Family activities

At the start of the summer holiday we visited some new and some favourite London venues as a family, meeting up with friends. Here are our top picks:

• Firstly we were back at the London Museum of Water & Steam again. Located near Kew Bridge station and with a car park right outside it’s easily accessible. The kids love this place with all the interactives and giant pumping machinery. On a hot day it’s lovely and cool inside plus there’s the water area at the back. I always learn something too!  I’ve now bought an annual pass as I know we’ll be back again - kids are free throughout summer and the miniature railway runs on Wednesdays, although we’ve never been there on the right day.
• Secondly we were back at the South London Botanical Institute for a family workshop. These are always well thought out, connecting with nature. This time we were making pollinating finger puppets (butterflies, insects & birds) followed by a busy bee game in the garden with the kids collecting pollen (pom poms). The staff are so friendly here and adults can have a cuppa whilst they help their children. Look out for the gingko tree outside too!
• Lastly we made our first visit to the London Wetlands Centre. This is a gem of a place! So much to see and lots of family activities throughout the summer with an amazing team of facilitators. On arrival we were immediately invited to go miniature beast exploring and later we joined a ranger session learning how to build fires safely and what to do afterwards. The play area is unusual with large tunnels and a water area. The whole environment is beautiful and we spotted grey herons from the Peacock Tower Hide. Our favourite thing though was meeting the otters at feeding time. Still loads we didn’t get to see so we will be back!

Camp fire building at London Wetlands Centre

Final blog for AND Advocates

Take a look here at my recent blog reflecting on session five of this year’s AND Advocates programme focusing on reflection, sharing and next steps. In particular we heard from twelve of the Advocates about what they feel they have achieved during the programme this year. 

Working with Brixton Primary Schools

During May, June & July I’ve been running workshops in six primary schools in Brixton with the fantastic artist Meera Chauda. This is for the Brixton Primary Schools Mural Design Project for Art on the Underground, inspired by the 1980s Brixton murals. The six schools’ mural designs are now complete and will be shown in Brixton Library in autumn to coincide with the launch of a new artwork by Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby, the first in a series of mural related Art on the Underground commissions on the billboard as you enter Brixton Tube Station.

The image shows a domino created at the start of one of the workshops, depicting on one side a self-portrait and the other side a favourite place to visit in Brixton. This was a good way to get to know the pupils and then once completed they connected their dominoes together, whilst celebrating their similarities and differences. 

For more about Art on the Underground and their 2018 programme visit here

Create Science Day

For their Create Science Day, my son’s school did a call out to parents for them to talk about their jobs making links between the sciences and the arts. So I did an assembly this morning for 120 Key Stage 1 pupils to flag up jobs in museums & galleries that include science, and how the focus on STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) should become STEAM (STEM subjects plus the Arts). There was lots of interaction including a colour mixing quiz and guessing what some paint pigment colours are made from, such as carmine (dark red) coming from cochineal beetles!

Heather Phillipson Learning Guide for Key Stages 3 - 5

I wrote this Learning Guide for Art on the Underground aimed at teachers of Key Stages 3-5, inspired by artist Heather Phillipson and her artwork my name is lettie eggsyrub. It includes an interview by the artist and explores three key themes drawn out of the work; Science and Art – how these subjects can work well together; Reproduction – gender roles and sexual politics; and Social Change – the egg industry and social-media developments. It outlines associated activities exploring and responding to each key theme, in particular through visual art, video, creative writing and debate, with links to relevant areas of the National Curriculum and Arts Award Bronze.

You can download it here or request a free printed copy.

My name is lettie eggsyrub

It’s been an exciting week for artist Heather Phillipson and the Art on the Underground team launching the new commission my name is lettie eggsyrub on the 80 metre-long disused platform at Gloucester Road Station. I’ve been listening to passengers and station staff on their thoughts about the commission.

In a few weeks we’ll be launching the Heather Phillipson Learning Guide for key stages 3 - 5, which I wrote, including an interview with Heather Phillipson. In the meanwhile you can take a look here at Art on the Underground Curator Jessica Vaughan’s blog for A New Direction, featuring some extracts from Heather’s interview.

Wellbeing & Partnerships

Check out my recent blog reflecting on session four of this year’s AND Advocates programme focusing on Wellbeing & Partnerships. Thanks to speakers Dr. Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt, Research Associate at the Cultural Institute based at Kings College London, and Corinne Bass, Senior Partnership Manager at a New Direction, along with AND Advocate Tim Devenish (St. Philomeana’s Catholic High School for Girls) who talked about exploring the representation of emotional wellbeing through the school art curriculum via the project the Elephant in the Room.

Take a look here

Brixton Primary Schools Mural Design Project

I’m looking forward to starting workshops next week, in six primary schools in Brixton, for Art on the Underground. Working with artist Meera Chauda and being inspired by the Brixton mural(s) located close to them, each school will design their own mural thinking about what they would choose to commemorate or celebrate about their locality and their own cultures. They will work with their classmates to produce a large collaborative mural design using drawing, painting and collage.

