Express & Star

Sandwell students attend talk from arts leader

Students at a Sandwell academy have been given a talk on creative arts as part of a national speaking campaign.

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Gavin Wade with Harley who is studying fine art at A level. Her work is in the background.

More than 400 students at Ormiston Forge Academy in Cradley Heath were given a talk by Gavin Wade, director of Eastside Projects in Birmingham.

Gavin spoke about what artists do, where students could make art, how to make a gallery and how to invest in their own future.

He also answered questions from the students, who are either choosing options or are currently studying art at A level and GCSE.

As well as being artist-curator and a director of Eastside Projects, Gavin is also Senior Research Fellow at Birmingham City University.

In 2008, he proposed a new artist-run space as public gallery and Eastside Projects was launched and, since then, the organisation has grown from strength to strength.

In 2010, Gavin received the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Breakthrough Fund Award for exceptional cultural entrepreneurs.

He visited Forge Academy as part of the Speakers for Schools programme which brings together eminent figures of today, from FTSE 100s and arts leaders to CEOs and tenured professors.

This network created a dynamic network of thousands of school talks and esteemed work experience placements, all of which are done for free.

Emma Porter, head of art at Forge, said the talk was a great help to students thinking about studying in the arts.

She said: "Art is an important part of life at Forge and we work hard to encourage students to make the most of every opportunity.

"Giving students a line of sight for a particular career is vitally important and having Gavin speak to so many students certainly opened their eyes to the potential of working in the creative sector."

Gavin said he was delighted to represent the programme and to speak at Forge Academy.

He said: "The school and the art department have a great vibe and I’ve invited everyone down to Eastside Projects as we need our young people to imagine and shape all of our futures.

"Art is a vital job in doing this, inventing your own way of working, and shaping the world and I hope my hard work can inspire and support the next generation of talented, creative people."

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