Room 13 Network
Room 13 Old Ford School - Tower Hamlets, London, England
Resident Artist(s): Bethany Murray
Main Studio artform: All media/ Performance photography
Website: Coming Soon
Old Ford School is in Tower Hamlets, East London very close to the Olympic site. It’s a primary school of 750 children and our Room 13 opened in June 2009. Here’s the story so far.
History
A pilot project funded by BlackRock ran in May-July 2008 where Joanna Hill was our artist in residence and we learnt a lot about what a full-time Room 13 might look like in a large school. During the pilot we did our first two card-selling days at BlackRock to raise money for the art materials budget.
In January 2009, the Room 13 Studio arrived which is a cabin placed in the school garden. We interviewed artists and appointed Bethany Murray in May as our artist in residence and the studio opened in June. Bethany works in performance photography and has her studio 10 minutes away in Hackney Wick. So there is now a full time Room 13 running with a management committee and we are inhabiting the space, making changes to it like a larger sink, storage space and a heater for the winter.
Events
We’ve visited Tate Modern in June and took part in an exhibition at the advertising agency, Tequila in July. In the summer term we began a project called ‘Make Your Mark’. Every pupil and teacher at Old Ford School puts their handprint on the wall of the studio and can decorate it if they want. We still have some way to go but there are about 800 hands so far.
In July Bethany joined the Room 13 Summer school in Strontian in Scotland for a week, an inspiring introduction to Room 13.
In September we took part in a Big Draw workshop in Shoreditch, East London, drawing imaginary cities with a number of other East End schools. In October we had another card-selling day at BlackRock. We worked with another school close by called Phoenix School. Phoenix are thinking about having a full-time Room 13. Together, we raised £650 which we’ve split 50/50.
Coming up, we have a mural project we’re helping with and a presentation to all the staff at the school about Room 13. We are planning to have an open studio in December for staff and family to come and have a look at what we have been doing.
Room 13 Old Ford School News
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