Future Steps Hub - Broomfield SILC

I spent Thursday mornings at Future Steps Hub - Broomfield SILC in Leeds this term, and these sessions ended this week. I was invited to do art with a class young people and I enjoyed their company a lot.

We explored how artists need to make art that they are interested in, and that when we do, we can turn those images into artefacts to sell. These sessions were intended to show we use  enterprise in art practice. As always curiosity and experimentation is at the heart of the session, so we used a wide variety of materials to make images that the participants felt connected too. The group engage with the process and all produced artwork that could be turned into t-shirt designs, posters or could be printed on a cup etc.

This is my favourite drawing by Devon, its a simple and sensitive drawing of a tree.

I always try to learn something about my self in my social practice and these sessions were no exception. I realise that I sometimes over prepare and this means I make more work for myself. Working with the young adults at the Future Steps Hub showed me that I need to simplify what I do but also be prepared to extend it if needed. Sometimes people get really into the experience and this needs to be respected despite what I prepare. I’m getting aware of making what I do more people centric, people need to feel connected to what they do, people need to feel edified by creative practices and have a sense of ownership over what they make. This needs accommodating more in the activity, but in-between incorporating this, using an experimental approach, using different materials and being flexible, we only usually have an hour. Its not easy to do it all - I need to have a think!

But apart from that I feel the activities were successful and very productive. The time went quick and we didn’t have the opportunity to materialise all the ideas into other things but I did print out their work and made some keyring’s of their drawings to sell before the Easter break.