THC Textiles students set sail for Greenwich Maritime Museum

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As previously reported, THC textiles students are working with Central St Martins on a project for a new gallery which will be on display at Greenwich Maritime Museum as of spring 2011.

Tower Hamlets College students are unique in that they are the only school having their work commissioned by the museum; they will be working alongside Lucy Libotte from Central St Martins to develop their own ideas and responses to the brief over the next few months. The project began at the end of April when the students visited curators at the museum and got the artistic ball rolling. Workshops will finish on July 7th and thereafter the artwork and gallery as a whole will take shape.

Other participation projects based around this brief are workshops in Plumstead with a group of Asian women who are creating short films based around the themes of tea and spices. There is also a workshop programme with Youth Advisory Care, which will produce a short film based along the historical East India Docklands route. Additionally, the Sehmi Day Centre is working with a group called the Coriander Club, looking at how spices relate to their history.

The focus zones featuring all of the aforementioned work will help the public see how the East India Trading Company had a massive impact on the world around us. The history of tea and spices are intrinsic to modern culture, and these participation projects and the zones forming the spine of the gallery will make every aspect immediately accessible to the visiting public.

Lucy, the visiting artist from Central St Martins, is currently in her second year of Textile Design. She was involved in the project by her teacher, who was looking for students who were experimental with new fabrics and technology, and could in turn inspire the THC students to experiment as well.

Lucy’s always been passionate about art; “I was born into an artistic family, so it’s what I’ve always known. Visuals help me communicate and translate what I want to say!” When asked what advice she’d offer students who are considering following a similar path, she says “Always try to find something more. Push yourself as much as you can, be inspired by museums, dictionaries, anything! Your surrounding environment should inspire you. You should be excited about art from a very early age, otherwise there’s no point.” Aspiring artists should also follow her practical example; as well as this project, Lucy is continuously working with other artists and trying to find internships and extra jobs to boost her CV, a fundamental backbone to her prospective qualification.

Maria Amidu, the Creative Facilitator of the programme, sees this project as an amazing opportunity for both the THC students and Lucy; not only to have a professional commission at such an early stage in their artistic careers but also be able to build an exciting dynamic relationship during the workshops. “My job is to see that the brief is met in terms of what the participants will get out of it, and that the students really maintain a sense of ownership over the finished product. I also oversee the weekly schedule of the work Lucy does with the students, and make sure they’re on track.” Maria was previously a practising artist and project manager, who began working on Creative Partnerships with Mayflower School, Tower Hamlets in order to develop more creative approaches to the curriculum. This progression in education is a passion of hers: “The curriculum is beginning to reflect a more flexible approach to creative thinking; it’s now about an approach rather than didactic teaching. This approach to education reflects the day to day normal trajectory of life and way of thinking much more effectively.”

When asked what advice she’d offer young people considering becoming an artist professionally, she offers these pearls of wisdom; “When you’re in your late teens it‘s hard to know exactly what you’re going to do. I’d say keep it as broad as possible for as long as possible. Once you’ve learnt how you personally think creatively and conceptually you’re bound to come across an ideal profession. Keep an open mind and understand what your creative concerns are; it’s more about creative thinking than creative making.”

Watch this space for further updates on the artists’ progress.