Bow Arts staging careers event at Stratford’s Sarah Bonnell School for ‘next generation’ of artists and designers

A careers event for schoolchildren and their parents to learn about the fast-growing cultural sector is being held by an east London education charity to help develop the next generation of creative artists and designers.

It is part of Bow Arts’ year-long Sarah Bonnell Consortium education programme involving secondary and primary schools across east London.

Professionals from the world of arts and craft are being brought in by Bow Arts charity to set up the first event of the New Year at Sarah Bonnell secondary school in Stratford on January 30.

They are giving tips about the arts industries and providing hands-on opportunities for years 8 to 11 to discover the diversity of careers in art and design.

“Our aim is to inspire youngsters to become the arts, architects and designers of the future,” Bow Arts’ education chief Rob Smith said.

“We aim to show opportunities beyond the classroom of the possibilities that are open. The skills developed by studying arts such as decision-making, originality and team-working are crucial to all industries.”

Pupils get an insight into how engineering, science, art and design go hand-in hand, learning about game-changing technology with demos of 3D printing and scanning, and how designers are producing sustainable materials.

Laura Davies, head of art and design at the school, said: “East London is host to a wealth of creative industries, the fastest growing sector of the London economy which offers one-in-10 jobs.

“It’s vital that young people are equipped with the skills, experience and knowledge to succeed in this industry.”

Highlights from the programme include talks from magazine art director Leyla Reynolds and BAFTA award-winning animator and filmmaker Jessica Ashman.

Students from the London College of Fashion are running workshops and explaining about studying art at university, while East London Arts and Music college introduces its programmes for school-leavers wanting to work in film or television.

The January 30 event is part of Bow Arts’ education programme working with six schools in Stratford, Plaistow and Forest Gate since 2015 to embed the arts into the curriculum and into children’s everyday life. It also works with 10,000 pupils and teachers a year in 90 schools across London, to increase take up in the arts as well as providing work for emerging artists.