Morley College facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Morley College |
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| Address | |
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61 Westminster Bridge Road
, SE1 7HT
England
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| Information | |
| Type | Further education |
| Local authority | Lambeth, Southwark, Kensington and Chelsea |
| Principal | Susan Bonett |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Enrolment | 17,000 (2020) |
Morley College is a special college in London, England. It helps adults and young people learn new skills. The college has three main locations. One is in Waterloo on the South Bank. The other two are in West London, in North Kensington and Chelsea. These two joined Morley College in 2020 after a merger with Kensington and Chelsea College.
Morley College is also a charity. This means it helps people and is not just for making money. It started in the 1880s. Today, about 11,000 adult students attend the college. They can take many different courses. These include art, fashion, languages, drama, dance, music, health, and humanities.
Contents
Discovering Morley College's Past
How Morley College Began
In the early 1880s, a kind person named Emma Cons and her friends took over a theatre called the Royal Victoria Hall. It was a noisy place that showed plays. Emma Cons wanted to make it a fun place for everyone. She wanted to offer entertainment that was clean and family-friendly.
The theatre started showing music acts and opera. From 1882, famous scientists gave talks there every Tuesday. These talks were very popular and cost only a penny!
People in the area loved these talks. With help from generous donations, the Morley Memorial College for Working Men and Women opened in 1889. The college was started with money from Samuel Morley. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Nottingham and later Bristol.
The college and the theatre were run separately. But college classes and student meetings happened backstage and in the theatre's dressing rooms. In the 1920s, Emma's niece, Lilian Baylis, raised money to get a separate building for the college. Famous writer Virginia Woolf even visited the college around this time.
College Buildings Through the Years
The first college building was from the Victorian era. It was made bigger in 1937. Sadly, the original Victorian building was destroyed in the Blitz in 1940 during World War II. But the part added in the 1930s survived.
A new college building was finished in 1958. Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, opened it. This building had beautiful murals painted by famous artists like Edward Bawden and John Piper (artist). More parts were added in 1973 and 1982.
Sloane School's Story
The Sloane School was a grammar school for about 500 boys in Chelsea. It was named after Sir Hans Sloane. The school's library opened in 1931. From 1929 to 1961, Guy Boas was the headmaster. He encouraged amazing productions of Shakespeare plays.
In 1970, Sloane School joined with another school, Carlyle School. They became Pimlico Comprehensive School. The Sloane School buildings then became Chelsea Secondary School. In 1990, these buildings became part of Kensington and Chelsea College.
Famous People from Sloane School
Many notable people went to Sloane School. These include:
- Cyril Aldred, an art historian.
- Frank Branston, a journalist.
- David Caminer, who helped design LEO, one of the world's first business computers.
- John Creasey, a writer.
- John Fraser, a Member of Parliament.
- Stephen Greif, an actor.
- Steve Hackett, a musician.
- Johnny Harris, an actor.
- Peter Hirsch, a professor of metallurgy.
- George Innes, an actor.
- Alan Johnson, a Member of Parliament.
- Malcolm Macdonald, a footballer.
- Jeremy Spenser, an actor.
- Carel Weight, a painter and professor.
Carlyle School's Story
The Carlyle School was a grammar school for girls. It was like the Sloane School but for girls. Its buildings were built in 1908 and made bigger in 1937. It had about 350 girls.
Famous People from Carlyle School
Some famous people who went to Carlyle School include:
- Linda Bassett, an actress.
- Mary Harron, a film director.
Kensington and Chelsea College Joins Morley
Kensington and Chelsea College (KCC) started in 1990. It was formed by joining parts of two older schools. It used the old Sloane and Carlyle School buildings. KCC also had centers in North Kensington, South Kensington, and Notting Hill.
In 1993, KCC became an independent college. Its first principals helped it grow a lot. They made it bigger and improved its courses. One principal helped build a new main center in Chelsea. Another helped the college offer education in prisons.
In 2016, the local council planned to sell KCC's Wornington Campus for housing. Many people in the community were against this. After the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the building was used to help fire survivors. This led to more protests. In 2019, the council sold the campus to the government.
In February 2020, Kensington and Chelsea College officially joined Morley College. This merger helped make sure that adult education would continue in the area. The KCC campuses became new Morley College campuses.
Morley College Campuses and Facilities
The main Morley College campus is in the Waterloo area of London. It is on the South Bank. The college buildings are located in both the Southwark and Lambeth areas.
From 2017 to 2019, the main building's entrance was updated. It now has a new lobby and a Morley Radio station. Morley College also started offering courses at the Stockwell Centre in 2017.
Besides the main campus, there are two other large centers. The Chelsea Centre is on Hortensia Road in Chelsea. The North Kensington Centre (once called Wornington Centre) is in North Kensington. Both of these became part of Morley College after the merger. A new Stockwell Centre campus also opened near Stockwell tube station in 2017.
Morley Gallery: A Place for Art
Morley Gallery opened in 1968. It is part of the Arts Centre at Morley College. The Arts Centre has studios for painting, drawing, and printmaking.
The Morley Gallery is on the ground floor. It has large windows facing Westminster Bridge Road. The gallery usually shows 8 to 12 exhibitions each year. Each show lasts about one month. These exhibitions feature paintings, prints, sculptures, photos, and other art forms.
Over the years, many famous artists have shown their work here. These include Peter Blake and Maggi Hambling. The gallery also shows art made by Morley students. This is an important part of their learning.
Morley College has a great collection of art throughout its buildings. This includes a painting by Bridget Riley in the lobby. There is also a large painting by John Piper in the Gustav Holst auditorium. Portraits of the college's principals were painted by Maggi Hambling. She has been a valued teacher at the college since the 1970s.
It costs nothing to visit the exhibitions. Talks by artists in the gallery are also free.
Departments at Morley College
Music Department
Gustav Holst was the music director at Morley College from 1907 to 1924. The main music room is named after him.
Michael Tippett was the director of music from 1940 to 1951. He first worked with an orchestra of unemployed musicians at the college. They performed one of his early works.
Morley College has several music groups. These include the Morley Chamber Choir, the Morley Chamber Orchestra, and the Morley College Choir.
Notable Music Staff
Many talented people have taught music at Morley College. Some of them are:
- Gustav Holst
- Michael Tippett
- Ralph Vaughan Williams
- Mátyás Seiber
- John Gardner
- Daphne Oram
Drama Department
The Drama department started in the rehearsal rooms of the Old Vic Theatre. Classes were held there until 2004. Now, most drama classes are in the main building on Westminster Bridge Road.
The college was a place for early experiments in Improv Theatre. This is where actors make up scenes on the spot. Keith Johnstone brought his group to show his ideas to his class.
Courses included acting for beginners and more advanced classes. There was also a year-long Acting Studio course. Students from this course often went on to create their own theatre companies.
The department also worked with Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. They taught a course called "Groundlings on Stage."
The Theatre School was very successful in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was led by Paul A Thompson and Brian Croucher. Brian Croucher played many roles in TV shows like EastEnders and Doctor Who.
The Acting Studio was especially active from 1993 to 2005. During this time, many theatre companies were formed. They performed plays in different theatres around London.
Notable Drama Staff
Some well-known people who taught drama at Morley College include:
- Brian Croucher
- Keith Johnstone
- Paul A Thompson
- Craig Snelling
Famous Drama Alumni
Some famous actors who studied drama at Morley College are:
- Geoff Bell
- Johnny Harris
Art and Design Department
Morley College has special studios for art and design. Students can learn about ceramics, digital design, fashion, jewelry, sculpture, and printmaking.
See also
In Spanish: Morley College para niños
