News Students Capture Green Week At Collyer’s 18.05.2026

Collyer’s student-led RCU marked Green Week 2026 with a variety of activities including a photography competition celebrating the local landscape, which set creative tasks to explore what the natural world and wildlife means to members of the college community. The standard of entries was exceptionally high, with a wide variety of creative approaches and impressive technical skill across the many submissions.

The overall winner was first-year A Level Photography student James Tobin, whose striking image, Cat and Mouse, impressed the judges with its storytelling and impact. James said, “I took the photo in Tilgate Zoo at the leopard cat enclosure. When I looked at it, one of the zookeepers was feeding them and one of the cats caught the mouse in its mouth, and then went to run back inside with it, which is when I snapped the photograph. I had set the camera to a shallow depth of field, which blurred the whole background and made the wire fence look like a really interesting pattern and didn’t make it look like it was in a zoo at all. It’s currently the photograph I’m most proud of.”

In the Hope for the Future category, Year 2 A Level Photography student Aiste Jureviciute won with her stunning double-exposure buttercup portraits, offering a sensitive and thoughtful sense of optimism for the future. Aiste said: “I took the photograph against a wall that was beautifully lit by the natural shadows of the trees outside, then using double exposure techniques, combined the two images. I wanted to showcase the beauty of my local wildlife in contrast with the younger generations we need to take care of it for- so that they can enjoy the beauty of nature to its fullest. I used my younger sister as a model, and she had a lot of fun taking photos with me.”

The Local Landscape category was won by Year 2 A Level Photography student Freddie Lyons. His drone images of the local beach revealed a fresh perspective on the coastline and invited viewers to see familiar surroundings in a new way. Freddie’s photograph titled “Our Beaches” was captured along the coastal region of Worthing. He said “The picture captures the natural scene and ambience of the shorelines. The main theme is the tranquillity and spaciousness of the beach environment, where one gets the connection of earth, water, and sky together with the vastness and quietness of the scene.”

Students who were awarded highly commended for their beauty depictions of the landscape were Caitlin Copp and Nick Lawrence.

David Schofield who is part of the RCU Executive team said “It was wonderful to see everyone’s love of nature and photography. We had so many amazing entries, it made it hard to choose the winners!

“Thank you to everyone who took part and helped in the competition. I hope it will inspire people to spend more time outdoors and enjoy the beauty of the natural world.”

Laura Andrews Head of Photography, Assistant Director of Arts Faculty said: “Thank you to everyone who entered and helped make Green Week 2026 a success. The competition showcased not only the beauty of our local area, but also the many ways our community connects with nature through photography.”

Ian Carr, Chair of the college’s Sustainability Committee said “The images these gifted photographers have captured are absolutely stunning!”