Forgotten Spaces 2015 - RESULTS!

After submitting our entries to Sheffield Hallam University back in April, we have been eagerly awaiting for the prize giving event keeping our toes and fingers crossed for both teams as they have worked really hard. This year there were 7 entries in total that included other Schools and Sixth Forms. There was a slight twist this year that we were all very excited about, which we did not know until we got to the event .. the awarded top three entries are exhibited in the Architecture Degree Show at Sheffield Hallam University, which is located in the main building!! We were all delighted with this news, and tightened our fingers and toes further! Whilst we were waiting for the results to be announced, wine and nibbles were laid out. I do not think I have ever seen Alice so happy when she saw the food, and we have to say it was very sophisticated.

There was a brief welcoming and introduction by a number of members who were involved in the competition which included the Head of Architecture, the winner of the actual Forgotten Spaces competition years ago, RIBA members and the judges. The high standard of all the entries was praised, stressing the judging had been done blind so none of the judges knew who had submitted what. Then the places were announced. We are proud to state that TRCreate came joint third in the competition! This team included Emily Saul (AS Fine Art), Alice Kendall (AS Graphics) and Hannah Wilson (AS Graphics). We were all incredibly pleased as this meant the department had gained £200, each student received a professional, architectural design kit AND their submission is exhibited in the Architecture Degree Show. The presentation of the boards was particularly praised by the judges as they stated that it was up to a degree standard, so a BIG well done to you!! Unfortunately, Blank Canvas were not announced in the top three. However, the judges did state the competition was close and we believe the team worked incredibly hard with the little time that they had so well done to you too!

Once the places had been announced, we were invited to go view the Architecture Degree Show where we could view the entries, and the professional Architecture work. We hurriedly walked to the show to see our boards! We could see how proud the team were and we were also incredibly delighted. The students then viewed the professional Architectural work that was displayed, providing them with inspiration and motivation for next year as they have already stated their team name will be ‘The Returned’. It was also a great opportunity for them to start gaining ideas for their A2 work. Emily Saul particularly seemed interested in this area of work.

We are incredibly proud of the work that has been produced by both teams, and it has been a beneficial experience that has been filled with excitement. Well done and let's look forward to next year!!

Art Exhibition 2015

This year the Art exhibition took place on Monday 15th June. We welcomed a whole host of staff, parents, students (current, new and ex!) to show off the ambitious and exciting work produced by this year’s A2 cohort.

Every year the Art department seems to become busier and busier with more and more hustle and bustle. This year our relatively small A2 cohort of 18 students has been besieged by an enormous number of enthusiastic AS students. All 114 of them! This has been largely due to the introduction of the new Photography AS level, along with the growing success of our already established Fine Art and Graphic Communication A level courses. Two of our current A2 Art students have even taken up AS Photography alongside their A2 Art study to complement their qualifications. A big well done to Steph L and Patience.

Last summer we had some renovations to increase the space in the upstairs studios, with a wall coming down to make them into one large open plan space. This means the AS and A2 Fine Art students have been working alongside each other this year in the new open plan space. This is a great way to teach and learn, as everyone is constantly surrounded by a creative buzz of work and ideas. The AS have looked to A2 for inspiration and the A2 have been kept on their toes forging ahead of the eager AS following closely in their footsteps. The new open plan dynamic has been so successful that we plan to bring walls down in the downstairs studios to create the same airy, open plan space. And, even more exciting, we are building a darkroom to further enhance the Photography course. All very exciting new developments!

The A2 students have worked tirelessly this year, and have produced some brave new and exciting work. Every year we think that A2 couldn’t get better, and then each year the new A2 surprise us with their brilliance. We are sure you will be very impressed at their exhibition. Please take your time to look around and enjoy, the brilliance that is Thomas Rotherham A2 Fine Art and Graphics.

Every year we feel so lucky to have had the privilege of working with such talented young people, and we feel they all deserve recognition for their achievements. However, there some students who have excelled beyond expectation in their fields:

Outstanding Achievement across more than one endorsement 

Eva Priestley and Shannon Marriott 

Biggest Risk Taker 

Steph Moorhouse 

Best Photographer 

Dominique Williamson 

Best Printmaker 

Georgia Greaves 

Best Journal 

Jade Harper 

Best Final Outcomes 

Giverny D’Auriol 

Best Painter 

Eva Priestley 

Most Dedicated 

Rebecca Steel 

Most Improved 

Manisha Yasin 

Highly Commended 

Patience Heath and Alex Barker 

Special Award for Achievement 

Steph Longden

As always we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to an array of people who have helped, supported and rescued us throughout the year.

Here are just a few who we would like to thank:

Jane and Janet in Reprographics: There really are no words to describe how grateful and appreciative we are for their continued unwavering support of both staff and students.

Steve Pidd: For lending his support and expertise to the new photography AS, and for being an impromptu model for one of our students!

Site Staff: For helping us move/load/fix any number of things, including students!

Abi Pannozzo: This years PGCE student, thank you for the valuable contribution you have made this year

Will Wood: Thanks for all your support this year


Jade Harper, Patience Heath and Carys Travis worked together to produce a series of exhibition prints. They were asked to create something that would represent their year group as a whole. We think they did a fantastic job and true to form, did not create one repeated design, they produced a series of 19 unique prints. These are available to buy framed, please see them on display at the top of the stairs. We sold these on the night and raised over £100 with the sale of these and the exhibition catalogue.


If you would like to see more of the exhibition, it will be open to staff next week and the exhibition catalogue will be available on the blog.

Exhibition Prints

We wish all of our A2 students the best of luck for the future!!