disadvantaged 16-18 year olds, which prepares them for the world of work and their future success. Together with a network of employers, the programme consists of three main parts: mentoring with an experienced professional; access to a series of employability masterclasses; and a summer internship where they apply their knowledge and get real life work experience.
Due to the current lockdown, the ‘Live Industry Insight’ masterclass took place virtually via Microsoft Teams with Arcadis’ Management Consultant Laura Reynolds, who covered everything from what a Management Consultant does, to diversity in the sector and why working for Google is perceived so well.
The masterclass proved popular with 25 students taking part. Laura spoke about her career to date, how she became a Management Consultant and why academic qualifications are not the be all and end all to forging your way in the industry.
She also discussed her recent project with a technology client, who were looking to roll out new ways of working and deliver a cutting-edge workspace, to be leaders in their industry. Laura explained that the average cost of a single desk space in London today is roughly £10,000 per year. With a large workforce and space challenges in cities, a more worthwhile use of space is to match it to usage patterns by providing more collaborative and creative spaces. Laura talked through the process of finding innovative solutions to maximise productivity and drive down costs whilst keeping the client company’s ‘fun’ ethos.
During the masterclass students were highly engaged and posed questions on progression in the sector and tips for success. They really enjoyed the masterclass, with one student commenting: “It was good to know about the different jobs you can do and how your qualifications and also interests can help you stand out and have a successful career.” Another student said, “It was really interesting to hear from someone who has been in a position that we will be in and the decisions they made while there. The thing I’ll take from the event is that she did the degree she loved and then found a job she enjoyed.”
Afterwards Laura told us: “I had a fantastic time hosting the first session for WestKing’s Career Ready’s Virtual Masterclass series. As a management consultant working at Arcadis, I hoped to give the students a flavour of what it is like to work in a fast-paced, client-facing environment for a leading engineering consultancy. I volunteered because I wanted to challenge stereotypes that might exist in students’ minds about what “type of person” a management consultant is. The students were incredibly engaged and responsive, posing challenging questions and displaying to me that they really connected with the essence of what management consulting is and that they had a sincere passion to grow their own careers.”
Carlo Liu, Employability and Progression Lead at WestKing said: “Now more than ever, young people – especially those who are disadvantaged – need to be able to boost their employability and showcase their talents, which is why we are continuing to connect our learners with employers and industry with live activities like this. The Arcadis team were involved in planning the session, to ensure our learners had an interesting and insightful masterclass. It was a great live session!”
Driven by its success, the Employability Team aim to host a masterclass for each curriculum area during the lockdown period, ensuring that as many students as possible can benefit.
If you would like to find out more, please contact our Employability and Progression Lead, Carlo Liu, at carlo.liu@westking.ac.uk
Between February and March, twelve City and Islington College students attended a series of workshops at the college’s Sixth Form Centre in the Angel, Islington, led by investigative journalist Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi and supported by Sussex University.
Omonira-Oyekanmi edits for political project Shine a Light and writes for Lacuna Magazine, which targets injustice and promotes human rights.
Dubbed the ‘Writing Wrongs Project’, the workshops aimed to prepare students for entry into the celebrated Orwell Youth Prize. Aimed at 12-18 year olds, the Orwell Youth Prize annually invites young people to tackle a key theme around social justice. This year, the theme is ‘The Future We Want’.
Over the course of four weeks, participants developed key journalistic skills in research and writing, receiving one-on-one feedback on developing a story and verifying sources. At the end of the course, the sixth formers submitted an article for detailed feedback as final preparation for entry into the Orwell Youth Prize.
Of the 12 participating students, Omonira-Oyekanmi selected A Level student Jessica Tunks as the stand-out winner, whose article ‘Pencils, parties and prison sentences’ focused on young offenders, school expulsions and prisons.
Runner-up Abigail Forest submitted an article addressing sexual harassment and the impact on young people, which the journalist described as “a beautifully written piece combining personal testimony and comprehensive background research.”
Other entries looked at homelessness, sexual harassment, bullying and racism.
Omonira-Oyekanmi said: “The winning piece was a comprehensive, deeply researched article which looked at the schools to prisons pipeline for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. A compelling mix of reporting and storytelling, including interviews with a former pupil referral unit teacher and a powerful interview with one of the author’s friends.
“All the pieces were well researched and some were incredibly thoughtful and well-written.”
“Students worked really hard, juggling research alongside school work and making valuable contributions during workshops.
“I’m so pleased that despite all the drama of the pandemic and the cancellation of our final workshop and celebration day, some were able to submit final articles.”
The Orwell Youth Prize will be accepting entries until 6 May for those looking for personalised feedback; the final deadline is 11 June. Young people are invited to enter at here.
Since it began in March, the Coronavirus lockdown has provided an opportunity for students of Westminster Kingsway College’s renowned School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts to put down their utensils and engage with renowned chefs.
