Calling all Saturday art class alumni of the past decades

When I was aged 14, in the early 1960s, my art teacher asked if I would like to go to Saturday morning art classes at Hornsey College of Art. It was a life-changing experience which led to me attending full time and a career in design and the creative industries. Frances Sorrell followed the same path.

Inspired by the impact of the Saturday art classes on our lives, and the lives of many of our generation, The Sorrell Foundation has set up the National Art & Design Saturday Club. The club gives 14to 16-year-olds the opportunity to attend free classes at their local college or university of art and design. More than 400 young people are currently attending a 30-week programme at 14 colleges and universities of art and design at locations across the UK.

A Summer Show of their work will take place at Somerset House from Saturday 18 June to Sunday 17 July. Our aim is to increase the spread to at least 40 locations with up to 2000 14to 16-year-olds in three years’ time.

We need to make the case to Government about the value of continuing investment in art and design. Providing opportunities for young people to explore art and design and help them make future education and career choices is a vital part of this.

The Sorrell Foundation would like to hear from you if you attended Saturday art classes during the 1950s, 1960s or 1970s. Your experiences of the classes and what you did next are a vital part of making the case. Please contact Claire Pollock claire@thesorrellfoundation.com / 020 7845 5860.

John Sorrell, The Sorrell Foundation, London WC2