Taster Days at The Arts Gallery, Davies Street

During the autumn term we are planning a series of gallery based taster days linked into the Future Map - Design 04 exhibition running from 20 September - 29 October. This is an excellent opportunity to encounter inspirational and captivating work by cutting edge young design talent as part of the London Design Festival. This annual exhibition draws together diverse work from the final year shows of students graaduating in 2004 acoss the University of the Arts London's five acclaimed colleges. Exhibits include graphic and interior design, typography, fashion, ceramics, textiles, photography, jewellery and animation. Working with tutors, exhibitors and students we can tailor a taster day to meet your needs.

Below are examples of recent projects based in The Arts Gallery.

Euan Uglow Exhibition

La Sainte Union Convent School, Archbishop Michael Ramsey Technology College, Parliament Hill School, Islington Green School, Charles Edward Brooke School, Turney School, Islington Arts and Media school and Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Technology College all participated in Gallery based taster days linked to the Big Draw campaign. Pupils were given a guided tour of the Euan Uglow exhibition which included a dedicated education space which recreated elements of Euan Uglow studio practice. Following Uglow's methods helped increase participants' understanding of measurements, proportion, composition and colour.
The sessions were led by tutor Tony Rothon who worked in Uglow's studio: "Euan Uglow enjoyed getting things "right", hence his obsession with measured versions of the world. There was also a process of selection of "significant" things, which matched his original idea about the subject. Ive been amazed by the way in which students working from still life set-ups have taken to Uglows ideas. Students used to a more approximate version of reality have plotted and measured their way across surfaces until they reach the real shape of the daisy or the banana. There has been a genuine delight in fixing and composing an honest equivalent for the world." "Absolutely brilliant workshop, the kids really enjoyed it and their work was stunning"
"The style of teaching helped us and made our minds wider to experimentation"
The London Central Learning and Skills Council have funded this programme of events.

Collecting Blake and Beyond

During the Autumn of 2003 the University Gallery had two exhibitions by Sir Peter Blake, one of objects that inspired him and the second of some of his most recent work.

These exhibitions were the inspiration for the Collecting Blake and Beyond project which involved three secondary schools from Hammersmith and Fulham. The schools were Henry Compton School, Phoenix High School and Wood Lane School.

Artist Ruth Franklin, from Camberwell College of Arts, led the project. Her work combines printmaking, assemblage and book making alongside a personal passion for Arsenal Football Team. Ruth, like Peter Blake, has a passion for found objects and collecting. Peter Blake has a huge collections of objects which inspire him, including rock and roll paraphenalia, objects archived by colour and badges.

The project began with a professional development session for all teachers involved at the ACAVA artist studios. This was then followed up by school visits to the gallery to see the shows. Pupils were encouraged to bring into school their own collections and found objects. They investigated the idea of what it was to be a collector and how objects were displayed.

Pupils were given a great deal of freedom to experiment, they also learnt a great deal about the methods that Peter Blake uses to create his work. The final pieces were exhibited within the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

This project was funded by the DFES via Engage and was an active research project into the benefits of gallery based education.