The 2022-23 National Saturday Club year has been an absolutely tremendous one, full of creativity, positivity and inspiration. The Summer Show was the perfect way to celebrate the achievements of the network.
A heartfelt thank you to all 94 Saturday Clubs, 68 universities, colleges and cultural institutions, 400 tutors and 200 student assistants, and the 220 Masterclass givers who supported the programme this year. The National Saturday Club would not be possible without your commitment, energy and dedication.
The Summer Show exhibition and the events that took place throughout the week were full of incredible moments, celebrating the talent, ideas, and potential of young people nationwide. Read on for our highlights...
1. The incredible work on display at Somerset House
“There’s so much brilliant work on display here, and so much to be hopeful for.” Diana Spiegelberg, Deputy Director of Somerset House
Dioramas, stop-motion animation, cyanotype, tapestries, banners, ceramics, radio and news shows, short films, poetry, kimonos, photography, scripts, posters and placards… are just a snapshot of the vast array of work created by Club members. The collaborative works on display at Somerset House encompassed themes of identity, sustainability, community, and belonging.
The exhibition wouldn’t have been possible without architects Dallas-Pierce-Quintero, and design agency Studio Quercus and the incredible support of our wonderful team of freelancers. Thank you also to Arcola Products, Beam Lighting Design, Kitmapper and Pelikinesis.
And… additional thanks to Love Corn for providing delicious snacks!
2. Club member Graduation Ceremonies
“Your hard work, creativity, openness, and kindness has amazed us week on week. Be proud of what you’ve achieved and how you’ve achieved it.” Tory Sanders, Club tutor, London Metropolitan University Writing&Talking Saturday Club
The Graduation Ceremonies, hosted at Bush House, King’s College’s London, were an inspiring and fantastic celebration of all that the Club members have accomplished this year.
A special thank you to guest speakers Patrick Harrison, Executive Director of the English National Ballet, Katie Greenyer, Creative Talent and Network Director at Pentland Brands, Julius Weinberg, Chair of Ofsted, Sir John Sorrell and Lady Frances Sorrell, Co-founders and Trustees of National Saturday Club, Sir Nigel Carrington, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Nyasha Daley, Artist and Entrepreneur, and Jay Blades MBE, Furniture Restorer and BAFTA winning television presenter.
Additional thanks go to Bloomsbury for providing Fashion&Business Saturday Club members with an edition of John Hopkins’ Fashion Design: The Complete Guide.
3. Welcoming everyone to the Private View
“It’s a legacy of change that’s started here. It’s something really beautiful for the future.” Jay Blades MBE
Thank you to all who joined us for the Private View of the Summer Show. It was a wonderful evening which brought together the National Saturday Club’s broad network across further education, higher education, the cultural sector, industry, government and policy-makers. We are so grateful for the support of our incredible partners and supporters and were delighted to celebrate the 2022-23 National Saturday Club year with you all.
Sincere thanks to Arts Council England, National Lottery, Department for Education, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, British Fashion Council, British Film Institute, Chatham House, Howdens Joinery, Pentland Brands, Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust and The Clore Duffield Foundation.
Special thanks to Moët Hennessy UK and to speakers Jay Blades MBE, Diana Spiegelberg, and Sir Nigel Carrington for supporting the celebrations at the Private View
4. The Youth Board at the Summer Show Private View
The National Saturday Club Youth Board joined us at the Private View, celebrating a year of change-making ideas. The Youth Board have been meeting throughout the year to discuss the aims and visions for the future of the National Saturday Club, ensuring that the Trust’s governance and future planning is informed by the young people it serves.
Thank you to the Youth Board for their ongoing support. We’ll be on the look-out for the next generation of Youth Board members next May. Meet the 2022-23 Youth Board members.
5. Reading letters to your future selves
“Challenge yourself. Be confident and join more clubs like Saturday Club!” Club member
‘Dear future me’ featured at the Summer Show, inviting visitors to leave a forward-thinking note. The responses were full of advice and guidance from visitors of the Summer Show. A few of our favourites are below!
• ‘Work hard and see through every dream, you’ll thank yourself later.’
• ‘Your family and friends are very proud of you. Always remember that.’
• ‘Don’t be shy and say your ideas even if you think they’re silly.’
• ‘You will always have me on your side.’
• ‘One thing I would like my future self to remember is to keep seeing the world around me as a child would see it.’
• ‘Be curious about the small things and live in the moment.’
6. Reading Club members’ highlights
“I had so much fun and really enjoyed being part of a special community.” Club member
At their graduation ceremonies, to reflect on their year, Club members left notes inspired by the prompt ‘at this Club I have’. We’ll be sharing these across our social media channels, but for now here’s a selection of our favourites:
• ‘Found a new hobby and discovered a confidence I didn’t know I had, and reignited a love for the arts.’
• ‘Learnt new things about science that encourage me to explore more ideas.’
• ‘Created a prosthetic hand prototype, which isn’t something I thought I’d do anytime soon.’
• ‘Met amazing kids who will conquer the world.’
• ‘Learned to navigate London, met different people from all walks of life, and gained incomparable experiences. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.’
7. Announcing the Performance&Theatre subject strand
“We’re delighted to announce the launch of a new Performance&Theatre Saturday Club programme, which will commence this forthcoming year.” Lucy Kennedy, Chief Executive of the National Saturday Club
At the Summer Show Private View, Lucy Kennedy announced the launch of Performance&Theatre, run in partnership with The Clore Duffield Foundation. The National Saturday Club’s first three Performance&Theatre host partners will be Gateshead College, London’s Roundhouse and The Place working in partnership together, and St Mary’s University, Twickenham. Read more about Performance&Theatre.
8. Publishing this year’s edition of the POST
This year’s Club member publication featured Club member interviews, industry insights, Club members’ notes to the future selves, a massive self-portraits poster, highlights from the year, and much more. A big thank you to the designer team at Pentagram!
9. Exploring the online Summer Show
If you missed the Summer Show exhibition at Somerset House you can still visit the online Summer Show! The virtual galleries feature Club members’ work, behind the scenes insights, Masterclasses, Self-Portraits, and more. Click to explore.
Thank you to Imagination, Lucy Stapylton-Smith, and Martyna Kołodyńska for their support in developing the online Summer Show.
10. Nyasha Daley’s spoken word piece for Club members
“Don’t let others write your story. Your only author should be you.” Nyasha Daley
Guest speaker Nyasha Daley performed her piece ‘You’ve Done Us Proud’ for Club members at their graduation ceremony. Listen to the full audio below.