Jack Petchey and Saatchi Gallery give young artists a great start

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A great start for young artists

Jack Petchey Start programme opens young people's eyes to the wonderful world of art and leads them to exhibiting their own art at the Saatchi Gallery

300 secondary school students 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 the 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 managing 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 20–30 July, alongside the ‘Pangaea II’ exhibition.

Founder of the Foundation, Jack Petchey CBE, is delighted with the programme, saying:

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.

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