The project will culminate with a display of the six schools’ mural designs at project partner Brixton Library during autumn. This will coincide with the launch of a new artwork by Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby, the first in a series of Art on the Underground commissions over two years on the billboard as you enter Brixton Tube Station, linking in with the 1980s Brixton murals in the locality.

For more about Art on the Underground and their 2018 programme visit here

Children at Play Mural, Brixton

Big Splash Mural, Brixton

Labour support

I am supporting my three Gipsy Hill Labour Councillors in the local elections and have even featured in their newsletter being posted through everyone’s doors in the local area, due to them supporting Fair Funding in Schools.

I-D Creation Poster Competition for Schools

I was delighted to meet Zafirah & Sarah from Conisborough College in Lewisham this morning, along with their teacher and fellow classmates. The two students won the I-D Creation Poster Competition for Schools which I created as part of the Broomberg & Chanarin Learning Guide for KS 3 - 5 last year, in relation to the artists’ Art on the Underground Commission The Bureaucracy of Angels.  The posters will be brightening up commuters’ journeys as they pass through Lewisham DLR Station during April & May 2018, and the students also got copies to take home with them.

For more information visit here. 

Fair Funding Flyering

I’ve been flyering at my son’s school today, and last Friday, highlighting school cuts again as part of the action weekend.

Thanks to my local Labour Councillors who turned up in support! 

Family-friendly recommendations

Over Easter I enjoyed a few trips out with my boys aged 4 & 6 and here are the highlights...

Firstly the London Museum of Water & Steam near Kew Bridge which I must admit I had never heard of but what a gem! There were lots of giant pumping machines, interactives, an Easter trail, and arts & crafts plus an outside water play area and a lovely little garden. The staff were friendly, the cafe was good value, and I had to almost drag the boys off to the car when it was time to leave. The miniature railway runs on special event days so we have a good excuse to go back!

Secondly the South London Botanical Institute close to home, near Tulse Hill station, which we have only recently discovered although it’s been there since 1910! We visited for a family workshop called ‘Hide & Seed’. The staff were very friendly and answered lots of questions my kids had about plants. They created ephemeral artworks out of seeds and natural materials, such as sticks, leaves, berries and petals. This was followed by hunting games in the garden, as well as races involving carrying seeds on spoons. It was a really fun afternoon! 

And lastly Eltham Palace, owned by English Heritage, where my friend who’s a member got us in for free. It’s a great place for families with welcoming staff, an animal stamp trail around the palace, dressing up, and a lovely wooden play area next to the cafe. Best of all for me was the Art Deco interiors commissioned by the Courthaulds who lived there along with the dressing up clothes in adult sizes hanging in Virginia Courthauld’s walk-in wardrobe! There was also a multi-media guide included in the entrance fee and although this looked interesting the children were happy exploring the house without it; it seemed a bit of a virtual distraction from the reality of the palace with it’s stunning interiors and beautiful gardens, but I imagine older kids would enjoy using it.

We are looking forward to exploring more museums and historic houses, as a family, soon!

Unpaid roles in the museum & arts sector

I am commenting after the V&A advertised a part-time unpaid job (several weeks ago) asking candidates to have a post-graduate degree. As someone who has been setting up paid internships/traineeships (London Living Wage) for several arts organisations, it amazes me that V&A staff expected someone to do this role for free!

After outrage on Twitter, and beyond, the V&A removed the job role and stated:

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This position is not in line with our current policies. We apologise for this error and have removed the advert. For all types of roles we always look for people from all backgrounds and are committed to promoting equality & diversity.”

But this is not acceptable and not about ‘equality and diversity.’ You would think that a National Museum, part-funded by the government, would set an example to others. Why is it that the museum and arts sector still expects individuals to have a post-graduate degree and lots of voluntary experience before offering them paid work? This is the route I came through 20 years ago, with support from my parents as well as a paid bar job in the evenings and weekends.

Over the past year or so, I have been working with paid interns/trainees from diverse backgrounds, in particular targeting those that see these roles as an alternative to going to University. These individuals have brought a new perspective to the arts organisations providing different skills and experiences, and challenging the way staff approach things, as well as coming up with creative ways of engaging with new audiences. This should be the future of our museum and arts sector workforce, so let’s do something about it and stop making excuses!

Take a look at the latest Arts Council data report - Equality, Diversity and the Creative Case - for statistics on diversity, highlighting for example the need for more disability and Black or other Minority Ethnic (BME) representation across the workforce of the museum and arts sectors. 

Fighting School Cuts

Along with a couple of other parents of children at my son’s school, I recently raised money and got a banner printed to highlight the government’s school cuts.

