The National Art&Design Saturday Club gives young people aged 14–16 the unique opportunity to study art and design every Saturday morning at their local art and design college or university for free.
As well as 30 weeks of inspiring classes in areas ranging from painting and drawing to sculpture and stop-frame animation, Club members visit London's best museums and galleries and exhibit work in their own Summer Show at Somerset House. They are also given the opportunity to attend an inspirational Masterclass with one of the UK's foremost artists or designers. For the 2009/10 and 2010/11 programmes Masterclass leaders included Antony Gormley, Thomas Heatherwick, Michael Marriott and Naomi Cleaver.
Club members visiting the Courtauld Gallery, 2010
Simon Waterfall's Masterclass at Cleveland College of Art & Design, 2010
The aim is to nurture the young people's talent, build their confidence and self-esteem, give them an insight into college life, and show them the pathway into further and higher education and to careers in the creative industries.
The idea of Saturday art and design classes for young people is not new. In the 1950s, '60s and '70s there was a post-war policy initiative that encouraged Saturday morning classes for 14-year-olds at their local art schools. For many artists and designers it was the start of their creative and entrepreneurial journeys.
The National Art&Design Saturday Club recreates the original idea but, for the first time, joins up all the participants to share knowledge, best practice and inspiration. The new national network provides a programme designed around a local delivery system, joined together by the Sorrell Foundation acting as catalyst and co-ordinator.
There are 100 colleges and universities with art and design courses that could run Saturday Clubs. Today, the programme involves 14 of them; we want to scale up to at least 40 in 3 years' time, to provide opportunities and offer inspiration for around 2,000 young people each year.
The National Art&Design Saturday Club was set up by the Sorrell Foundation, a charitable organisation inspiring creativity in young people. Currently, the programme does not receive any government funding. If you would like to give financial support to the National Art&Design Saturday Club 2011/12 please contact Angela Linton, on 020 7845 5860, or angela@thesorrellfoundation.com
If you are a college or university and would like more information, or would like to participate, please contact Gemma Scott, on 020 7845 5860, or gemma@thesorrellfoundation.com
View the 2010/11 Club members' self-portraits on Flickr
View the 2011/12 Club members' self-portraits on Flickr
Summer Show private view
Masterclass with Paul Priestman
Masterclass with Mike Davies
Bangor University/ Coleg Menai
Camberwell College of Arts,
University of the Arts London
Central Bedfordshire College
Cleveland College of Art & Design
Coventry School of Art & Design,
Coventry University
De Montfort University
Doncaster College
Grimsby Institute of Further &
Higher Education
Hereford College of Arts
Leeds College of Art
Nottingham Trent University
Plymouth College of Art
Somerset College
Sussex Coast College Hastings
University for the Creative Arts Epsom
University of the Arts London -
Newham Creative Hub
University of West London