San Francisco Residential 2005

The HND Theatre Year 2 students have just returned from a trip to San Francisco, part of an annual programme for the year two HND's who have visited New York and Toronto in past years.

The aim of the visit is for the students to experience the culture of the particular country and chosen city. As well as the Golden Gate Bridge this year's students students visited Alcatraz, the San Francisco Aquarium under the sea, Monteray (the site of John Steinbeck's 'Cannery Row' and Carmel (where Clint Eastwood used to be Mayor), Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope Studios (his Italian Restaurant was a success) as well as general sightseeing and some shopping.

The students planned the trip and were responsible for putting the itinerary together with Phil Stokes, their tutor. Over the two years of the programme they plan their savings and pay installments towards the trip as well as receiving support from the HE Widening Participation fund.

Each year the students say that this residential is one of the highlights of their programme. For the tutors who go with them, one of the great satisfactions is to see the growth and development of each student as they manage themselves in a culture very different from their own - even though the language is roughly the same.