Testing the boundaries of our identity is the key factor that dominates actions of young people and so it felt a rich topic to explore in the visual arts.  It has been a three-fold project for our students, exploring the artistic materials, gaining the qualifications and learning to draw from themselves for subject matter.  All three aspects have been run concurrently. 

 At the end of their time at the Orpheus Centre, our students will launch into the most independent stages of their lives so far.  The students are positively supported to get to this point by all staff  in respect of their academic, independence and practical skills as well as developing their emotional well-being and resilience. This enables them to prepare effectively for adulthood and continued success.

Part of the reason for this exhibition was to familiarize students with the process and for them to increase awareness of the requirements within the art industry, such as deadlines, sticking to the brief, and maintaining an artistic identity throughout.  Once an artist has engaged with a gallery and the public, there is an unspoken requirement for the artist to deliver a body of work that is identifiably by the same artist.  The students have worked towards finding the motif in their work that is identifiably theirs, then finding the versatility to express themselves in different ways and materials. 

By Helen Menges