We had an incredible week filled with creativity, laughter, and new friendships. From cyanotypes and claymation with Tasnim Mahdy to circus skills with the National Centre for Circus Arts, our participants explored a range of artistic mediums and had a blast doing it.

Taking part in the arts supports young people’s education, wellbeing and employability. However, not all young people have access to the arts. Did you know that children from low-income families are three times less likely to engage in extracurricular arts activities? 

Artichoke works all over the UK producing free art events, but our home is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, where 56% of children live in a low-income family. This is the highest level of child poverty in the UK.

As part of Artichoke’s Summer School, eight young people from low-income backgrounds had the opportunity to try a range of new and exciting activities:

• Rap writing with Jasmine Khalia

• Learning circus skills at the National Centre for Circus Arts

• Hands-on clay animation workshops

• A visit to the Whitechapel Gallery

• Creating cyanotypes with Tasnim Mahdy 

These activities weren’t just fun; they were vital in helping these young people stay engaged in the arts, develop important creative and social skills, and work together as a team.

The week-long Summer School concluded with an exhibition at Tower Hamlets Town Hall, where the young artists proudly displayed the breadth of their creative work. This was a proud moment for the participants, their families, guardians, friends, and all of us at Artichoke.

Thank you to The Big Give and everyone who donated to our #ChristmasChallenge in 2023 for making the Summer School possible!

With special thanks also to Dormywood Trust, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Department for Education, Ridge and Partners LLP, Whitechapel Gallery and Tesco Express Aldgate East.