Learning Gallery
Located on the top floor of the Saatchi Gallery, we are proud to exhibit education and community groups’ artworks to the public.
For each major exhibition, there are opportunities to engage with creative projects and workshops whether that be in-gallery, virtually, in the classroom or at home. View our School and Communities webpages for more information on our online and in-gallery opportunities.
CURRENT
Project: The RENA Initiative
On view: 1 – 31 August
Open to ticket holders of Civilization: The Way We Live Now only
The RENA Initiative exists to Recognise, Empower, & Nurture Artists. Founded by visual artist Mellezia, this social enterprise is committed to fostering visibility & amplifying the voices of underserved & marginalised communities.
The artworks featured in this exhibition were painted by participants of ‘The RENA Initiative presents: The WoWC (Women of White City)’ project, who range in age from nine to eighty-eight years old. By providing a safe space for connection & self-expression, this project empowers the intergenerational participants to make new friends, feel visible & valued, improve their mental well-being, & share their life stories through the medium of painting.
Through art, The RENA Initiative is creating a world where all people are valued, empowered, & connected. To learn more, visit www.therenainitiative.com
UPCOMING
Project: The Future of Civilzization
On view: 4 – 17 September
Over the past 4 months we have worked with around 4,000 participants inviting them to take part in tours and workshops, onsite, offsite, online, and even by phone, to connect as many as possible with our current major exhibition Civilization: The Way We Live Now. This exhibition showcases some of the amazing work that has been made during workshops with these talented groups.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
Project: Inside Stories
On view: 3 – 31 July
Open to ticket holders of Civilization: The Way We Live Now only
Inside Stories is a series of short video diptychs co-created with prisoners at HMP Liverpool, HMP Styal, and Feltham Young Offender Institution. This project focuses on collaboratively and empathetically representing the lived experiences of prison learners.
Project: Beyond Age
On view: 6 June – 29 June
Open to ticket holders of Civilization: The Way We Live Now only
The arts have a profound impact on mental health and quality of life. Therefore, this project celebrated and promoted the arts among the older generation of RBKC in collaboration with Age UK K&C, by hosting a series of 12 tours and workshops of our recent street art exhibition Beyond The Streets for them. The sessions were specifically aimed at those with dementia as studies have shown that art therapy activities even help boost cognitive function in various areas of the brain and enhance communication, brain function and social interaction in people with dementia.
Here are some quotes from some of the participants:
“The course was enjoyable, fun, exciting, entertaining, and I would recommend it. The teacher is friendly, approachable, and welcoming.”
“The best exhibition ever in the Saatchi Gallery.”
“Awesome, encouraging, inclusive, more please.”
Project: Beyond the Classroom
On view: 14 April – 9 May
Open to ticket holders of Beyond the Streets London
An exhibition of artwork by children and young people from schools and community groups, as well as members of the public, who joined us for free tours and workshops inspired by Beyond The Streets exhibition at Saatchi Gallery.
Project: CHILD OF
On view: 1- 31 March
CHILD OF announces partnership with Saatchi Gallery Learning Programme to create charity project inspired by Beyond the Streets Exhibition
Through the power of art, Child Of and Saatchi Gallery Learning department will use real-life stories of addiction to inspire artworks illustrating the value of shared experience whilst being a solution to providing art opportunities and educational recourse for victims of addiction.
Project: Open Age: Exploring Identities
On View: 20 – 24 February
We invited members of Open Age to create an artwork of any medium responding to the brief, Exploring Identities. Our Learning Department ran a series of workshops in Open Age centres and at the Saatchi Gallery to help older participants get inspired by the our most recent exhibition The New Black Vanguard and reflect on the idea of identity and on what that means to them.
Workshops included Poetry Writing; Fashion Magazine Cover Designing and Recreating Paintings.
Project: TT50 Graffiti
In 2022 Trellick Tower turned 50 and as part of the celebration we invited Graffiti artists to create blackbook sketches inspired by the iconic tower and its architect, Ernő Goldfinger. This exhibition showcases some of those works and is a visual representation of the bond between Graffiti and Trellick Tower and the strength of feeling artists have for this London landmark.
Project: The New New Black Vanguard
An exhibition of artwork by children and young people from schools and community groups, who joined us for free tours and workshops inspired by The New Black Vanguard exhibited at Saatchi Gallery.
Project: Westminster Creative Collective 2022
On view: 21 October – 29 November
Admission: Free. Appointment only.
This exhibition is the final location in a series of exhibitions that have taken place across Westminster Libraries.
Finishing here at the Saatchi Gallery, The Creative Collective was established by Westminster Council’s City Lions and Children’s Services, to share and celebrate the creativity of Westminster’s young people and showcase their artistic talent, enabling them to use their creativity as a tool for communication.
