College aims for arts status

HEATHFIELD Community College is to apply for Arts College specialist status.

If successful, the bid would be worth nearly 600,000 to the college in additional funding from the Government. This money would be used to finance a wide range of art-related activities.

The college was this summer awarded the Gold Arts Mark from the Arts Council. This recognised the high quality of work already being done in the college in the visual and performing arts .

Headteacher Rob Robinson stressed that the bid would not affect other parts of the curriculum.

He said: Heathfield wishes to maintain its excellence in all curriculum areas and the staff and governors are keen to attract students who have ambitions in all disciplines, not just the arts.

We will continue to send students to the very best universities to study everything from medicine to law to archaeology. However, we feel that we can make major improvements to our provision across the arts both in school and the community if we receive extra funding which a successful art college would provide.

To qualify for the extra funding, HCC needs to raise 50,000 by February 2002 and is therefore looking for sponsorship from local firms and individuals. A series of fundraising activities have also been planned, including a 20-mile staff sponsored walk along the South Downs, on Sunday September 23.

A spokesman for HCC said the college planned to use the money to develop and equip a sophisticated music and drama centre and make widespread use of artists, actors, writers, musicians and dancers in students workshops and community based activities.

The spokesman added that the extra funding would also allow the college to finance art trips, staff training, and state of the art sound and lighting equipment.

If you are interested in supporting the college s bid, contact Rob Robinson on 01435 866066.