Showcasing local art students

Half Moon is delighted to be hosting our 10th anniversary exhibition of work by young people from local secondary schools and alternative educational settings, in partnership with Tower Hamlets Artist Teacher Network (THAT).

East London Art Students Meet… features a vibrant and diverse range of work in different media by a range of Key Stage pupils, including GCSE and A-Level Art students from London East Alternative Provision (LEAP) in Bethnal Green and Swanlea School in Whitechapel.

The work featured is striking in its range of styles and maturity. Created in response to the specifications of the curriculum and examination courses, the exhibition provides an engaging visual overview of contemporary Tower Hamlets students in their early creative careers.

At LEAP, Year 10 and 11 students have explored ideas of working collaboratively while considering what makes us who we are. The result is a striking collection of work experimenting with photography, illustration, creative writing, sculpture and psychogeography.

Using a selection of artists’ work as inspiration, the students interrogated their experiences of being a young person in East London to think about the world we live in and how ‘others’ perceive them.

At Swanlea School, KS3 students have responded to traditional and contemporary West African Art and learnt about the importance of the representation of African artists. This included Ghanaian Kente textiles, making connections between Kente designs and a variety of European and Islamic designs. They explored symbolism and colour in Kente pattern and its importance for the wearer.

Other students were inspired by the portraiture of British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare and the pop-art styles of Andy Warhol to create their own portraits in response.

Over the past decade, Half Moon have worked with thirteen schools in Tower Hamlets, but it’s not always the students who get involved. In 2017 it was the teachers’ turn when we exhibited a dynamic snapshot of some of the best contemporary practice from 19 artist-teachers, all of whom worked as art teachers across the borough.

East London Art Students Meet… is part of Half Moon’s on-going commitment to showcase the work of local art students from across our home borough and to inspire more young people to see the creative industries as a fulfilling and exciting career choice.

The exhibition runs until 16 September 2024 at Half Moon.

Stephen Beeny is the Communications Manager at Half Moon