Camden hosts first-ever Schools Art Biennale – an exhibition showcasing artwork by hundreds of local students
This summer, a new Camden Schools Art Biennale hosted by Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, in partnership with Camden Council and Camden Learning, is coming to Granary Square, King’s Cross.
Running from 11 to 17 July at the Lethaby Gallery in Central Saint Martins, visitors can explore hundreds of artworks by Camden schoolchildren in an exhibition which showcases art developed by every school and every key stage of learning – from primary and special schools to secondary schools, through to A-level.
The free event is set to become a highlight of the borough’s cultural calendar as an ongoing sister-event to the much-loved Camden Schools Music Festival, which sees every music class in Camden perform at the Royal Albert Hall every two years.
Alongside the exhibition, a free events programme will be on offer, with a range of activities developed with families, young people, and art teachers in mind.
In the lead-up to the exhibition, artists have been engaging directly with schools, pupils and teachers to develop their work for the borough’s first Art Biennale.
Camden Council’s ‘We Make Camden’ strategy aims to create a Borough where every young person can access and create opportunity, regardless of their background or identity. The Art Biennale, running on alternate years from the Camden Schools Music Festival, will be a brilliant addition to the cultural offer for local schoolchildren and students - and it supports Camden’s STEAM strategy to enable young people to gain the skills needed to get a career in the Borough’s tech, scientific, and creative sectors.
At Central Saint Martins, we bear witness every day to the difference that creative education can make, and to the lives it can transform. The ability to imagine a future requires hope, courage, curiosity, and the ability to experiment and play. This is what the Camden Schools Art Biennale exemplifies, and we are delighted to co-host the Biennale with Camden. It is an important expression of our belief in creativity and the power of childhood.
Art matters to our culture, our wellbeing and our economy. The opportunity to participate in high quality creative experiences should be the right of every child. The Camden Art Biennale is raising the profile of art within schools, enriching experience, developing teacher skills and opening up new opportunities to empower our children. The Biennale exhibition will be a joyful celebration of their achievements, showcasing the talent and cultural diversity of Camden.
This pilot programme aims to strengthen and inform the teaching of art in Camden schools and beyond, showcasing Camden as a centre of arts in the UK.
The programme also aims to build links between schools, arts organisations and businesses, raise students’ awareness of careers in art, design and creative practice as well as celebrate the diversity and creativity of all of Camden’s young people including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those from underserved backgrounds.
Camden’s Schools Art Biennale is taking place from 11 to 17 July, between 11am and 6pm each day, at the Lethaby Gallery in Central Saint Martins, Granary Square, King’s Cross.
The pilot initiative is hosted by Camden Council, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London and Camden Learning, with support from King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership and John Lyon’s Charity.
- For more information head to the full-length Camden Schools Art Biennale press release from Central Saint Martins and partners
- On Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July, from 12noon to 3pm each day, families can join family-friendly workshops at the Lethaby Gallery, 1 Granary Square. Get inspired with artist Melissa Fry to make art together and spark imagination. In this workshop, run by the October Gallery's learning team, you can explore new mark-making ideas, materials and improvisations. Book your free places
- You can also view and download the Camden Schools Art Biennale programme of events for schools
- See photos from the Camden Schools Art Biennale exhibition launch on 11 July.