Aspirations students’ creative artwork wins top prize
Thu, 26 March 2026
Tameside College students take first prize in regional skills competition after collaboration with local artist.
Students from the college’s Aspirations department have been recognised for their creativity after taking part in the Greater Manchester Skills Competitions.
The competition, which took place on Tuesday 17th March 2026, challenged students from colleges across Greater Manchester to celebrate their local heritage by developing a product inspired by research.
As part of the project, students worked in teams to develop their ideas, create their products and then present to a panel of judges.
Tameside College’s students based their project on the borough’s tulip heritage, linking their work to the tulip trail initiative, which has been organised by Tameside Council. As part of this, they collaborated with local artist Simon Mound to design the ‘unity tulip’, which is now installed outside the college’s Tameside One campus.
To develop the tulip, students explored works by Turner prize winning artist Nnena Kalu and Antoni Gaudi and also took part in a visit to Tameside Archives and Local Studies to learn about the historical connection between the borough and tulip flowers.
Karen Czernuszka, SEND teacher at Tameside College, said: “We are incredibly proud of our students for the creativity and teamwork they have shown throughout this project. From researching local heritage to developing their own ideas and presenting them with confidence, they have gained valuable real world skills. Seeing their work contribute to the tulip trail and be recognised at the GM Skills competition is a fantastic achievement and a testament to their hard work and dedication.”
Simon Mound, said: “I'd like to thank the Aspirations department for bringing me into this project and congratulate them on their success in the GM Skills Competitions, it is incredibly well deserved and they have worked hard to achieve this.”
The piece will now be on display throughout the summer for young people and children to explore as part of the tulip trail, alongside others created by various local community groups.
To find out more about courses at Tameside College, visit the college website or call 0161 908 6600.