We spoke with Florrie, a former member of the Hull College Institute of Art, Ferens Art Gallery Art&Design Saturday Club from 2018 to 2019 and now a member of the National Saturday Club Youth Board! She shared her journey from joining the Club at 14, where she explored her creative freedom and gained confidence to pursue Fine Art at university. Florrie reflects on the impact of the Saturday Club, its inspiring workshops, and how it shaped her path in the art sector.
What sparked your interest in attending a Saturday Club?
My very passionate art teacher mentioned it to us. She gathered a few of us after school and said, “oh, I think you should do this”. I wasn’t reluctant, but I remember going home and thinking, “oh, it’s on a Saturday”. Me and my friend from school decided to give it a go. At first, it felt a bit weird because schools in East and West don’t usually mix much. We were a little nervous, but in the end it wasn’t intimidating at all.
How did the activities at the Saturday Club compare to what you were doing in school?
There was definitely a difference. My family is quite artistic – my dad works in the arts, so I’ve always been familiar with galleries etc. I always knew I wanted to do art, but I’d never been to a club like the Saturday Club before. I thought it was just gonna be like a silly club but it was very different to that.
Do any moments from your time at the Club stand out to you?
One of my favourite memories of the Club is a workshop we did with Ian McKeever, who had an exhibition at the Ferens Art Gallery. He had us stack loads of chairs in the middle of the room and then we had to draw in all these unusual ways – on our chest, behind our head, lying on the floor. It was so different and creative. I didn’t do anything like that again until my foundation year, and it was funny because when they said, “we’re going to stack chairs and draw”, I was like, “I did this when I was 14!”
Another great memory was when we recreated old portraits through costume design. My friend and I worked on this massive Edwardian collar made of pleated, multi-coloured paper. It was huge! Then we did a photoshoot wearing it. It was so creative and so much fun.
If you had to describe your time at the Saturday Club in three words, what would they be?
Inspiring, fun, and “a push”. I’m not sure how else to put it – it was very unexpected in the best way. I liked the tutors because they weren’t like school teachers; they were more like students or just normal people. That was such a surprise at 14, to be taken seriously and not constantly shown what to do. It was laid-back, but it made you feel like an adult. It gave you freedom, and that was such a great feeling.
Why did you choose to study Fine Art, and what draws you to it over other creative fields?
I’m studying Fine Art because I love the freedom it gives you. I enjoy working with materials, thinking about them first, then building ideas from there. My A-Level tutors thought I might study Illustration because my final project was quite detailed and had a sculptural aspect to it. But during my foundation year, I started making big sculptures and installations and that’s when I realised Fine Art was my thing.
The only downside now is the funding cuts – everything is so expensive, and I have to pay for every material which takes away some of the freedom.
Did you ever imagine while at the Saturday Club that you’d be where you are now?
Not really, I think it was after the Saturday Club that I started having proper conversations with my parents about university and what I wanted to do. I remember asking them when was it they realised I was serious about art and they said it wasn’t until after the Saturday Club. That really surprised me, I thought it was obvious all along!
My dad noticed that something changed after I joined the Club and my teachers saw it too. I became a lot more confident. Even now, I still talk about how good the Club was.
Hull College Institute of Art, Ferens Art Gallery Art&Design Saturday Club, 2018 – 2019
Interview conducted and edited by Suprina Thapa