Clarendon Sixth Form College

18 March 2025

Clarendon Sixth Form College student Lexie reaches for the stars with television series work experience placement.

Lexie Joinson, a level three fashion and textiles student at the college, recently took part in work experience with ‘Dancing with the Stars’, in Ireland.

Dancing with the Stars, the Irish equivalent of the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing, has millions of viewers across the country.

Lexie worked on the set of the series for three days alongside the creative team and costumes department; helping with costume fittings, learning about the creative process of designing dancers’ outfits, helping with quick changes during the show, organising dancers’ wardrobes and seeing first hand how the show is filmed.

Work experience placements such as Lexie’s are a vital part of students’ studies, helping them to learn key skills, put theory into practice and develop their career outside of the classroom.

The costumes which Lexie worked on during her placement were worn by dancers throughout the series and executives welcomed her to return again in the future to work with them.

Lexie said: "I never thought this was something I could do as I didn’t know they would take on a student. I was welcomed with open arms and the department really looked after me and praised me on the little things. This was an amazing experience as I got to work on costumes that were shown on television that weekend and seeing my work was a dream come true. Seeing how costumes were constructed and then how they look through a screen was incredible. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity and the support I got when in Ireland. I will hopefully be back there soon.”

Darren Bennet, creative director at Darren and Lilia Creative, said: “Lexi worked with the costume team on embellishing all the costumes for that week’s show, as well as shadowing the head of ladies and men's costume throughout the weekend. The team showed her how we create each individual look through mood boards and the creative process. Lexi really engaged with each department and absorbed all the techniques and skills with passion and dedication. She is very welcome to return to help with further seasons!”

To find out more about creative courses at Clarendon Sixth Form College, visit the college website or call 0161 908 6600.