18-year-old Harry was nominated TrinityTalent 2021 for his Leadership. He achieved Gold Arts at Great North Museums. Harry planned a series of workshops for adults in care, developing his skills in arts and crafts.  

Harry was nominated by Morgan Fail, the Assistant Learning Officer for Great North Museum, who said: "He (Harry) has had a lasting impact on his group, and I truly believe will have created some inspiring memories for them because of his care and friendship."

The TrinityTalent panel said: "We can see how Harry has reflected on his projects and shown real leadership by working beyond the requirements of his projects. Also, we are impressed with his commitment to his community by engaging with inter-generational groups. It's clear that Harry has developed in his artistic and transferable skills and seems to be making a real difference through his practice."

Harry was selected by the Youth Choice panel for Arts Award. They said: "We were blown away by Harry's confidence and creations - it made us feel fuzzy! His organisation and problem-solving skills are very impressive and showed us how much of a good leader he is. Harry's work was an exceptional leadership project. We think he is so amazingly selfless, [it was] such an inspiring thing to do and he has inspired us to continue to learn about the needs of our audiences in our own art forms."

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How do you feel about being selected to be part of TrinityTalent Class of 2021 and being recognised in this way?
I feel very thankful to have been recognised for my leadership work and so proud to be part of the TrinityTalent Class of 2021. Gold Arts Award was very hard work; a lot more work than the Bronze and Silver awards. I really enjoyed the whole experience, but to successfully achieve the award and then be recognised is just really amazing.

How do you feel you have developed creatively and artistically in 2021?
As it was the pandemic I completed lots of online art and craft courses including sugar craft and even gilding on leather and pen-work. The online classes allowed me to do courses I would never have had the opportunity to do and helped build my art portfolio. Meeting different tutors who all have lots of experience and great ideas, as well as learning new skills has been really amazing especially during such a scary time with Covid-19.

What impact did your Arts Award achievement have on your artistic development?
When you do Arts Award it allows you to develop your art in lots of different ways, using mediums that you may not have tried before. I really gained a lot of confidence along the way. With all the hard work I put into this and the feeling when I completed the award it is a great personal achievement.

Has taking part in Arts Award helped you to develop wider skills, such as communication skills, creativity or confidence?
Taking part in Arts Award has been a part of my life for a few years now. I have really enjoyed the Bronze, Silver and Gold Arts Award journey and received great support from Morgan Fail at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, along with my friends and my family. Throughout my Arts Award journey they helped me to develop my art in a positive way through lots of feedback.

After doing my Gold Arts Award and working with adults with learning difficulties, I had to find away to get around difficult situations or problems. A lot of the time I managed through clearer communication, for instance, most were hard of hearing which was a challenge. I gained confidence each week and they did too, I tried different things, for which some worked and some didn't.

I definitely had to be more creative by designing lessons around different preferences, dislikes and abilities. My lessons had to be planned to suit everyone and I also had a Plan B if needed.

What are the next steps for you artistically and creatively in 2022?
I have some online workshops booked including a puppet workshop, which is something very new to me. I have never done anything like this before and I am really looking forward to it. Learning new techniques and skills is great for my creativity; I find I am challenging myself more but still keeping up my own art as I love to paint.

What are your longer term aims, for example for your future studies or work?
At the moment I am doing as many arts and crafts workshops and learning as many different skills as I can. Learning and experimenting in different mediums alongside my normal studies. There are mediums which I have not tried yet and hopefully will help me forge a career in the arts, which I would be really happy with.

Have you got any advice for other young people working towards an Arts Award?
I found working towards Gold Art Award hard but very rewarding. The main piece of advice I would give, connected to leading projects, is to plan well and always allow extra time. As part of my project, I worked with adults with learning disabilities, I learnt that you also need to have a Plan A , B or even C to fall back on if things change before, during or after a lesson. Some were simply everyday problems but I tried to plan and be prepared as much as I could.

I would also say you should regularly review your work and get feedback. Ask for feedback throughout your journey and use it to enhance your strengths and iron out any issues before coming to the end of your Arts Award, this will really help.

Is there anything creative you’re currently working on you’d like to tell us about?
I love taking my camera out on walks and I would love to learn more about photography. In the future, I intend to join my local photography group to learn and develop, but also to have fun in the process.

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