The college – home to London’s leading culinary school – has hosted four online ‘lockdown’ question and answer Masterclasses for students so far, with chefs Ben Murphy, Freddie Forster, Selin Kiazim and Andrew Wong – all of whom are former students of the college. The Masterclasses gave students a unique opportunity to hear the alumni talk about their careers so far and what they have learned along the way, as well as their top tips for success.
Ben Murphy
The first Masterclass was on 1 April with Ben Murphy, head chef at Launceston Place restaurant in London’s Kensington, who gave a ‘warts and all’ talk about his career. Ben graduated from our Professional Chef Diploma course in 2010 aged just 19 and went on to work in France and at the five-star Berkeley Hotel, Knightsbridge. He said: “The college is the foundation of everything that I learned, from holding a knife to making a base for a sauce.
“But it wasn’t just the cooking. I learned how to be more patient, how to respect my elders and those who know more than me.” He went on to talk about those that influenced his career including mentor Norman Fu and his tutors at WestKing, whose advice and feedback he still seeks. Career highlights for Ben include being driven by Pierre Koffmann to the south of France to work in a 3 Michelin starred restaurant. “It was tough, but I learned a lot and eventually I think I earned their respect,” he said. Providing inspiration to the next generation of culinary and hospitality professionals, Ben told them: “You get out what you put in. The harder you work, the more you get. Live your best life, be happy and have no regrets.”
Freddie Forster
The next chef to share their expertise and experience with students was Saturday Kitchen regular and former Head Chef at le Pont de la Tour restaurant in London, Freddie Forster, on 8 April. Describing his decision to stay at the college and complete his final year as “the best decision I ever made,” Freddie graduated from the three-year Professional Chef Diploma course in 1990 and went on to work for Raymond Blanc in a career that has taken him all over the world. Freddie’s Masterclass covered everything from his favourite dishes to cook and eat, to staying positive and setting goals. Freddie provided a unique insight into the impact of the pandemic and how he believes it will affect the service industry. He discussed the need for restaurants to be more vigilant on spending money and how hygiene practices will change. You can watch it here:
Selin Kiazim
Our third culinary Masterclass was on 23 April, with Selin Kiazim, who graduated from the college in 2008. Students logged in to hear her talk about her time at WestKing and how competing in culinary competitions helped shape her future. One of these competitions resulted in her winning a five-week trip to New Zealand where she met world-famous chef Peter Gordon. She went on to work for him and eventually became head chef at the Kopapa restaurant. Trying to establish herself in her own right, she then ran several pop-ups across the UK and it was only after a career-changing review from Giles Coren in The Times that she gained confidence in her Turkish Cypriot cuisine and opened her restaurant Oklava in 2015. Selin also competed on The Great British Menu in 2017 and her dessert was selected for the final banquet.
Students questioned Selin about being a female in a male-dominated industry. She talked about the harsh reputation that working in kitchens has and how working for Peter Gordon taught her that nurturing her staff is important. “The way that I treat people and the way I run my kitchen is very much in line with him [Peter Gordon],” she said. Watch Selin in action:
Andrew Wong
Andrew Wong – the host of our fourth Masterclass – grew up in a culinary family. His parents were restaurateurs, but the young Andrew was much more interested in studying to go to university than helping out in the kitchen – indeed he deliberately threw himself into his studies so he wouldn’t have to work in his mum and dad’s traditional Chinese restaurant. But people, and circumstances, change and after leaving university and training to be a chef at Westminster Kingsway College, Andrew is a highly accomplished chef with a Michelin Star for his restaurant A.Wong. Watch his Masterclass here:
Programme Manager for the Professional Chefs Diploma at Westminster Kingsway College, Paul Jervis, said: “We are a very well-connected college and these Masterclasses are a unique chance for students to hear first-hand from people who are not only their heroes in the industry, but who, like them, have studied here. We’ve been delighted to run four Masterclasses so far and we are really grateful to Ben, Freddie, Selin and Andrew for taking part.”
“We have a lot of other talented and successful culinary alumni who we keep in regular contact with. We’re pleased that so many of them want to help inspire the next generation of chefs and so we’re planning more Masterclasses, with more alumni, as the lockdown continues.
Find out more about our Hospitality and Culinary Arts courses here.
City and Islington Sixth Form College are offering students the opportunity to try their hand at games design. In an exciting new development, the Sixth Form’s Careers Department, in collaboration with Fusebox Games, have organised a competition to allow students to develop their skills in creativity and teamwork.
Fusebox are known for their hit publications, ‘Love Island: The Game’ and ‘The X Factor Life’.
The winning team or individual will be given the opportunity to go to a real game development studio and meet the professional game designers, developers, and 3D and technical artists who bring games to life.
For those looking to go into the industry or just to build a varied portfolio of accomplishments, the 2020 Games Design Competition will provide a practical route into the world of work. Entrants are expected to put together a supporting Game Design Document, detailing the features and game mechanics they would like to include in their finished product.
Participants are encouraged, where possible, to work together in teams. The original brief notes that video game companies are making increasing use of remote working, and that the competition will provide useful experience in online collaboration.
