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Stories
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“The secret to our success lies in our ability to recognise passion in our students"
Seven may be considered a lucky number by some, but it is not luck that has propelled Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE) down the Oscars red carpet seven times. Deputy Principal Dr Denis Murray has watched as some of the most talented animators in the world pass through his corridors and prides himself on the standard of teaching and talent the college has to offer.
“We don’t take on students for the sake of numbers here. They must be passionate, driven and want to draw all the time. Our tutors have a wealth of industry experience and when we combine the two, we nurture industry ready, exceptionally talented artists.”
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Cartoon Saloon made headlines in 2010, 2015, and again in 2018 as they picked up Oscar nominations. The animation studio was founded in 1999 by three BCFE graduates; Tom Moore, Paul Young, and Nora Twomey. ‘Secret of Kells’ (2010), ‘Song of the Sea’ (2015) and ‘The Breadwinner’ (2018) were all nominated in the category of ‘Best Animated Feature Film’.
Last year Nora Twomey became the 7th BCFE graduate to be nominated for an Oscar for her work on ‘The Breadwinner’ which was directed by Angelina Jolie and based on novel by the same name written by Deborah Ellis. The story tells the tale of a brave young girl in Taliban-controlled Kabul who is forced to become the breadwinner for her family following her fathers arrest.
Dr Murray attributes the colleges string of nominations to their ability to foster talent and the attention to detail they drill into the students.
“They spend hours carefully studying human anatomy and simple gestures. Ballyfermot College has amazing teachers and their focus is incredible, they are really invested in the students’ future.”
With such a decorated list of talented graduates, it is easy to see how Ballyfermot College of Further Education has established itself as a leader in education and why, year on year, students flock to their studios.
For more information and to see the extensive range of courses on offer visit their website here.