An exceptionally gifted student from Abbey College Manchester has celebrated remarkable success recently in a national creative competition, and has since secured a place to further her talents at a University in Barcelona to study Animation.

Saniya, who studied Art and Design at A level along with Mathematics and Physics at the city centre-based college for two years, secured the coveted First Place award in the Animation category for Key Stage 5 at the prestigious ISA Film and Animation Competition 2024. Her short animated film ‘Welcome to my Head’, impressed the judges with its creativity and technical prowess.

The ISA Film and Animation Competition is a renowned national event that invites students of all ages to showcase their creative and technical skills in various genres, from digital animation and stop motion, to silent film, documentary and video art.

Saniya created a unique world of monsters in her award-winning animation.

“I was inspired by the imaginative perspectives of children,”

Saniya said.

“Winning the ISA animation competition is a great honour and it’s exhilarating to see my efforts recognised. It brings me more confidence in my creations and motivates me to work even harder.”

Claire Rigby, Head of Creative Arts at Abbey College Manchester praised Saniya and said:

“Saniya deserves her success and we’re very happy her work has been recognised at such a high level. I’m sure she’ll go on to even greater achievements at university and beyond.”

Reflecting on her time at Abbey College Manchester, Saniya added:

“The most exciting and enjoyable part for me was art classes. These lessons were filled with diverse experiments with materials and techniques. We did lots of fascinating work, bringing our imaginative concepts to life. Throughout my studies, teachers mentored me; they not only offered advice but also had wonderful ideas for improvements.”

Saniya’s success follows hot on the heels of exceptional A Level results at Abbey College Manchester in Creative Arts subjects; 100% of Art A Level grades were awarded the top results of A*-B and 100% of A Level Fashion & Textile students secured a grade A.

Principal of Abbey College Manchester, Chris Randell commented:

“We are incredibly proud of our Creative Art students here at Abbey College Manchester, all of whom have showcased incredible talent, creativity and diligence. We firmly believe that artistic skill underpins every creative practice, which is why we help our students develop practical skills whilst encouraging expression and exploring their creativity.”

Abbey College Manchester, part of the Abbey DLD Group of Colleges, is a thriving independent college in the heart of Manchester city centre, with a fast-growing and vibrant community of students aged 15-19.

With a teaching philosophy based on small classes and highly personalised learning in an academically rigorous but informal setting, the college focuses on the transition from school to university, working with students individually to achieve the academic standards and social skills required by their target and world-class universities. Abbey College Manchester also expertly prepares students for challenging courses such as medicine. The flexible programmes and personalised learning, combined with a strong academic ethos, offer a unique alternative to traditional schools.

There are 220 students at the college, comprising a mix of students from the local area and other countries. The college offers A-Level, GCSE, Combined Studies and International Foundation Programmes.

For more information on Abbey College visit www.abbeymanchester.co.uk, or call 0161 817 2700.