On Wednesday 22 February, Artis hosted an evening of drinks and presentations at the offices of Hogan Lovells in London to celebrate the great work that the charity has done so far and the fantastic impact it has had on children across the UK. A range of attendees came to show their support and find out more about the charity, enjoying canapes, prosecco, and Hogan Lovells’ art collection, whilst learning more about the activities of the charity and the far-reaching benefits of Artis.

The evening began with an art tour around the offices lead by Hogan Lovells’ curator, Michael O’Donaghue. This gave some of the guests the opportunity to take in the extensive collection which includes works by Picasso, Andy Warhol, and other contemporary artists before the presentations began. Michael gave insight and context to the works, allowing guests a glimpse into the history and meaning behind the works on display around the offices.

Following the art tour, the presentations began. The first came from Nicola Weston, also known as Jangle, who spoke about her work as an Artis Specialist within schools in the London area. She talked about how rewarding she finds her work and how the children respond to her classes, learning through movement, drama, and music. She also explained how supportive Artis has been to her throughout her time as a Specialist, helping her expand her practice and research in education and the Performing Arts, contributing to her knowledge and experience and aiding her career development.

Next it was the turn of Darren Rubin to present. Darren is the Headteacher at St John’s Primary School in Bethnal Green, and he spoke about the experience of the children at his school taking part in Artis. He explained how beneficial the space to explore the arts has been to the children at St John’s, many of whom are from backgrounds of high deprivation who may not have the chance to engage in performance-based activities outside of Artis sessions. He shared some quotes from the children that he had spoken to during that school day who spoke highly of Artis sessions, saying that they boosted their confidence, helped them to learn new things, and that (most importantly) they were great fun.

Jon Franklin, Chief Economist at Pro Bono Economics, then spoke about the economic benefit of Artis sessions. He reiterated the statistic that each £1 invested in Artis can equate to £32 of lifetime benefits for children who participate in the sessions. Jon said that he enjoys working with Artis as the benefits are so tangible, reaching children from challenging backgrounds and improving their prospects in life through better employment possibilities, increased self-esteem and self-belief, and better communication skills through our sessions.

Finally, one of our current Artis Patrons, Anna-Louise Plowman, spoke about the school that she supports. Anna-Louise generously funds sessions at St. Winifred’s Catholic Primary School in Lewisham, and spoke about how rewarding it is to be a Patron, receiving regular feedback about the school and how the children are doing. She spoke about the times she has been to visit and observe the sessions at the school and how enthusiastic the children were to engage. She expressed, too, how impactful the sessions have been for the children at the school, and how pleased she is to have played a part in helping Artis engage the children and help them thrive.

The evening finished with an opportunity for guests to mingle and ask questions of the presenters and Artis Management Team. Guests headed home with an Artis notebook and pen, and enthusiasm about the work that Artis does in providing every child with a creative education regardless of background. Thank you to all of the presenters and to Hogan Lovells for hosting this delightful, celebratory evening!