East Sussex College students show their skills in new exhibition

A Cut Above will run from March 12-17 with the opening hours Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm and Sunday, 1pm-4pm.

Neeta Pedersen who runs the gallery said: “This year the prestigious competition is based on Rossini's opera, The Barber of Seville. Entitled A Cut Above this year’s show comprises the work of the 20 talented students studying on the art & design extended diploma. The exhibition is free.

“Over 40 schools/colleges nationally participate in the Royal Opera House Design Challenge as it provides an incredible opportunity for students to engage with a live brief, a real client, and create a design for the most prestigious stage in the country, if not the world. The College has a highly impressive track record of students winning or being awarded highly commended for their highly imaginative, creative responses and outcomes, with at least one winner for one of the five categories in the past ten years.”

James DiBiase, the art & design extended diploma course leader, said: “This is our eleventh year of working on this competition and the third year we have held the related exhibition at the Star Brewery Gallery. It is the perfect venue for showcasing the work, and visitors to the past two shows have been bowled over by the quality and sheer professionalism of the work on display. It will really help the students if you can come and visit as they must also complete a body of work about presenting and exhibiting work. I can assure you: you will be impressed by the students’ sheer dedication, imaginative interpretations and creative skill working on Rossini’s infamous opera buffa.”

To help support the students, members of the public will be encouraged to fill in a short questionnaire and vote for their favourite piece of work. The Best in Show will be awarded by the Mayor of Lewes at a private view to be held between 11.30am until 1pm on Sunday, March 17 before the exhibition will be opened again to members of the public. A small selection of the best work will then be submitted to the Royal Opera House Design Challenge at the end of the month, with the students hearing if they have been successful in April.