The Sorrell Foundation has long been known for fostering the creative talents of young students in the UK with its National Art & Design Saturday Club. This year, Wallpaper* got in on the act, joining a roster of design studios, artists and creative companies who lent their expertise for a weekend workshop.
The programme - which culminates in an exhibition of the students' work at Somerset House, opening today - gives over a thousand budding designers and artists aged 14 to 16 the chance to attend a free class at a local university to explore disciplines like painting, ceramics, photography and sculpture. These classes are topped off with a visit to a London museum - ranging from the Barbican Art Gallery to the Tate Modern - and a masterclass with industry leaders, including the likes of Thomas Heatherwick, Fredrikson Stallard and Moritz Waldemeyer this year, as well as our good selves.
Wallpaper* welcomed a group of 19 students to our Southwark HQ in March. Led by Editor-in-Chief Tony Chambers, our art, design and interiors teams guided them on a tour of our office, giving them an insight into the tasks required to create a Wallpaper* issue each month. We then challenged the students - who attend a Saturday Club at Cambridge School of Art - to create a cover for our (not yet printed) May issue, using collaged imagery from its contents. Exhibiting their designs on our walls, we offered a critique session, discussing their ideas and inspirations.
The students impressed us with their intelligent approach and creativity, producing a range of work - now on show at Somerset House, alongside the fruits of other workshops - that offered an inspiring overview of the magazine's contents, distilled from their own unique points of view. It made us look at the issue with fresh eyes.
For our team, the experience confirmed the importance of an initiative like the National Art & Design Saturday Club that helps students to explore and develop their passions and skills from a young age, while showing them the route to further education and a career in the industry. We'll be keeping a watchful eye on our promising group of students as they make their upward trajectory.
We gave students the chance to see all aspects of magazine production. Here, Wallpaper* interiors director Benjamin Kempton and interiors editor Amy Heffernan illustrate the brainstorming process behind a photoshoot
The group examine the miniboard for an upcoming issue
Creative director Sarah Douglas shows the students some proofs of the magazine's pages
The 3D stories in our October 2011 'Sound and Visuion' issue were a particular hit
As part of the masterclass, we challenged the students to create a collaged cover for our May issue, using its contents as their base
The group with their finished covers on the rooftop of our HQ, joined by our Editor-in-Chief Tony Chambers (centre) and art and interiors team (back row). Their works are now on show as part of the National Art & Design Club's summer exhibition at London's Somerset House
The day ended with a mini-exhibition and critique session of their work, which was an opportunity to hear about their inspirations and ideas
Covers by Claudia Roman-Keeble and Zoe Rowe
Covers by Dave Monis and Ésme Kovacs
Covers by Ana Cerqueira and Verity Miller
Covers by Jakub Warenczuk and Sally Matthews
Covers by Marlene Ohly and Molly Clarke
Covers by Jan Kirkham and Simone Polcik
Covers by Laura Wilson and Khokho Thetsri
Covers by Kirty Garuna and Lydia Squires
Covers by and Fay Matthews and Dominika Mazur
Cover by Rowan Logan
Wallpaper's masterclass was just one of the many on offer from the National Art & Design Saturday Club. Pictured is the class of artist Jeremy Deller
The fruits of Jeremy Deller's masterclass
Designer Moritz Waldemeyer offered his lighting expertise to students, tasking them to create a series of lanterns
Design duo Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard of Fredrikson Stallard teamed up with Swarovski to offer a workshop in which students could customise garments using crystals
ADDRESS
Embankment Galleries
Somerset House
Strand
London WC2R 1LA
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