Archives: Learning

July 18th – August 13th

OF WHAT WE HAVE FOUND

“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”

– T.S Eliot

Of What We Have Found is an exhibition of work by members of Shoreditch Trust’s Stroke Survivors groups, in collaboration with Saatchi Gallery Learning. Since 2023, the group has taken part in ongoing workshops exploring memory, presence, experimentation and what it means to consider who we are through the act of making. These works form a constellation of those experiences, voices, and personalities: a shared expression of what has been discovered, recovered, and reimagined.

Shoreditch Trust

Shoreditch Trust has been designing and delivering community-based programmes focused on civic engagement, health, and wellbeing for over 25 years. Their people-centred, peer-support approach ensures that services are tailored to the unique needs of those they support. They empower individuals and communities to lead, grow, and thrive, making a lasting impact on health and wellbeing. Their work is grounded in deep local knowledge, trusted relationships, and a shared commitment to building a more equitable society.

Their programmes support a wide range of people, including those living with long-term health conditions, isolated older adults, women facing multiple disadvantages during pregnancy and early parenthood, families, and vulnerable young people.

Collaboration is at the heart of their work. They partner with individuals, families, carers, and organisations like this creative partnership to help people sustain their health and wellbeing now and into the future.

Shoreditch Trust delivers the Stroke Project in Hackney and the City, which first started over 25 years ago.

Stroke survivors have been instrumental in planning the activities offered as part of their post-stroke community support service. Art in all its forms has been a recurring feature in supporting stroke group members to express their journey after stroke, communicate their identity, create meaning, and experience joy.

Some members were accomplished artists before their stroke; others had never engaged with a creative activity for fun or wellbeing before, culminating in this creative collaboration.

“This is really helping me cope with the loss of my son.  I would never have imagined it would be beneficial for me.  Creating artwork has really helped me, I am enjoying this a lot”

SAATCHI GALLERY LEARNING

With sincere thanks to all the members of Shoreditch Trust’s Stroke Survivors groups who contributed their voices, creativity, and courage to this exhibition:

Adu, Afua, Albert, Mandy, Anthony, Ardian, Asantewaa, Azakala, Boaz, Boswell, Bradley, Caesar, Canute, Charles, Christiana, Cloureen, Coral, David, Debbie, Dina, Dirk, Donald, Duku, Ebere, Edwin, Eileen, Ellwyn, Emeka, Emmanuel, Fatimah, Filipe, Geraldine, Gordon, Guy, Ingrid, John,  Joseph, Kevin, Kingsford, Kwame, Lavern, Leo, Lilian, Lucia, Luis, Lukombo, Maggie, Mahesh, Maqbool, Marc, Marillyn, Mark, Marsha, Michael, Michele, Mohamed, Momaywa, Mui Mui, Nassor, Nazoma, Neemawatee, Noel, Noura, Odette, Oladunni, Olawale, Olayinka, Oran, Patricia, Patrick, Paul, Paulette, Philip, Princess, Rajwant, Rebecca, Rhoda, Robert, Rory, Sandra, Scott, Sharon, Simon, Stephen, Stiliyana, Terry, Theresa, Thomason, Tony, Tracy, Valerie, Victor, Walter, Witman, Yaw.

August 16th – 30th

Description: Saatchi Gallery’s Learning Department was given a donation of hundreds of photographs of Notting Hill Carnival through the years from photographer, Steve Willis, who passed away soon after the donation. We decided to use the photographs as inspiration to work closely with Age UK K&C in a project about Notting Hill. Using these photographs as a springboard, the group created artwork reflecting on their memories of the Carnival and the local area.

17th June – 16th July

Child Of Project C.I.C is a socially engaged arts organisation dedicated to empowering individuals impacted by addiction, homelessness, andthose using creativity to heal from trauma. Through creative mentoring,community art projects, and exhibitions, we celebrate recovery, resilience,and lived experience—fostering connection, hope, and a sense ofbelonging.Alongside our work with adults, Child Of Project C.I.C collaborates withalternative provision schools to support students who don’t thrive inmainstream education. We offer inclusive, nurturing environments where young people can explore their creativity, express individuality, and buildconfidence through tailored art workshops and one-to-one mentoring. Ourperson-centred approach encourages emotional well-being, self-discovery,and the development of transferable life skills.We are deeply committed to mentorship as a long-term tool for growthand recovery, and are working towards creating clear pathways to training, volunteering, and employment for those we support—ensuringlived experience is valued as an asset.By bridging communities and amplifying often unheard voices, Child OfProject C.I.C harnesses the transformative power of art to inspire healing,connection, and lasting change.

28th April – 4th May

Open age is a charity that champions an active life for older people. They work across Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham to enable anyone aged 50 or older to sustain their physical and mental fitness, maintain an active lifestyle and develop new and stimulating interests. With this exhibition, Open Age continues its partnership with Saatchi Gallery and invited their participants to respond to our current major exhibition Flowers: Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture through a series of workshops with the Saatchi Gallery Learning Department.

