We have had the most incredible time with Five island’s Academy during our Grand Ball and Bishop Rock themed project week. The team was made up of Sue Hill, Shawn Brown, Sally Knight, Amanda Lorens and Bec Applebee.

View the photos here.

Sue worked all week creating a huge Bishop Rock Lighthouse sculpture with her dedicated teams. You will be able to see the Lighthouse paraded around Hugh Town on the 24th March as part of the event weekend.

Shawn and the science & technology department took on several challenges, which included 'how to get a lighthouse keeper onto a lighthouse?’ Using catapults, sticky pads, pendulums and many other ingenious inventions, students created towers of chocolate that were then tested for height and strength. A very sticky affair!

Amanda Lorens worked with primary classes on St Mary’s and St Martin’s using animation techniques to create a new animated film. This will be shown in March at our Event Weekend. The drawing and painting skills of the students were truly remarkable. Who knew that puffin’s could be so characterful?

Bec worked with secondary students for both dance and drama. All the students worked hard at these physically demanding workshops. Together, they have invented a new ‘Island Fury’ dance as well as performing a very moving physical theatre piece for parents alongside the project week band.

Sally Knight shared her incredible dance skills with primary school students on St Martin’s and St Mary’s. The young dancers were incredible and picked things up really fast. It was truly delightful and inspiring to watch. Sally said that that she had one of "the best days ever”.

All this was made possible with the help and dedication of the teachers and TAs who created a whole programme of activities, including a virtual row to the Bishop Rock, linocut posters, bunting making, mini lighthouses, creative writing and other activities.

Bec Applebee said, “Many of us work in schools on the mainland and we all agreed that the Five Island’s Academy is a very special place indeed. Thanks so much for having us.”

We were delighted to welcome several artists to St Mary’s on week commencing 20th February. They arrived just in time to start an exciting week of work at Five Islands Academy and the bases on Tresco and St Martins as part of the Grand Ball project.

The artists include:

• Amanda Lorens - animator and fine artist who will be making an animated film with primary school students.

• Shawn Brown - engineer and inventor from the YouTube channel ‘Kids Invent Stuff’ who will be working with the young scientists.

• Sue Hill - visual artist and performer who will be making a sculpture of the Bishop Rock Lighthouse.

• Sally Knight - dancer and primary school movement specialist from CScape dance who will be working with the primary school.

• Bec Applebee - theatre-practitioner and producer who will be  teaching Nos Lowen dancing and physical theatre with the aspiring young actors.