Varndean Creative

Enrichments run from September to February Half Term

• You need to choose one enrichment to include on your timetable. 

• There are five categories to choose from, but you can only select one enrichment session from one category.  

• You can choose one of the following:

45 Minute Film Challenge

The 45-Minute Film Challenge is a practical, inclusive enrichment in which students work in small teams to respond to a new creative filmmaking brief each week. Each challenge is designed to be completed within one session using phones or other readily available equipment, with no previous filmmaking experience required.

The enrichment develops creativity, communication, teamwork, decision-making and problem-solving through short, achievable production tasks. The emphasis is on experimentation, collaboration and completing a creative response within clear constraints.

Art Curator 

Step behind the scenes of the art world and bring a public exhibition to life with our Art Curator enrichment! This enrichment gives you hands-on experience planning, promoting, and staging a real art exhibition in a local gallery. Running from September to Easter, you will explore curatorial approaches through exciting gallery visits and expert talks, before diving into the practicalities of marketing, poster design, and event management. It is the perfect opportunity to boost your confidence, build critical team-working and project management skills, and add an impressive, real-world project to your university personal statement—all without the pressure of assessment! 

Art Enrichment - Visualising Your Future 

Open to all! Inspire your creativity and design your career path with the Art Enrichment – Visualising Your Future. This Creative and Personal Development course gives you a unique peek into the creative industries by connecting you directly with professional artists. Running from September to Easter, you will expand your critical thinking and industry knowledge through inspiring artist talks and university presentations, while diving into hands-on workshops like gold leaf gilding, graphic design composition, and printmaking. It is the perfect opportunity to find your artistic influence, explore diverse career routes, and gain total clarity on your future progression plans! 

Beginners Game Development 

This enrichment is for learners interested in games development but wanting to study other subjects. It offers a beginner-friendly, hands on approach to designing your own game and showing it to an audience. It focuses on 2D game design and art generation, using the Construct 3 game engine. Games development students are not able to take this enrichment.

Ceramics

Get hands-on and bring your unique designs to life with our Ceramics enrichment course! This runs from September to Easter and offers the perfect opportunity to develop and refine your practical building skills. You will master essential clay handbuilding techniques—including pinching, slab building, and coiling—while exploring how to add rich textures and vibrant colours to your work. Whether you want to learn how to work successfully and safely with clay or simply want to create a range of beautiful, custom pieces to take home, this course gives you the freedom to realize your own design ideas from scratch! 

Creative Writing 

Want  to write stories or poetry? Been secretly scribbling in a notebook and wondering what to do next? Creative Writing enrichment is for you! In this playful enrichment we explore finding inspiration, creating characters, crafting plots, building worlds, and just what does make a poem a poem? You'll have opportunities to write and share your words in a supportive, encouraging and fun community of writers.  

Designing and Making

This fun practical enrichment will involve learning how to design and create a series of graphic design products which might include designing and making badges, learning how to create your own wrapping paper and make your own greetings cards. Open to any student that wants to be creative and enjoys working digitally or would like to learn some creative digital techniques. 

Digital Illustration

You will develop a range of creative outcomes using inks, paints and digital processes in Photoshop. You can choose to work from your own project themes and / or from live project briefs. There will also be opportunities to explore and respond to the work of key digital illustrators to help develop your own personal style. 

Ecology Garden

Discover the intersection of sustainability and creativity in our Ecological Dye Garden enrichment programme. In this hands-on initiative, students will design and cultivate a living laboratory, growing vibrant plants to produce 100% natural, eco-friendly pigments. From seed to textile, you will explore the fascinating chemistry of plant-based colour extraction, bridging the gap between agriculture and the arts.

Funk Band 

Enabling students across the college, regardless of whether they are enrolled on the music technology A level, to engage creatively and collaboratively with each other. This enrichment is the main opportunity for students at the college who wish to put their instrumental skills to use in a performing environment and enables students to form a community of creatives whilst developing their performing skills. This enrichment can also provide students with opportunities to perform at events across the Varndean calendar.

Hand-drawn Illustration

Hand-drawn Illustration is an introductory, accessible creative enrichment open to all students across the college, regardless of their subject background or prior drawing experience. This course introduces visual storytelling and graphic art through low-pressure, everyday drawing tools. Moving away from heavy or messy studio setups, students will work with clean, approachable materials (fine liners, colored pencils, and markers) to discover their own illustrative voice.. 

Improvisation - Theatresports

Boost your confidence, sharpen your communication, and learn to think on your feet. This introductory improvisation enrichment teaches you the art of making things up on the spot. Perfect for public speaking preparation, creative minds, or anyone wanting to break out of their comfort zone. Our beginner improvisation enrichment sessions require zero drama / theatre background—just an open mind. Guaranteed a laugh! 

Introduction to DJing

Enabling students across the college, regardless of whether they have any formal music background or are studying the subject, to engage with music on a practical and creative level. The community created through this enrichment also enables students from different parts of the college to create connections through a shared common interest in dance music and engage with the wider creative community at Varndean. This enrichment also enables students to access performance opportunities across the Varndean events calendar. 

Introduction to 3D Modelling 

You will learn the fundamentals of 3D modelling, rigging and animating using Blender 3.0. You will be able to produce 3D models for a wide range of creative fields, including games, film, animation, fashion and architecture. This enrichment is for students not studying Games Development. 

Photography for All

The course is designed to be accessible to all students, and  would cover all aspects of creative photography, beginning with the earliest forms of image capture, to the latest digital techniques including Photoshop and Ai.

Printmaking

Unleash your creativity and expand your artistic skills with our Printmaking enrichment! This requires absolutely no previous experience—just an enthusiasm to explore. Running from September to Easter, you will dive into hands-on techniques like monoprinting, linocut, and drypoint etching in a vibrant studio environment. You will develop practical printing skills, boost your self-expression, and use your own ideas to produce a stunning array of visual outcomes.