Botanical Print finalists

A Paradise of Botanical Prints 2022

Fantastic and striking Botanical prints have been on show this week at Bitton House Teignmouth. The Rotary Club of Teignmouth invited guests to the Award Presentation this week for the ‘Within Our Environment’ Competition. Students from the Teignmouth Community School Art Department submitted fabulous prints inspired by plants right on their doorstep. The Friends of Teignmouth Orangery Chairperson Stewart Henchie welcomed the students to visit and document the plants they observed. The results are stunning prints of plants and flowers  that  certainly  meet the  competition  aims, to raise awareness of plants and their botanical components, and to celebrate the important part they play within our natural world, in the form of printmaking.

The awards were presented by the Rotary Club of Teignmouth,  President , Paul Chapple.

The winning print was the work of artist Allisia Stephens. Second, third, highly commended and commended places were also recognised. All those that entered the competition received a Rotary Certificate.

After much deliberation, the winners were chosen by Stuart Henchie and Robert Carter. Stewart has said ’ the judges had a hard time choosing the winners, but you could say that all were winners. This was shown by the amount of work that each student put into the prints that they constructed using their learnt skills of photography, screen printing, lino cutting, colour association and over all composition’. He went on to say that ‘It was a pleasure to be able to host the students at the Orangery and to make them aware of the wonderful building in their town and the plants within.‘

Guests included, Town Mayor, Councillor Iain Palmer and his wife, Rotarians, Orangery members, local artists and printmakers, the Senior Leadership team from TCS including the Executive Head teacher, Paul Cornish and the Art department staff, with Ms. Wilson their teacher, who said that she ’was very proud of the  students’. Also attending were parents, friends and family of the students who submitted their wonderful and inspired work. The atmosphere was as vibrant as the prints and stimulated much conversation. Stewart Henchie and Mr Cornish thanked the Rotary Club of Teignmouth, and the Youth Services Committee for sponsoring  and  hosting the competition.

Fabulous Photography

The Pavilions, Teignmouth has kindly displayed the stunning collection of winning photographs submitted by Photography GCSE students of Teignmouth Community School. 
The Rotary Club of Teignmouth sponsored the 2022 Photographic competition.
The expertise and imagination was judged by local photographer Brian Harris, ABIPP ARPS FRSA.

Winners, teacher Ms. Wilson, parents, grandparents and Rotarians, attended the presentation of Awards. Doug Battam, past Rotarian President has been instrumental in promoting the competition over many years., and was extremely complimentary to all the entrants. Saying ‘they are all winners in my eyes’. Every print on show will be the property of the student at the end of the display.

The quality, and variety of the exhibition shows the skilfulness of our Teignmouth young photographers. Categories were, Manipulating Reality, Messages and  the Choice of Colour.  There are First Prize winners in each category.
President Paul Chapple, awarded the prizes, and Ms. Wilson and students were pleased to receive these. The Pavilions said the Photographs had generated much interest and praise from the public

Shaldon School Junior Speaks 

Shaldon School hosted their Rotary Club of Teignmouth for the 2022 Junior Speaks competition. The heats took place earlier in the week, and the Youth Committee and judges were treated to a fascinating selection of speeches chosen by Year 6 students.
Last year the final took place via zoom, but this year the audience and judges were treated to an evening of confident and well informed pupils giving their opinions and on varied topics. These ranged from delights of Wallace and Gromit, to the history and relevance of the Periodic table. An insight on Psychiatry influenced by a former Shaldon pupil was very interesting, as was a summary of some famous Myths and Legends. Favourite films was a little controversial but proved to be absorbing, and many people sympathized with an heartfelt account of ‘Being the elder sibling.’  Water Polo, another topic showed the sport to be quite vicious, but also fun, needing a huge amount of stamina to play a full match.

Rotary President Paul Chapple presented prizes to the winners. Colour Blindness, a talk given by Isaac Smyth-Bonfield was thought provoking and absorbing dispelling several myths about the subject. Blob Fish, a strange but rather cute, highly endangered sea creature captured the hearts of the audience when described by Ola Lewin, and Ibiza as a holiday destination took the audience to sunny climes and a happy place, when depicted by Phoebe Coy.

Mr Rees, Class Year 6, teacher, helped the Junior Speaks tradition continue through lockdown last year. He was thanked for his preparation and support as he introduced his class who enlightened and entertained the audience with assured conviction. The Rotary Club of Teignmouth are delighted to sponsor and support this annual event and are already looking forward to next year with enthusiasm.