The visual arts organisation The Art of Change developed out of the Docklands Community Poster Project, from which it learned key lessons. Importantly it built on methods of engagement giving voice to those with first-hand knowledge of issues, and a pro-active approach to creating alternatives rather than relying on protest in its cultural activism.
A project with teenage Bengali girls from Bow, East London exploring the theme of their experience of living in two cultures, resulting in a 16 x 12ft (4.8 x 3.6m) photo-mural and touring exhibition.
Digital montage displayed as a 16 x 12ft (4.8 x 3.6m) photomural. Produced with pupils from George Green’s School in East London. Working with a group of culturally mixed teenagers, the project dealt with issues of culture and identity, commonality and difference in an inner city area fraught with racial tension.
Four-projector tape-slide production and exhibition co-authored by Loraine Leeson and Karen Merkel that explores the importance of culture in the lives of five women from diverse backgrounds. The artists worked through the Women Against Fundamentalism group in London to reach women who had suffered under fundamentalism in their family lives.
Awakenings, after Stanley Spencer’s Resurrection was a Tate Gallery commission exhibited at the Millbank site from 1995-96. Digital montage produced with pupils from George Green’s School in East London, displayed as a 14ft x 7.5ft (4.3m x 2.3m) cibachrome print.
Alpona panels and beadwork hangings created with women and children from East London’s Bengali community, combining traditional skills with digital processes. The panels inspired design of the Jagonari Asian Women’s Centre cafe, where they were put on permanent display. Collaboration with Language 2000.
Co-ordination of a project to support schools in the commissioning and production of public artworks. Instigated and funded by the Lee Valley Park Authority with London Arts Board. Evaluated by Art and Society.
An ‘artists in schools’ residency programme, which gave training and support to six recent graduates who wished to develop their art practice within an educational context. Collaboration with the University of East London and the Tate Gallery.
Commission by the Royal London Hospital for research and development towards the refurbishment of its main entrance. Proposals were produced for permanent and temporary artworks to create a welcoming and comfortable environment reflecting the needs, concerns and cultures of the hospital’s main users and communities. Collaboration with Anne Thorne Architects.
Interactive illustrated story produced with input from over three hundred East London junior school children. Crossing the IT, Literacy and Art areas of the curriculum, the project developed an online creative resource for schools. Collaboration with artist Camille Dorney.
Visit the Infinity Story…
The first web site project commissioned by the Tate Gallery. The brief was to work with pupils from two secondary schools in London Borough of Tower Hamlets to do creative work that took inspiration from the Tate’s John Singer Sargent exhibition.
Commission by the Art Gallery of Ontario for a website project with four high schools in Toronto, taking inspiration from their exhibition of works by 19th century Canadian artist Cornelius Krieghoff. Resulted in an online resource and set of virtual postcards. Collaboration with artist Peter Dunn.
A period of Arts Council funded research exploring the creative and learning potential of the National Grid for Learning – a government initiative which equipped all schools with computers and laid down guidelines for the involvement of ICT (information and communications technology) in the delivery of most subjects in the new National Curriculum. This research was key to the development of the VOLCO project.
Download the Unlocking the Grid report
A partnership initiative with Chelsea College of Art and Design, incorporating undergraduate involvement into projects, establishment of a higher education mentoring scheme for young people in East London, and a postgraduate placement with The Art of Change.
