Three cities, two countries, fifteen Museums, five interactive workshops and nine guided tours proved to be some of the cultural highlights that the students experienced on the Visual Art Tour. Not to mention pizza, gelato and peas & mash added to the cultural mix that both Italy and Britain had to offer!

The tour was a great success, with students experiencing and seeing first hand a wide variety of artworks from a range of time periods. The girls participated in exciting workshops ranging from painting using medieval techniques to creating contemporary installations incorporating both light, sound and motion. Our tour guides were incredibly entertaining and knowledgeable, taking us from one highlight in a gallery to another. I think we saw at least one artwork from every master and covered most art movements. A highlight would definitely have been our visit to the Santa Maria della Grazie Chapel in Milan to see the famous Da Vinci fresco ‘The Last Supper’. No trip to Florence would be complete without a trip out to see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, sitting at the Piazza Michelangelo or walking across the Ponte Vecchio. Selfies in front of iconic artworks such as Michelangelo’s statue of David and Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus were also givens! Mass in the beautiful Duomo in Florence was an incredible experience. Other more touristy highlights in London included a ride on the London Eye and a visit to Harry Potter world. Overall the tour was a fantastic success and all arrived home safely with many treasured memories from the time away.

“It was amazing to walk across the Ponte Vecchio and watch rowers paddling down the Arno. We sketched the view of the city while listening to music from street performers and taking in the beauty and history of Florence.”  Josie McKenzie

“The tour guides would have to have been a highlight, being PHD Art historians. The drama, depth and background knowledge that they bought to the works was so beneficial, it is my dream to do my PHD in Art History! James Hicks, guide of Tate Britain and Modern in London was both engaging and entertaining.” Arianne Flora, Art Teacher “I loved the workshop at London College of Fashion, seeing an insight into the industry. And the first day in Florence, sitting at the lookout over the city and sketching the city in the amazing weather was an experience I’ll never forget” Kate Loughnan & Jess Colley

“One of my favourite galleries was the Uffizi and seeing the famous Birth of Venus and Primavera paintings by Boticelli and the Caravaggio’s. Also seeing the intricately painting and architecture of the building, especially the hallways.” Gen Brown

“My highlight on the tour was seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was very surreal to visit such an iconic national treasure, not only the leaning tower but the historical buildings around Pisa were also amazing sites to see. Bella Welsh

“My highlight of the tour was visiting Tate Modern and the experience of the guided tour from James. His explanations completely redefined my understanding of modern art and inspired a new appreciation for all artwork” Charlotte Scurry