At UA, we help young minds develop and expand their imagination, empathy through the ability to see and effect positive change.
We want to help young people generate ideas, apply their knowledge to new circumstances and to have the courage to pursue their aspirations.
Our projects aim is to facilitate a space of, focus and time for young people to explore opportunities for creativity, that has relevance and impact. Our workshops help provide the tools to explore those possibilities led by emerging and successful artists and creative practitioners; whose background and identity reflects the lives of the young people in the schools we partner with.
We are keen, for the young people we engage with to develop and enable distinct strategy beyond our projects; specifically, the extent to which this project will develop opportunities for careers in the cultural sector or
creative industries.
It is pivotal for the younger generation to see adults who look like them possessing great qualities, skills, confidence and an abundance of knowledge will of course leave them feeling inspired.
We aim to support and provide a framework for teachers to replicate our projects so they can be delivered as a long-term plan and service provision in the school.
We understand that young people are changing what is defined as art as so many other generations did before them. W want our workshops to be led by the children and young people taking part in them. Using their expression, ideas and language. We are working to better understand this to adapt and reflect this in the activities and work we do. Our activity is based on educating and inspiring young minds and our projects develop new skills and experience in the young people that attend them with the aim of providing greater insight, exposure and opportunities in creative arts.
Lilian Baylis Technology School
Case Study
When Lillian Baylis reached out to us to inspire their drama school, we were delighted at the proposition. Our educational resources helped facilitate positive change in the young people through positive self-recognition. This encouraged them to become more informed individuals enabling them to positivly contribute to the discourse around identity, representation and portrayal. Ultimately supporting them to become more socially and culturally engaged citizens- their best selves.
The Results
Adrian Spring
Drama teacher | Lilian Baylis Technology School
“ The Peckham portraits have given life to our drama room, it’s important to make sure the students know why they are learning what they are learning, so having examples surrounding them as they are doing their work gives them a role model to aspire too. It shows them that doing these things in the classroom can lead to great things and living a really successful and happy life
It’s important because historically minority groups are not really represented in the arts. And showing students, people who have gone through the same journey they have gone through and continued on and become successful in their own field. Its hugely important, it shows the students they can do it too. You can’t teach that to students, it’s not something you can tell to them and have them understand, it’s something you have to show them”.
Saheron
STUDENT | Lilian Baylis Technology School
From when I was growing up I didn’t really see a lot of billboards and stuff of black women. It made me feel like society doesn’t welcome us and how am I going to get far in life if people like me haven’t? So these portraits that are in my school, in the drama room, they really like inspired me because I saw so much black women who actually, they don’t come from nowhere and made something happen. That just makes me think that I can do anything I dream to do because if they did it, I can do it too. So it gives me hope to see that. The society we live in is growing and I feel like there’s way more black women that you see and especially with these artworks they’re so beautiful and it makes me feel like
I can do something with my life too.
Jasmine
STUDENT | Lilian Baylis Technology School
“I’m a student from Lilian Baylis Technology school, the Peckham portraits are really important to me because growing up I didn’t really see many black people represented. I especially didn’t see many black women represented and then to see those when you go to the cinema in Peckham or go to drama (because they’re in our drama studio) its really nice and it kind of just makes me feel like I’m a part of society and I’m a part of this country”
Further results from other schools
"It was really powerful listening to the inspiration behind setting up Underexposed Arts.. Positive representation is important, if people do not allow you a space, you must create one yourself."
Student at Ursuline High School
“I really enjoyed seeing the portraits as part of Black History Month, representation is so important, and it was great to see positive black role models being celebrated and represented through artistic expression.”
Student at Ursuline High School
