Ambassadors
Our Ambassadors have been chosen as inspirational leaders in their creative fields who have an understanding and passion for the need for young people to access creativity in their day to day school lives.
To show their commitment to our programme these Ambassadors will have either visited one of our schools or worked directly with young people and / or teachers from our programme. This has given them first-hand experience of how Creative Partnerships is helping to nurture the creative skills of young people as well as developing professional artists in their practice.
Antony Gormley OBE
Role: British Sculptor – creator of Margate Exodus
It was great to have the support of Creative Partnerships in the recent 'Wasteman' project for the Artangel Margate Exodus. It allowed us not only to involve students from local schools but to engage the folk from all over Margate in the creation of this sculpture - my first in fire! It took 6 weeks to make and 32 minutes to burn (in front of a crowd of several thousand).
The work made from local urban detritus was literally transformative. Even though translated from stuff to energy the idea was to make a work that stayed as a monument to the towns potential in the minds of those who saw it.
Michelle Gayle
Role: Musician
A friend asked me to help him with a music production company in Hackney - the aim? To find talented rappers, singers and songwriters. I was astounded by the amount of natural talent out there, but unfortunately, most of the young people I met had dropped out of school, didn't trust authority, and hated being told what to do. It's important to catch children as early as possible, before the cynicism and lack of belief in anything good happening to them sets in. Creative Partnerships does this. It gives children an outlet for their creative skills, allows them to feel appreciated, and in turn, gives them confidence in their ability to achieve.
Nitin Sawhney
Role: Producer, Orchestral Composer and Multi Instrumentalist
I love the process of working with young people and I take away lots of ideas from them that I can apply to my own work. They are a real inspiration to me and it’s great to get a fresh perspective from them.
When I was at school ideas of how music was valued were based on western classical traditions and ability to read score sheets. Although I had a strong classical upbringing it would have been very supportive of my interest in music for teachers to have brought in professional artists who may have presented alternative creative possibilities to the school.
Kwame Kwei-Armah
Role: Actor, Singer, Playwright
I can't believe the work Creative Partnerships is facilitating. Through my personal visit I saw light appear in the eyes of young people whom many have written off as 'beyond the light'. I saw firsthand how the practical application of art is an enabling tool and I too felt enabled. I'm only too pleased to contribute in whatever small way I can to this valuable enterprise.
Abram Wilson
Role: Assistant Artistic Director, Tomorrow's Warriors
Music, creativity, and education go hand in hand. As an artistic director I strive to find new and innovative ways of expressing jazz music through composition, improvisation, and group learning - engaging audiences all over the world through creative participative workshops.Tomorrows Warriors and CP share the philosophy that is is imperative to offer a wide variety of collaborative teaching methods to engage with different types of learners thus ensuring high quality education to those at risk of disengagement or exclusion when mainstream methods fail.
Baby-J
Role: Music Producer
A lot of young people’s full ability is not represented through their achievements in the educational system. The arts can be a great way to start to realize their potential in life. This is why the work of CP is so important as it uses young peoples enthusiasm for the arts to develop new working practices and new ways of learning within the educational system.
Tim Smit
Role: Chief Executive Eden Project
The publication of 'The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change' creates a moment where we either fear change or embrace its opportunities. The pace of change required for us to have confidence in a bright future is so significant that only new and creative ways of working in intelligent partnerships is going to make it happen. For this to take place we must ensure we develop the skills of young people to work in this way.
Kay Montano
Role: International Make-up Artist & beauty journalist
As a child growing up in inner London with little family support, school seemed to me (and my friends) like an institutional authority rather than a service provided to give me opportunities in life. Much as the teachers tried, they were out of step with us. We did not relate to each other. Creative Partnerships have created a wonderful way of engaging young people with individuals who they can relate to - who are advocating learning as a gift rather than a rule.
Prof. Helen Storey
Role: Artist and Designer
Creative Partnerships has given me the privilege and means to work with the greatest of all materials, 'the human mind' and its potential. In a time when evidence and statistics have been everything it continues to go after the brave stuff, the one thing our race cannot be without, yet finds so hard to quantify; human imagination and purpose. Above all other initiatives I know, it offers partnered opportunities to 'out' the intelligent approach, skills and qualities the next generation is going to need to deal with the planetary and humanitarian legacy this one has left it. Over the years Creative Partnerships has added new meaning to my work.