Belonging Makes Beautiful Sense
Donate Today, Fund the Future
Belonging with a bang!
It’s a pleasure to report the recent celebration of the “Belonging” exhibition at the Pannett Art Gallery, which showcased the resilience and creativity of partner school Eskdale’s students. Aptly named "Belonging", the exhibition was as a result of funders, educators and young creatives collaborating over the belief that belonging makes sense. Despite the rain, educators, pupils, local councillors, and business owners turned out to enjoy the Private View, in solidarity with The Ideas Foundation’s mission to nurture a New Creative Class. Also in attendance were members of The Ideas Foundation community, Ben Worth, Michael Cockerham, and Helen Poole, who travelled over 6 hours to express their support for the young creatives. The exhibition marked the end of an era for students at Eskdale, who are set to merge with Caedmon college, but also highlighted their determination and abilities during this extraordinary time.
The Private View was a resounding success, with artwork sold on the night to fund the exhibition. Attendees were impressed by the levels of maturity on display and the professional standard of work that was produced by students. Ian Bloor of Eskdale school noted, “The workshops really brought the kids out of their shells. There’s a need to have time and space to be creative without a set of criteria and tick list of what they have to achieve. The workshops showed what education could be.”
The workshops really brought the kids out of their shells. There’s a need to have time and space to be creative without a set of criteria and tick list of what they have to achieve. The workshops showed what education could be.
Ian Bloor, Teacher at Eskdale School
After a few words were shared and feelings of nostalgia took hold, the attendees realised that a community had come together. The event turned into one which was networkable and modelled an enjoyable professional manner to the young creatives, who had never experienced such an event before. The event itself, becoming an extension for learning from the perspectives of Eskdale students. By promoting academic and life success, young aspirations continued to be raised and promoted positive well-being and community. Belonging really does make sense.
Michael Cockerham, a facilitator and creative advisor, added,
Creativity is an emotional outlet, and it is no accident that society’s most exciting creatives are often very young. The Ideas Foundation gives them a chance to turn their ideas into visual realities.
A Community Celebrates
As Eskdale school winds down to close its doors, the success of “Belonging” and the potential of its students will live on. Students, now armed with wellbeing skills, creative tools, industry exposure, and fond memories, will embark on the next stage of their academic lives. The forward thinking of Eskdale educators opened doors for their young people to collaborate with professional creatives, funders and equipment loans from Canon UK, who all believe in their ability to confidently navigate the complexities of the modern world.
The “Belonging” exhibition was the product of Eskdale’s participation in the Creating Connections programme, which was designed to combat the lingering aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health issues, learning losses, social isolation and digital media require ongoing efforts to be able to address and mitigate them; the initial project idea by Amos Bursary student Divine Agumba, in collaboration with The Ideas Foundation, conceived the blueprint for a project that could do just that, nationwide.