Several of the artists in Flowers: Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture gained their most significant recognition later in life. Margaret Mellis was in her mid-sixties when she began assembling some pieces of driftwood into an ad hoc sculpture. This was the beginning of what turned out to be a new phase in her art. Christo’s most ambitious projects such as Wrapped Reichstag and The Gates were not completed until he was in his sixties. Susan Beech, Mary Fedden, and Winifred Nicholson also gained greater appreciation for their work later in life.

We asked Open Age participants to take inspiration from each section of the exhibition to further their own artistic practice.

27 March – 25 April 2025

The Photojournalism Hub is delighted to present ‘POSSIBILITIES’, a documentary photography and photojournalism exhibition showcasing the work of young and older participants from our Documentary Photography Workshops.

‘POSSIBILITIES’ is an exhibition about resilience, change, transformation, and hope. It explores the vast possibilities that humankind faces, namely opportunities for change, resistance, and survival in an era defined by uncertainty and adversity. From global crises to personal struggles, our participants have turned their lenses toward moments of strength, renewal, and the potential for a better future.

Throughout this journey, young people and adults alike have sought to capture the essence of possibility in their stories. Whether documenting acts of kindness, resistance, resilience or change in times of hardship, uncovering overlooked narratives of courage, or revealing personal and collective struggles, their work offers a profound and thought-provoking window into the human experience.

This exhibition is more than just a display of photographs; it is an invitation to reflect, engage, and question. It urges us to look closer to step into the stories being told, and to consider the ways in which we, too, can embrace the possibilities that shape our world.

We invite you to visit ‘POSSIBILITIES’ as we celebrate the power of documentary photography to inspire change, amplify voices, and create new pathways for understanding and action.

‘POSSIBILITIES’ is curated by Cinzia D’Ambrosi, award-winning documentary photographer and founder of the Photojournalism Hub. The exhibition is structured as a journey. Visitors will navigate the gallery, encountering four thematic walls that frame the experience: Resistance, Resilience, Change, and Hope.

 “I wanted the viewer to feel that despite living in dark times, there are always choices that enable change and positive outcomes.” says Cinzia D’Ambrosi.

The photographers of ‘POSSIBILITIES’ are  Amy Daintree, Areti Nikou, Avril Gabbay, Denni Rose, Earl Matthew, Ella Khalek, Filippo Mainella, Francesca Nieves Martin, Maria Speller, Rebecca Stella, Roberta Faccio, Roberta Mitchell, Roberto Simone, Selma Nicholls, Sienna Sunna, Sól, Steven Okonkwo.

Photojournalism Hub is a West London community interest company dedicated to empowering individuals and communities through documentary photography. We provide training, portfolio development, and opportunities for print publication and exhibitions. Our projects foster personal growth, social connections, and community cohesion while amplifying voices and creating pathways to employment and further education.

www.photojournalismhub.org / @photojournalism_hub

25 Februrary – 24 March 2025

This exhibition showcases the process and outcomes of a series of workshops held at Ickburgh School in Hackney during the Autumn term of 2024, led by the Saatchi Gallery Learning Team.

Navigating a range of educational challenges, each young artist featured here has developed a unique and powerful response to the artistic materials and techniques explored in these sessions. From printmaking to abstract painting, students at Ickburgh School embraced new creative mediums, expressing their emotions and imagination through both tactile and visual forms.

Through off-site workshops for SEND students across London — including the talented young artists at Ickburgh School — the Saatchi Gallery Learning Team is committed to fostering inclusion and providing meaningful opportunities for people with learning disabilities to engage with the arts.

A Message from Ickburgh School

“Ickburgh School, based in the London Borough of Hackney, provides specialised education for students aged 4–19 with a focus on neurodiverse learning. Saatchi Gallery’s workshops have been invaluable to our students, many of whom are unable to visit the gallery in person. This project has enriched their experiences and boosted their confidence. Having their work exhibited at Saatchi Gallery is an extraordinary opportunity to educate and celebrate neurodiversity through the powerful medium of art.” — Maria Escribano, Art Teacher, Ickburgh School

11th Feburary – 23rd Feburary 2025

“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” — Rumi

Where the Light Enters is the outcome of a series of workshops held with residents of St Mungo’s and Saatchi Gallery Learning. This exhibition showcases the artwork created by participants in response to various prompts and themes. Art is a powerful tool for expression, but it is also an invitation to listen. Through listening, we gain a deeper understanding, and through understanding, we can change the world around us.

The artists in this exhibition have navigated numerous challenges, yet the works presented here reflect shared human experiences. Whether through painting, poetry, or sculpture, each piece represents a moment of personal reflection and expression. Together, these works speak to universal themes of resilience, healing, and connection.

About St Mungo’s

St Mungo’s works directly with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, helping them build paths away from homelessness for good. Their services are tailored to meet clients wherever they are in their journey—whether through rough sleeping support, emergency accommodation, assistance in finding long-term housing, or providing skills and training to help individuals secure meaningful employment.

Last Year alone, St Mungo’s supported more than 28,000 people across 160 services, offering practical aid and creating opportunities for stability and independence.

In addition to direct support, St Mungo’s is dedicated to influencing systemic change. By amplifying the voices of their clients and applying their operational expertise, they work to influence policymakers and address the root causes of homelessness. This exhibition stands as a testament to their belief in the power of creativity, advocacy, and the human spirit to inspire transformation.