Over the last two weeks, thousands of young people celebrated creativity and culture at the National Saturday Clubs’ annual Visits across major cities in the UK – Edinburgh, London, Manchester and Plymouth!
Club members from different Clubs met for the first time in a day designed to inspire and empower. The day was packed with activities, cultural visits to prestigious locations and talks from inspiring guest speakers who shared their creative journeys.
Here are some of the highlights:
1. Seeing their ‘Expressions of Self’ pop-up exhibited in major cultural venues!
Club members saw their ‘Expressions of Self’ pop-up exhibit at Central Saint Martins, Factory International, Art University Plymouth and National Galleries Scotland: Portrait!
The ‘Expressions of Self’ project invites Club members to explore themes of identity and self-expression through a wide variety of creative media, spanning all subject strands of the National Saturday Club programme.
2. Saturday Club in Colour – activity designed by Templo and supported by GF Smith Charitable Trust
Designed by Templo and inspired by GF Smith’s Colour Lives Here campaign, this activity encouraged Club members to choose a colour that felt true to them and transform it into something expressive and bold. They drew, wrote and experimented with ideas that explored who they are and how colour can become a powerful form of self-expression.
Incredibly grateful to Templo for their creative direction and to GF Smith Charitable Trust for supplying the materials.
3. Hearing from inspiring guest speakers from across the creative industries
At each Visit, Club members heard from an inspiring selection of guest speakers who lit up the room with their stories. They spoke about their own diverse creative journeys and the many places a Saturday Club journey can take you.
Special thanks to: Geneva London, National Saturday Club Alumni and Youth Board member; Aliza Ayaz, climate activist; Urvi Nandha, architect and National Saturday Club alumni; Lekhani Chirwa, actor, writer and theatre maker; and Bea Makan, MSc Art Psychotherapy.
4. Exploring over 30 cultural institutions through tailored tours and workshops
Club members stepped inside some of the UK’s most exciting cultural venues. They took part in bespoke workshops and behind-the-scenes tours at institutions in Edinburgh, London, Manchester and Plymouth. A huge thank you to every partner who opened their doors and created memorable experiences for the young people:
London Visit cultural partners:
Central Saint Martins, Tate Britain, The Courtauld, National Portrait Gallery, Crafts Council, the V&A, National Theatre, Whitechapel Gallery, Tate Modern, Imperial War Museum, Goldsmiths’ Hall, Barbican, Bomb Factory, Government Art Collection, National Gallery, and Saachi Gallery.
Manchester Visit cultural partners:
The Whitworth, Castlefield Gallery, Factory International, Manchester Art Gallery, HOME Manchester, Manchester Museum, Museum of Science and Industry and People’s History Museum.
Edinburgh Visit cultural partners:
National Galleries: Portrait, Fruitmarket, Collective and Stills Gallery
Plymouth Visit cultural partners:
Arts University Plymouth and The Box.
The National Saturday Club programme is supported by organisations including Arts Council England, the BFI, Goldsmiths’ Company, the British Fashion Council Foundation, Cass Art, Clore Duffield, QEST and more.