The Partners
South London Gallery is situated in Peckham, in the London borough of Southwark, one of the most socially and economically deprived areas in the UK. As a contemporary art gallery it has made a name for itself not only for its groundbreaking shows but also for its innovative education and outreach work. South London Gallery worked closely with Theatre Peckham, a theatre company also based in Southwark, which specialises in providing arts education for young people.
These arts partners developed the project with Year 6 at Camelot Primary School and Year 7 at Peckham Academy, a new school opened in 2003. Peckham Academy sits in the one of the most deprived wards in the country. Two thirds of the Academy’s pupils are eligible for free school meals, one third are identified as having learning difficulties or disabilities (twice the national average) and just under half the pupils do not have English as a mother tongue.
The Project
The gallery’s Start project is an excellent example of the way in which the arts can help disadvantaged young people to explore issues that have a big impact on their lives, in ways that are both engaging and memorable. The team at South London Gallery worked closely with the partner schools and with their arts partner, Theatre Peckham, to develop a project that would explore young people’s feelings about their transition from primary to secondary school. This transition has been identified by the DFES as a difficult process particularly for vulnerable young people, of whom there are many in the schools involved.
“I gave a group whose behaviour is always challenging the opportunity to take part in the project. They were behaving very badly during one of the workshops but I split them up and they ended up producing some really creative work that I really didn’t think they would be able to do. It was lovely to see.” Peckham Academy Teacher
The schools were invited to take part in two workshops at the South London Gallery and one back at school. The project had at its centre Dancing in Peckham, a video installation work from the SLG collection, by Turner prize winning artist Gillian Wearing. The workshops encouraged the children to investigate their feelings about moving schools. Themes included how they had felt when they first started school, how they felt now and what advice they would give their younger selves about moving to a bigger school. All of these ideas were explored using movement, writing, mask making and discussion as well as a video element when the young people experienced the delights of a green screen. Throughout the project the children worked with dancers from Theatre Peckham and a visual artist based at South London Gallery.
“Gillian Wearing didn’t care that people were watching I think she has a lot of courage to do that.” Pupil, Year 6
Year 6 Children from Camelot Primary School were particularly delighted to see their masked selves on an enormous screen in the gallery, dancing down the virtual corridors of Peckham Academy. During one workshop session the children were asked to dance like Gillian Wearing in her video and then to write placards about how they felt.
“I don’t care (what other people think) because I am doing it for me.” Pupil, Year 6
“I feel fine because this is my class and we’re used to doing anything. I don’t care if people (are looking) because I’m doing it for me. I didn’t want to stop because I want to show the people how I feel.” Pupil, Year 6″
“I have my own space to feel comfortable and relaxable (sic)”. Pupil, Year 6
The lead teacher at Peckham Academy believes the project helps her pupils on a number of practical levels including bonding as a group and getting a broader perspective of the arts.
“They have learnt how to work in with new people in groups and how to work sensibly together.” Teacher, Peckham Academy
“They see the link between art and dance now, before they saw them as two completely separate things. They have also developed an understanding of media technology and the ways that they can all be linked together.” Teacher, Peckham Academy
As a result of Start over 200 young people who would never visit the Gallery under their own steam now know where it is - on their doorstep - and what it offers to them - engaging and entertaining ways of exploring issues that are relevant to their everyday lives.