Culture students hold Black and White Night in Loreto

SAINT Michael"s Loreto transition year students hosted a 'Black and White Night" at the school. The audience was comprised of the girls" parents, teachers, members of the school"s Board of Management and members of the Loreto Order. The recent event was designed to showcase the work, which the students had undertaken as part of their 'Modern and Contemporary Culture" course. The aim of the course, which was designed and implemented by Mrs MJ Ryan-Widdis, was to broaden the pupils" cultural horizons so as to increase their understanding and appreciation of the arts. It sought also to encourage the students" own active engagement in the creative process. The course includes art, theatre, cinema, photography, origami, fashion-study, dress-design and millinery. On the night, the girls presented their response to surrealist painter, Magritte, and to political satirist and artist, Ungerer. The art section culminated with an homage to Magritte - images created by the transition year students in the style of the master himself. The second component of the night was a potted history of modern fashion during which nine models displayed the clothing trends of the modern era from 1920-2009. Next was theatre and in this section two plays were performed in edited form. The first was Jean-Paul Sartre"s 'Huis-Clos"- a play set in a very luxuriously styled Hell. The glamorous setting was accomplished through the generous patronage of Flowerhill Furniture. The second drama was the work of recently deceased playwright, Harold Pinter and it featured two hit-men waiting for instructions for their next job. The evening ended with dress-design and a look at millinery. The students displayed hats and dresses, designed by Mrs Ryan-Widdis. There were bin bag dresses, a petal dress, floral hats with light installations and all manner of feathers, voile and millinery netting. A light supper of delicate savouries was provided by chef Ed Cooney of the Merrion Hotel and all manner of home-baked sweets were supplied by the girls" parents. Producers of the show were Transition Year Co-ordinator Mrs Eileen Cunningham, and Modern and Contemporary Culture teacher and course designer Mrs MJ Ryan Widdis and Music teacher and sound technician Ms Olivia Toman. The girls" photographer was art teacher Paddy McGuinness.