No Frame is designed with two aims. Firstly, to celebrate teenage artists’ artworks that display highly individual and original qualities with admirable skills in various artistic disciplines. It is for the young people who courageously open up themselves and who are compelled to express their keen intentions. All showcased artists are my former students, who undertook personal creative challenges which often tested their confidence and patience in the process. It demanded a very significant amount of their time and energy to search for ideas, to engage in labour intensive practical work and to push through personal habits and limitations. In these times, rather than compromising qualities of their work, these young artists chose to solve problems collaboratively with peers and their artist- teacher. This methodology demanded that risks needed to be taken. Each resulting work is a monumental piece that represents the authentic individual. I believe, for this simple reason every single work deserves our absolute respect.
Secondly, it is to share the unique creative process that these showcased young artists went through which helped them to make work reflecting their personal identity, with artistic maturity and flair. I find the secret of originality is in this process and more importantly how it is being operated. Each student’s process starts with generating ideas based on their own interpretation of the theme that is responsive to individual life experiences. Throughout their project, this concept contributes radically to convey a fully personalised voice in their work. In depth critical & contextual study supports students to be able to expand their knowledge and develop ideas and skills further.
“From start to finish, the transformation that I went through in this project is quite unbelievable. That’s because I learned how to tell my story in more symbolic and refined ways by looking at artists’ works of my choice. I am glad that I took the opportunities deepening my understanding. It helped me to experiment with wide range of techniques and materials, opening real possibilities to speak who I was.
Pippa Paige-Mclean 17yrs. A Level 2013-2015
In the process, it is essential that artist-teachers recognise and are sympathetic to young artists’ inspiration and open opportunities to explore it fully in their work and offer appropriately and individually tailored workshops while demanding commitment to achieve artistic mastery. When it is done authentically, going through this process can equip art students to use the subject as a tool for individual expression and grow vital qualities such as high level thinking skills, critical approach, problem solving skills and team work. This implies high achievement in school, competitions and progression to universities and careers in the creative industries and/or as an art consumer who is able to actively engage with art in their life.
Furthermore this creative process and its key skills are universal and greatly beneficial to other specialisms and fields. CREATE: in the extensive context, means to communicate thoughts and intentions which are ‘invisible’ with the most suitable ‘visible’ outcomes. Everything around us has been created with its needs and ideas and ‘Originality’ is highly valued is every corner of our society, including science, mathematics, language, politics and business. Through purposeful research, thought provoking conversations and analytical approach, the creative process teaches how to think creatively first, followed by ways to develop the initial ideas and outcomes further. The brilliance and originality of the outcome would often be different from the first original idea. Evidently this experience grows some of the most exclusive and highly employable graduates and specialists in the world.
“Creativity is essential in a global economy that needs a workforce that is knowledgeable, imaginative and innovative.”
TATE
When I first saw the good examples of this established principle in the U.K. art education was in the university, working on post graduate teacher training course with my tutor, Pete Webster. Despite my steep learning curve, coming from different culture and language, my heart was pounding with excitement of finding a valuable art education model where the creativity is structurally yet with organic space within, fostered and practiced. This feeling got stronger, followed by my experience working as an artist- teacher. With time, the principal has been developed, reflecting on my characteristics, values and experiences so that my educational philosophy is student-centred learning and teaching in order to be able to offer opportunities for pupils to practice issue-based art in a contemporary way. In my classroom, personal ideas and stories were openly discussed yet with sensitivity. Peers supported each other by suggesting creative solutions and sharing art processes and techniques. I believe fostering this stimulating learning environment, with structured and perpetual encouragement to help learners dedicate to the subject, is a key frame to support their success. Their love of the subject and commitment to excellence, even under pressure, resulting in them blossoming as an artist with unique identity and style.
Working with my students enabled me to play a powerful role in the way that I never expected and has grown me as a teacher, a human being, as well as an artist. Thanks to each student’s different interests, my subject knowledge has been expanded widely across various artistic genre and medium. My understanding of humanity and awareness of diverse social and cultural issues has expanded and deepened through indirect experiences, listening to my students who came from various backgrounds and living conditions. Teaching art allowed me the exquisite opportunity to discover hidden stories from young artists' hearts, which otherwise could have been diminished and to collaborate to express the story with dynamic visual form.
“I was deeply saddened by people, shouting at me, 'a terrorist' as a young girl but was intimidated to say "No, your idea is wrong." All I learned from my religion and my culture is love, not violence, not killing. This art project was the only way that I could speak my voice. At least I could do something, that is not being ignored.”
Hadiya Qaderi. 17 yrs. 2014-2016 A Level
I could walk through each student’s individual journey and I witnessed their cognitive, personal, social and civic development. Their works display potency to promote awareness of beauty in life, to stimulate curiosity and to accept and celebrate diversity which include gender, race, physical & mental health condition issues, resulting in broadening perspective of seeing their own and other’s life with empathy and positivity.
The power of making ORIGINAL creation, the authentic voice of the creator’s own which capable to touch the core of human heart. This is beyond a classroom. I believe, this is how, as my tutor, Pete Webster says, “Art can change the world.”