Three hundred students in secondary education plucked from seven Enfield schools will have their artwork on public display at the Saatchi Gallery in London from Monday 20th July – Thursday 30th July. The students have spent the past academic year participating in philanthropist Jack Petchey Start programme for schools, created by the Jack Petchey Foundation and Children & the Arts.
The Jack Petchey Start programme aims to introduce contemporary art to students in a way that is inspiring, engaging and challenging. The students have been equipped with the tools they need to explore and interpret the art at the Saatchi Gallery. Through expert guidance they have gained the confidence to create artwork and have it displayed in a museum-scale environment. At the same time as developing the students’ capabilities and skills, the teachers have received support in delivering the project, including CPD training, practical work-plans and useful tips.
The students and teachers have been led by Rozenn Logan from the Saatchi Gallery and artist Jack Brown, assisted by artists Charlotte Young, Maru Rojas, Ella McCartney and Sara Byers. The students have taken inspiration from the current exhibition Pangaea II: New Art From Africa and Latin America at the Saatchi Gallery, and worked together to explore the artwork and create their own works in response. They were also given the opportunity to meet and engage with exhibited artists.
The project has culminated in the creation of a series of films, which represent the work the students have done over the course of the project. The students’ artwork will be exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery from 20th-30th July, alongside the Pangaea II exhibition.
Founder of the Foundation, Jack Petchey CBE, is delighted with the programme: “We are very proud to be investing in a programme that helps young people engage with the arts. We have been delighted to hear how the programme has inspired young interest and talent. At the Foundation, we want to inspire young people to achieve more. The opportunity to meet with professional artists, hear how they have created their pieces, and then have the space to create their own artwork for display on the same gallery walls must be truly inspiring,” said Jack.
Jeremy Newton, Chief Executive of Children & the Arts expressed his thanks to the partners: “We are incredibly grateful to the Jack Petchey Foundation and the Saatchi Gallery for their support and hard work. At the heart of Start is the desire to make cultural venues accessible to a new generation and to broaden and inspire young minds. The Jack Petchey Start programme is encouraging the students to experience and explore high quality art and by that very act making art galleries exciting and stimulating places to be.”
“The Saatchi Gallery is proud to support the Jack Petchey Start Programme in providing new and exciting ways to approach Art Education. Encouraging young people to explore the mediums of film and moving image is paramount in ensuring students are working at the forefront of contemporary practice. Their exposure to professional artists and high-quality collections provides experiences that go beyond the parameters of school-curriculum Art, and their
Rozenn Logan, Head of Education, Saatchi Gallery said,”It’s been an inspiration working with four brilliant artists who in turn have devised and produced some really interesting artworks with students from across Enfield. Through visits to the Saatchi Gallery and school based workshops students have responded to world class artworks and discussed art making processes with artist Ibrahim Mahama. Students have used new media to produce animations, Gifs, films and moving image work and it will be great for them to see their work in one of the main
galleries, lead exhibition tours, take part in discussions, evaluate and celebrate their achievements.”
“The pupils have relished the experience of working with a practising artist and have been amazed by their opportunity of working with Charlotte Young in the prestigious Saatchi Gallery. They are thrilled at the privilege of having their own work exhibited alongside the Pangea exhibition. We hope that the programme continues in the future,” said Keith Graham, Head of Art & Design, Southgate School.
“This has been a fantastic opportunity. Working with our artist in residence, Charlotte Young, over such a long period, helped the students to have a very open dialogue and they were very clear what they wanted their art work to look like and say to the viewer.
It has been a pleasure to build relationships with staff delivering the project and also from other Enfield schools. There should be more opportunities for schools to work together within their local Borough and beyond.
The teachers training evening which was hosted at Winchmore was superb: fun, invigorating, a tool kit of new ideas using new media which could be injected straight into the classroom,” said Alison Grassham, Head of Art, Winchmore School.