Project: “Catharsis” – A community Art installation by Abbey School
4 March – 29 April 2022
“Catharsis” is simple in its concept – everyone is invited to write or draw their thoughts, memories and/or emotions about the ongoing global Covid 19 pandemic. The participant is then encouraged to alter the shape of the paper to reflect their feelings. This is a cathartic exercise that is completely anonymous. Each piece of paper will unite with a mass of others. The paper will be dipped and fired in porcelain paper clay to represent the fragility of the times we live in.
Admission: Bob Marley ticket holders
Project: Jubilee Drawing Club with artist Pure Evil
On view: 3 – 22 September 2022, appointment only
To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, our Learning team worked with Saatchi Gallery exhibited street artist, Pure Eliv (Charles Uzzell Edwards).
We invited families from all over London to contribute to a 9 meter long collaborative drawing using a range of different materials.
Presented in collaboration with Duke of York Square as part of King’s Road Jubilee Street Party.
Open to ticket holders of ‘Firsts: London’s Rare Book Fair’ and by appointment only
Project: Drawing with Light with St Peter’s Eaton Square Church of England School
17 – 30 November 2021
St Peter’s Eaton Square Church of England School visited the Saatchi Gallery in September. The children learnt about JR’s work with a guided tour of his Chronicles exhibition, followed by a workshop exploring themes in the exhibition and portrait photography.
Admission: London Grads NOW.21 ticket holders
Project: We are the artists, We are the Future! By Child Of
1 – 31 December 2021
Child Of uses real-life stories of addiction to inspire artworks, illustrating the value of sharing your experience through the power of art.
Admission: London Grads NOW.21 ticket holders
Project: Open Age ART EXHIBITION
20 Sept – 3 Oct 2021 (Oct 3rd closing event SILVER SUNDAY 12-4pm)
Open age continues its partnership with Saatchi Gallery with a community exhibition in our Learning Gallery. The exhibition open brief was ‘WRINKLES IN THE CITY’ responding directly to our current exhibition JR: Chronicles.
Admission: JR: CHRONICLES ticket holders
Project: Accumulate Exhibition
2-20 SEPTEMBER 2021
Our latest exhibition celebrates the work of Accumulate members who were invited to take part in a creative collage workshop with London portrait photographer Kit Oates. In the workshop they learnt collage techniques and developed ideas around the themes of identity and responding to the JR:Chronicles exhibition.
Admission: JR: CHRONICLES ticket holders
Project: Westminster Creative Collective
This exhibition is one of a series of five exhibitions taking place across Westminster Libraries and the Saatchi Gallery and showcases the work of the Westminster Creative Collective. The exhibition celebrates the creativity of young people in the borough, providing them with a chance to reflect, share and mark the significant events of the past year.
Artwork was created in different forms to communicate and express their feelings and opinions. The artworks within this exhibition explore four themes:
- Lockdown
- Resilience and hope
- Community
- Black Lives Matter
Artist: Kit Oates
Title: Creating with Dementia Workshop for Dementia Action Week 2021
Project: To mark National Dementia Action Week 2021, Saatchi Gallery Learning teamed up with our friends at Creating with Dementia for a photography project to enhance dementia awareness and celebrate those living with dementia, both directly and in supporting roles. Inspired by the work of artist JR, we invited a group of people with dementia, carers and allies to visit the gallery. Referencing JR’s practice of using portrait photography and oral testimonies to create awareness of communities and issues around the world, participants were photographed by project artist Kit Oates and we conducted short interviews to find out a little about each of them.
Artist: Sabira Haque
Title: Sparked
Project: Aesthesia; from a programme of exploration of Queer British South Asian heritage
Artist: Qasim Riza Shaheen
Project: Aesthesia; from a programme of exploration of Queer British South Asian heritage
Community organisation: Element
Title: In My Element
Project: Arts project exploring purpose, motivation and creativity with care leavers
Community organisation: Element
Title: In My Element
Project: Arts project exploring purpose, motivation and creativity with care leavers
Community organisation: Epic CiC
Title: Rich Vs Poor/ Reflective Landscape
Project: Art Explosion; winning entries from children and young people with a lifelong learning difficulty and/or disability
Community organisation: Epic CiC
Title: Rich Vs Poor
Project: Art Explosion; winning entries from children and young people with a lifelong learning difficulty and/or disability
Charity: MASK
Title: Mask Art Prize
Project: The MASK Prize; a unique pan-African competition, which encourages and celebrates the creativity of young Africans
Charity: MASK
Title: Mask Art Prize
Project: The MASK Prize; a unique pan-African competition, which encourages and celebrates the creativity of young Africans
School: Townley Grammar School
Project: Annual Student Exhibition; to celebrate student artwork
School: Townley Grammar School
Project: Annual Student Exhibition; to celebrate student artwork
Community organisation: Element
Title: In My Element
Project: Arts project exploring purpose, motivation and creativity with care leavers
School: Wetherby School
Project: Annual Student Exhibition; to celebrate student artwork