AC Community
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Arts Centre Service (ACS) is a community-based Service dedicated to assisting the St Donat's Arts Centre (SDAC) provide an artistic and cultural programme to the general public and to Atlantic College.
What Service Does ACS Provide?
Arts Centre Service has 3 main Service functions:
The SDAC is the only community Arts Centre between Cardiff and Swansea. The Arts Centre presents a diverse programme of Cinema, World Music, Theatre, Art Exhibitions and Community Cultural Events throughout the year, including large festivals in the summer.
What Might I Do, As A First Year, In Arts Centre Service?
Among the wide variety of activities and Service you will:
A variety of skills and personal development including:
ACS is very much dependent upon the energy and initiative of its student members. Though there will be certain programmes and commitments already in place, there is a great deal of flexibility and opportunity for individual members of Arts Centre Service to pursue their own interests and inclinations. We always look for new initiatives and projects. There is a great deal of scope for exciting and as yet, unplanned developments.
Now For the Nitty-Gritty! What Are the Expectations for Service Commitments?
Generally, ACS meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2.25 to 4.15pm, though these times are flexible depending upon the programme. There is an expectation that Arts Centre Service students will assist with SDAC events outside these times. Individual Service programmes and commitments can be negotiated. Students, who wish to, can become integral in the operation of the St Donat's Art Centre.
In a Few Words, Why Should I Join Arts Centre Service?
To give real service to the external community and to Atlantic College; to gain real training and skills; to enjoy being part of a thriving cultural and artistic centre located on the Atlantic College campus.
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The theme running through the service is global citizenship. Wherever possible we aim to promote international understanding through our work by highlighting global perspectives within the curriculum. The schools value this work as the local community lacks the cultural diversity present in other areas of Britain.
CEP students undergo thorough and ongoing training and this year have organized a range of initiatives from an Africa day; presentations on different religious festivals; international storytelling and bookmaking; and lessons on bullying and racism.
Estate Service assists with the day to day maintenance of the campus environment. It is largely estate management work and involves mainly the use of hand tools, but this would include the use of strimmers and push type motor mowers. There is occasional access to the sit on type of motor mower (the Kubota). Farm work is a smaller part of the Service but includes responsibility for weekend stock checks and the spring lambing programme.
The work covers the following elements.
Estate Service offers fresh air, a relaxing but productive environment, and a chance to appreciate the special surroundings in which we live.
The ExtraMural Centre is the department within the college which runs activity based courses and co-ordinates the use of College facilities for groups of disadvantaged young people. It has eight full time staff and draws upon four members of the teaching staff as part of their Community Service Programme.
The Groups
Groups visit the Centre from all over the UK and many are residential. They stay in the Cavalry Barracks for between 2 and 10 days. Most groups are disadvantaged in some way. For example, they may have learning difficulties, behavioural problems or may be physically handicapped. The groups have activities in the mornings, afternoons and evenings. During the afternoon and evening sessions these activities are instructed by ExtraMural Centre 2nd year students.
A residential integrated Development Programme (IDP) also occupies part of the Cavalry Barracks. This is a government run programme for school leavers from the local area who have special educational needs.
The Centre also hosts local primary schools for activity afternoons.
What do I do in my First Year of ExtraMural Centre Service?
As a First Year you will be expected to undergo a comprehensive training programme in all of the activities you will be instructing in your second year. This training will concentrate on the technical skills of the activities and teaching techniques.
Term 1:
You will spend 1 afternoon per week learning to instruct either canoeing or climbing. You will also spend one evening per week following the Community Sports Leader Award. At the end of these courses you will be assessed.
Term 2:
You will spend one afternoon per week learning to instruct all the other activities that the Centre offers which may include canoeing or climbing, whichever one was not followed in Term 1. Your evening session will be spent following the National Aquatic Rescue Standard Lifeguard Award. At the end of the Lifeguard Award you will take the assessment exam, both practical and theoretical.
When does the training take place?
| Term 1 and Term 2 |
Monday afternoon and Thursday evening | ½ the Service |
| Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon | ½ the Service |
What qualities do I need to have to join ExtraMural Centre Service?
First and foremost you must have desire to work with disadvantaged young people. You must have an ability to communicate enthusiasm and be prepared to motivate people. You should have a sense of fun. An ability to swim and an enjoyment of physical activities is a distinct advantage.
For those who want to crew the Royal National Lifeboat Institute Inshore lifeboat at the college they must be over 17 years old; have a letter of consent from their parents/guardians; pass the RNLI medical, and qualify for this demanding role. All students in the Service support RNLI operations.
The programme begins with the theory and practice of basic seamanship skills. Students are taught to drive, crew, navigate and maintain the Rigid Inflatable Life-boats (RIBs) built at the College. Simultaneously, they undergo instruction in first aid and life-saving techniques. During the first year students will also follow the RNLI syllabus and learn the skills of RNLI Shore Support, Probationer and Crew-member.
The College's commitment to operating the RNLI boat and station will require approximately half of the second year students in the Service to train as crew. The other half will be required to fulfill a variety of roles. All of these roles are vital if the Service is to successfully meet its other College and Community aims. These roles include:
For further details please consult any of the ILB staff.
In their first year, service members gain professional pool and beach lifeguarding qualifications and a St John Ambulance First Aid award. Students also learn surfing and sea kayaking to stimulate further awareness and respect for the sea. Some community service is undertaken during the first year in the form of swimming lessons given to children from a local primary school.
The month of August, at the start of the second year, sees all the lifeguards providing daily cover for a nearby busy bathing and surf beach. We also run two very successful service weekends in West Wales, which are used to experience different surf beaches and coastal environments, and further our knowledge of the sea.
There are a variety of community support roles to play in service for our second year students, and this is a time for specialisation: we offer swimming lessons to children from local primary schools, we work with the children from the local surf lifesaving club, we offer swimming lessons for our non-swimmers at the college, we offer surfing lessons and we lifeguard both our swimming pools on various occasions. Other second year students provide cover for our kayaking and surf lifesaving sessions, or they become group instructors –a key role in the service, the group instructor is responsible for the training of a group of 6 or 7 first year lifeguard students.
Lifeguards also run a project week in Pembrokshire in March, which gives us a chance to perfect our paddling and surfing skills.
Lifeguards is probably the most physical of the college services but it remains open to all, whether they are fit or complete non-swimmers. Comprehensive and progressive training sees service members progress to a high degree of competence, and all that is needed is a willingness to learn, and an acceptance of the cold Welsh sea in the winter!
At present the sessions we offer are:
Students best suited to this service are those who enjoy working with people and have lots of patience and energy - a sense of humour can help too.