Young artists given free masterclasses
14th March 2014
Young artists and designers in Sheffield are benefitting from a 30-week programme of art and design masterclasses at Sheffield Hallam University to introduce them to different skills and techniques.
Art lecturers at the University have been running the National Art & Design Saturday Club events in collaboration with the Sorrell Foundation, a charitable organisation which aims to inspire creativity in young people. So far, the club has given free lessons to 25 young people aged between 14 and 16. Lecturer in graphic design at Sheffield Hallam, Liz Noble, said: "The art club members have been introduced to six different specialist areas by six leading experts who each teach in the Sheffield Institute of Arts here at Sheffield Hallam. "We have fantastic facilities in the Institute and it's great to be sharing them with the creative young people of the city." As part of the club, the young artists will exhibit their work at Somerset House arts and cultural centre and have a guided tour of the Barbican Centre in London. They have also been taught by a series of guest lecturers, including Christophe Egret, founding partner of London-based urban designers Studio Egret West. Studio Egret West worked with developers Urban Splash on the renovation of the Grade II listed Park Hill housing estate, a project which was shortlisted for the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize 2013. Christophe has involved the students in creating a map of Sheffield that outlines some of its most unusual, underappreciated buildings. He said: "I want to encourage these young people to take ownership of their city and think about how they want it to look and feel in 10 years' time. The challenge is to demystify how our cities evolve and explain that we all, and particularly our younger citizens, need to take an active role in shaping the quality and beauty of our urban life. We need to dream the city we want." Participants in the National Art & Design Saturday Club events learn techniques that they can develop further and apply in their own lives, including photography, graphic design, screen-printing, animation, sculpture and painting. For press information: contact Joe Field in the Sheffield Hallam University press office on 0114 225 2074 or email pressoffice@shu.ac.uk