CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF WELWYN GARDEN CITY IN 2020

WGC100 Schools
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SCHOOLS

Schools
Welwyn Garden City Photographic Club

The Schools' Photo Competition
Key Stage 3 Winning entries

1st Place - Keeping families connected

by Casey Hawtin - Monks Walk school

Judges' Comments

Your photo very successfully highlights one of the key features of lockdown. Communications networks and the widespread availability of digital devices, such as computers, tablets and mobile phones, enabled substantial changes in how we interacted with other people. Lockdown physically isolated people in their homes. Those communications networks created virtual opportunities to help overcome problems. Many people could work from home, log in to school lessons, zoom video with friends and family, go shopping online and access games and entertainment.

Your photo captures this by the BT sign and an excellent portrait of the man. The man is wearing a mask suggesting that his working environment is not ideal. He may not always be able to keep a sufficient distance from others. You highlight the mask by “colour-popping” and that is done very effectively here. The mask is blue and stands out in what is otherwise a monochrome black and white photo. Your photo would have had much less impact if you had presented the fully colour version – the colours may well have been distracting.

2nd Place and RPS Choice - Pain suffered alone
by Rose McCrossan - Monks Walk school​

Judges' Comments

Lockdown created a major dislocation to the normal day to day activities of young people. It also meant that one-off celebrations – such as school leavers’ Proms – were irreplaceably cancelled. This very striking image has been created to illustrate the impact of the changes. The black clothed figure, nearly fully curled up, conveys a strong sense of isolation – the person is in their own world. And the black suggests that they are suffering the pain of a dark place. The words pictured on the wall succinctly highlight some of the external factors that have constrained the young person’s activities.

3rd Place - Covid Haircut No. 2

by Sarah Simpson - Sherrardswood school

Judges' Comments

This is a great image and very successfully shows the man trying to cut his own hair. Haircuts were one of the casualties of the lockdown. The Haircut as a subject is therefore a very effective choice for illustrating lockdown. The photo works particularly well because your use of a mirror gives the viewer an all-round view. A strong visual link has been created between the back of the man’s head on the right-hand side of the image and the reflection of the man’s face just to the left of centre. The viewer’s attention follows that line to the face and then takes in what is happening in the rest of the image. You have chosen the exact position to take the photo carefully – notice how the scissors are in just the right place in the image. We clearly see enough of the arms and the raised hands trying to organise the haircut. A slight camera movement in any direction would have generated a different, and probably less successful, image.

Highly Commended - So near yet so far

by Nate McIntyre - Monks Walk school

Judges' Comments

Lockdown was built around restrictions on movement outside the home. A number of photographers tried to illustrate the sense of isolation and being trapped at home that those restrictions generated. This image is very much in that category and works well. It is bright outside and inviting. The subject is seated in one corner of the doorway. Importantly, the exposure is such that the inside of the house is clearly seen, and the back and head of the girl fit with that level of inside lighting thereby connecting them to the inside of the house. The bright outside is seen through parts of the girl’s blouse. The lack of movement and the way that the girl’s head is tilted and touching the doorframe convey a sense that she has been there for some time thinking about being isolated and not able to go out.

Highly Commended - Lockdown splatter

by Olivia Scott - Stanborough school

Judges' Comments

This image invites the viewer to ask: “What is going on here?” The two white paper sheets are lying on the yellow-brown paving stones, which have their own distinctive pattern. Tubes of paint, brushes and other art implements are scattered around in no particular order. It is clear that individual letters have been used as stencils to create the “Lockdown” lettering. The paper has been splattered with paint such that the underneath of the letters remained clear while the surrounding paper has been covered with multicoloured dots. Removing the letters then revealed the word. A number of additional differently coloured circles have been randomly added over the top, thereby obscuring the wording slightly and creating a bit more of a challenge for the viewer. This will all have been quite a messy process, so it is understandable that it has been done outside on the paving.
Explore the other categories
Lockdown Rainbows
KS1 1st Place Photo Lockdown Rainbows
by Isabella Grover
See KS1 Category
Caterpillars to butterflies
Caterpillars to Butterflies Emma Baker Waterside Academy
by Emma Baker
See KS2 Category

Keeping families connected

by Casey Hawtin
See KS3 Category
Restricted love
by Lucy Paris
See KS4 Category
Welwyn Garden City Photographic Club

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WGC100 News

Sir Ebenezer Howard

EBENEZER HOWARD: A Birthday Tribute.

29th January 2021

Sir Ebenezer Howard OBE was born 171 years ago on 29 January 1850. This tribute outlines his life and how he founded Welwyn Garden City.

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A photo of the WGC Centenary Fountain

Commemorating Our Centenary

17th January 2021

The last year has been exceptionally challenging for us all, for our work, our family and our friends. Our much anticipated year of celebrations for Welwyn Garden City’s cententary could not take place as planned, which has been incredibly disappointing for everyone involved.

Our enthusiastic team of volunteers have worked since 2014 on our Signature Projects. Now we have reached the end of 2020 we have plenty to be proud of having achieved in celebration of what makes our town and community so special.

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Barn Theatre Sketch 1991

The Story of a Barn and a Theatre

7th December 2020

This is the story of a barn and how it became a theatre in Welwyn Garden City. The theatre at the centre of the story is the Barn Theatre situated in Handside Lane and is today a renowned and respected place for amateur drama providing some 10 shows a year as well as other aspects of drama, giving the community quality alternatives to the big professional theatres in London and surrounding district.

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KS1 1st Place Photo Lockdown Rainbows

Schools’ Photographic Competition 2020

16th November 2020

The WGC Centenary Schools Photographic Competition was the first event launched in 2017 to celebrate the centenary, organised by the WGC Photographic Club.

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100 years of Welwyn Garden City…and what the next 100 years hold in store

22nd October 2020

Discover Hertfordshire magazine, published by Archant, has published a lovely four page article in this quarter’s edition. Read the introduction here and view the digital version online. Words by Ellie Fells.

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Celebrating our City of Trees this autumn in our centenary year

2nd October 2020

One of the greatest pleasures of the town is the beauty and variety of the 19,000 trees in its streets and public places. Our City of Trees project is part of the centenary celebrations with four areas of the town chosen for their beauty and variety, some of which are seldom seen outside botanic gardens. What better time to explore and enjoy their beauty than autumn?

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WGC Heritage Trust
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Town and Country Planning Association
Our Welwyn Garden City Logo - Part of the Herts Memories Network
Wonderful Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn Garden City Photographic Club
Welwyn Garden City Society
Hertfordshire 2020 Year of Culture
Welwyn Garden City Centenary 1920 - 2020

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