Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
My name is Kate Forde and I am the Head of Education and Engagement at the Thames Festival Trust
What inspired Rivers of the World Retrospective?
Rivers of the World is our flagship secondary school art education project which we deliver in partnership with the British Council. It has been running since 2005 and involves up to 72 secondary schools per year both in the UK and around the world. We have a vast catalogue of amazing work that has been produced to date. As Watermans will be our London partner in 2020 and 2021, helping to engage and involve schools in Hounslow in the programme, we thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase some of the past work as a way of launching the project in the borough and letting schools know how to become involved.
Why did you want to bring this exhibition to Totally Thames 2019?
Each year we have Rivers of the World exhibitions as part of Totally Thames. This year we have a large outdoor display outside the Crystal at the Royal Docks as well as this indoor exhibition in Hounslow. The work produced in 2019 will also tour the country and be shown in Peterborough, Warrington, Worcestershire and Exeter in the coming months. Arts Council England have provided three year funding for the project in order for us to reach more UK locations between 2019-2022, every year a new London borough also becomes involved.
Why do you think it’s particularly important to engage young people in these cultural dialogues?
We live in a global, interconnected society and yet young people often just live in their own bubbles. This project provides a great framework to help them demystify other cultures and to challenge perceptions. It is amazing that young people often have the same concerns about pollution, the environment and world we live in whether they come from the UK, Kenya or Morocco. I think this project enables a unique and wonderful opportunity to bring these thoughts and ideas together in a powerful and thought provoking way, in turn encouraging further dialogue and debate.
In what ways do you think young people benefitted from this project?
The young people involved in Rivers of the World are 13/14 year olds. As well as international linking, the programme provides them with an opportunity to work with professional artists at a critical time in their educational journey. Many teachers have told us that their students have gone on to choose Art as a GCSE subject as a result of being part of the project. The artists often bring new techniques and ideas to the classroom. Over the years we have worked with professional photographers, glass artists, graffiti artists, metal artists; all bringing a unique experience to the young people and opening up the possibility of work in the creative industries.
What impact do you hope this exhibition will have?
We hope that the exhibition is enjoyed by local people and that it creates enthusiasm and energy for the programme as it comes to Hounslow next year!
Summarise your artistic work this year.
All of our educational work this year has had strong global and environmental messages, putting the voices of young people at the centre.
Where can people go to find out more?
www.riversoftheworld.org
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