In Lambeth, 71 out of 71 state schools face cuts. The loss between 2015 and 2020 is predicted at £14.1 million, an average of £468 per pupil. Our children’s education is too precious to allow that to happen!

On 22 March we had a good turn out for a photo call at school drop off at Elm Wood Primary School SE27, including parents, children, teachers, the head teacher, our local MP Helen Hayes & 3 Labour Gipsy Hill Councillors (Luke Murphy, Jennifer Brathwaite & Matthew Bennett).

Schools across Lambeth were out in support of those campaigning across the country. For more information visit School Cuts here or Fair Funding For All Schools here.

#parentsteachersunite #saveourschools

Fundraising

Check out my recent blog reflecting on session three of this year’s AND Advocates programme focusing on fundraising, including top tips for teachers applying for funding! Thanks to speakers Anita Kerwin-Nye, from AKN Consulting and the Every Child Should Campaign, and Lawrence Walker, Development Manager at a New Direction, along with AND Advocates Shermaine Slocombe (The Halley Academy) and Lucy Williams (Erith School) who talked about their experiences of applying for Arts Council Funding and NESTA Rocket Fund (crowd funding).

Take a look here

Launch of Freelands Foundation’s new space

I was excited to be at the launch of Freelands Foundation’s new space in Chalk Farm earlier this week. It’s a great new venue which includes a gallery, a beautifully designed reading room and an education space (with lots of storage & a big sink), along with staff offices.

For their first exhibition Prologue, the work presented is from partnership projects that have taken place since the Foundation was set up in 2015. I particularly enjoyed Robert Bagley’s Bored (2018), a collection of objects found on the floor after lessons, created by students when they were supposed to be doing school work.

I’m looking forward to setting up an internship for Freelands Foundation later this year as well as working in their new space. 

For more information about Freelands Foundation take a look here. 

DEVELOP evaluation

I am very pleased to have been invited to continue working as a freelancer on the DEVELOP Programme at The Photographers’ Gallery in year 2 - from April onwards. My role is to evaluate, advise & make recommendations on this Programme for 14-24 year olds preparing for a career in the photography industry.

For year 1 evaluation has included focus groups, feedback forms with demographics, baseline assessment, collecting vox pops and tracking individual participants. This is to make sure that DEVELOP is reaching the correct demographic - young people at economic, social or educational disadvantage - as well as asking questions to check against the Programme’s three key aims:

• Do you feel that DEVELOP has increased your perception of your own future in the photography industry? How?

• Do you feel that DEVELOP has led to a gain in new knowledge and skills related to obtaining a career in the photography industry? How?

• Do you leave DEVELOP sessions with the intention of applying these new knowledge and skills? What have you done?

I’m looking forward to discussing the recommendations from year 1 with the DEVELOP team before moving forward with plans for year 2.

For more information about the DEVELOP Programme visit here

Impact, Evaluation and Evidence

Check out my recent blog reflecting on session two of this year’s AND Advocates programme exploring Impact, Evaluation and Evidence which included presentations from Sam Cairns at the Cultural Learning Alliance and Annie Thorpe at A New Direction, along with Advocates Ally Taylor and Yolanda Guns talking about how they use evaluation in their schools.

Take a look here

#BehindEveryGreatCity

I am excited to be working with Art on the Underground this year, who will commission a year-long programme of women artists during 2018, which marks 100 years since the Representation of the People Act, enabling all men and some women over the age of 30 to vote for the first time.

This programme includes:

• A major project with British artist Heather Phillipson along the disused platform at Gloucester Road tube station
• A new billboard commission by British artist Linder at Southwark tube station
• A new programme at Brixton tube station, related to the Brixton murals, with the first commission by Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby

Inspired by each of these new commissions, as Art on the Underground’s Engagement Project Manager (Freelance), I will be planning projects in collaboration with the community local to the stations in particular children and young people.

“There are almost six million journeys taken on London Underground each day, and Art on the Underground’s 2018 programme will put women at the forefront of public space.”

To find out more visit here 

#BehindEveryGreatCity celebrates the women who make London the greatest city in the world. To find out more about this campaign visit here 

In 2018 I will also be continuing to work with Freelands Foundation (I will be setting up and managing an internship programme for them), and they have commissioned interesting research in the past few years into the representation of women in the art world, asking the question: are female artists under-represented in Britain? To find out more visit here

Seven Sisters Kiosk

I was very excited to be at yesterday‘s launch of Art on the Underground’s project Clay Station - a disused kiosk remodelled & clad in clay tiles produced by Assemble & Matthew Raw with support from trainees Abigail & Anthony, who I recruited and then mentored during their traineeships. From January, the new tenant will be serving hot drinks from the kiosk, located just outside Seven Sisters station. It’s such a beautiful building so do go along to admire it whilst you have a nice hot cuppa. For more information visit here