Downe House
- web site: www.downehouse.co.uk
- telephone: +44 (0)1635 200286
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On a wet Monday in June nine Art Scholars accompanied by Mrs Scott and Ms Slocombe piled into a mini bus to embark on a journey to St Ives in Cornwall. The miserable weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of these intrepid artists and everyone was very excited about the planned programme of activities.
We arrived at the Treloyhan manor Hotel in the evening, an imposing Victorian building set in beautiful gardens at the top of a cliff. After a hearty supper we set off with our ‘art packs' into St Ives where we painted postcards of the harbour to send back to school. St Ives is famous as an artistic community because of the special light and the historic influence of artists such as Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Alfred Wallis. The climb back up the cliff left Mrs Scott gasping for breath while the girls bounded up like mountain goats (all that lacrosse has clearly paid off).
On Tuesday we spent the morning visiting the Tate Gallery where we had a lecture by a very enthusiastic speaker about the Brian Wilson Exhibition. Brian Wilson was a member of the Beach Boys pop group in the 1960s and the exhibition consisted of works by diverse artists selected to represent the different stages of his life. The collection was very contemporary and challenged our perceptions of art. In the afternoon we participated in a workshop at the Barbara Hepworth Museum. We studied the large organic sculptures and then created our own versions in card and plasticine, inspired by the plant forms in the gardens.
After a delicious tea at the hotel where we celebrated Alex Lloyd's sixteenth birthday we set off for the Minack Theatre near Penzance. We were entertained by a dramatic play about pirates, set in Morocco. The Minack Theatre is an amazing structure built into the side of the cliff, overlooking the sea. Fortunately the skies cleared and we spent a magical evening under the stars. The girls spent the time waiting for the play to begin developing sketchbook studies from direct observation using bold, black pens.
We rose bright and early on Wednesday for our Life Drawing workshop at the St Ives School of Painting. We drew from direct observation from a nude model and had the opportunity to experiment with a wide range of media and new drawing techniques. The day was quite intense and demanded a lot of concentration. We agreed that it had been enjoyable but exhausting.
Our trip was nearly over and it was with some regret that we welcomed Mrs Caiger-Smith to drive us back to Downe. We had a lovely picnic at Castle Drogo on the way home and the girls were able to wander around the magnificent grounds sketching and taking photographs. It had been a successful and enlightening week.
Mrs S Scott
Dan Cruikshank - 'Adventures in Architecture'
Dan is a leading expert on architecture and historic buildings and a regular presenter on the BBC. He is best known for his popular series Britain's Best Buildings and Around The World in 80 Treasures; and for his appearances in Under Fire and What The Industrial Revolution Did For Us. Dan's latest series, Adventures in Architecture has recently screened on BBC 2.
Pupils from Downe House have walked the 300km (200 miles) from Downe House to Salcombe in Devon to raise awareness and funds for Cancer Research UK's vital research. The girls arrived wet and tired, but triumphant, after a gruelling 16 day march which took them acorss fields, rivers and along the coastal path.
The competition is open to all students in Year 12 and essay titles are set by Corpus Christi. Poppy will be attending the Prize Giving on 3 July.
Annie entered her design for her AS Level Product Design Resistant Materials coursework and has been selected as one of the 20 finalists. She will take her project and portfolio to the Finals, which will be held at Dulwich College in London on 20 June 2008.
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Performances at 11am and 6pm at 'The Dell', the outdoor performance space in the RSC Centenary Gardens, bordered by the river and Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Bring a picnic, all welcome!
2nd - 4th May in the Performing Arts Centre
‘Times' writer Mary Ann Sieghart gives Summer Term Medley Lecture
Newbury's MP, Richard Benyon, visited Downe House on 25th April speak to thePolitics Society about his work in the House of Commons and the constituency.
Congratulations to Emma Powell (U5) who was selected for NYT's highly acclaimed acting course.
On Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th March, Downe House hosted a charity fashion show. The events were organised by Rosie Fortescue, Georgiana Haig and Celia Thursfield, in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, raising a total of just over £5,500.
Gillian Clarke, renowned poet, who has written poetry and prose for children and adults, visited Downe House on Sunday, 16 March. Her poetry reading began with her first publsihed poem 'The Sundial' and the audience were immediately impressed by her passionate and erudite ideas......
Diane Louise Jordan, businesswoman and one of the most popular presenters of BBC One's Songs of Praise, gave a talk and answered questions about how her faith influences the way she conducts her own business life and on matters relating to business ethics and corporate social responsibility more generally.
If you missed House Drama, or would like to see your daughter's performance again, a professional Double DVD recording by Kingsbridge AV Limited of all five productions will be available to order at a cost of £22.50 each.
Click here to find out how to order
This Trust was established in November 2006 as part of the agreed resolution of the OFT's recent investigation.
The objects of the Trust are to:
There are three criteria for eligibility:
For further details go to <Joining Downe> and click on <Scholarships>