59 of our Year 2 Creative Industries students have enjoyed a fantastic 5 day residential trip to Amsterdam, home to some of the most treasured works of art in the world, including best-known pieces by Rembrandt, Mondrian and Van Gogh.

Synonymous with vibrant culture, rich history and beautiful canals, the Level 3 Art, Photography, Graphic Design and 3D Design students were immersed in art and culture, visiting a wide range of museums including the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, Foam Photography Gallery, the Stedelijk and the vibrant Straat gallery, an outdoor museum for street art and graffiti on the NDSM wharf, housing over 180 artworks by 170+ artists.

The students also visited Rotterdam where they explored the famous Markthal or Market Place, also known as “Food Valhalla”, the architecturally innovative Cube-Houses, and the Kunsthal Contemporary Art Gallery. Photography students were inspired by the fantastic installation by Rosa Barba and Boijmans depot, the first publicly accessible art depot in the world, giving them lots of ideas for their moving image project.

Jason Perrin, Programme Leader, Art & Design commented: “This was our first trip to Amsterdam since 2018. Amsterdam has always been a top destination for our Art & Design students, with its amazing collections of historical and contemporary Art & Design and of course its unique architectural environment. On this trip students engaged with all these aspects, and we also managed a fabulous day trip to Rotterdam. As Year 2 students, many will use their Amsterdam experience to inform their final major projects, which will result in their end of year display in June. All in all, it was a fantastic trip and I know all the accompanying staff felt that the students were both a credit to themselves and to the College.”

The students had a brilliant and memorable time saying: 

Josie Granger

“I really enjoyed the trip to Amsterdam. I felt like I made so many friends that I otherwise wouldn’t have made. The environment was beautiful and has really inspired my work. Particularly seeing the Van Gogh Museum, as it has been a huge bucket list item of mine since I was little! It really moved me and was better than I could have imagined!”

Grace Anderson

“The trip was an amazing opportunity to visit galleries and experience the art of the city. It was a good trip, well planned and very fun!”

Eloise Savile-Tucker

“I really connected with a wider range of people than I would regularly. Highlights for me included visiting the Van Gogh gallery, and the mini-day trip to Rotterdam.” 

Theo Godfrey

“The trip overall was great. My favourite part of Amsterdam was the architecturally stunning buildings that littered the city, and the many galleries we visited. My favourite of which was the Straat – Street Art and Graffiti Gallery, which had massive, very detailed paintings.”

Alecia Davidson

“I enjoyed the Van Gogh Museum and the Straat Museum as I saw things that would inspire me for my final project.”