RCA briefs tomorrow’s students

A series of workshops being held at the Victoria & Albert Museum is designed to introduce students aged 13-19 to careers in the creative industries.

‘Creative Quarter’ will be held on 9 November, in partnership with the V&A, Imperial College London and the Science Museum, as well as the RCA, as an initiative of the Exhibition Road Cultural Group.

According to ReachOutRCA, the college’s outreach programme, the event aims to attract students who would not normally consider a career in design, in an attempt to increase the diversity of the RCA’s alumni in the future.

Students will be able to participate in digital drawing, podcasting, fashion illustration and science workshops, as well as meeting artists, textile designers and product designers. Leading figures including Arts Council chairman Sir Christopher Frayling, fashion designer Zandra Rhodes and artists from Aardman Animation will be on hand to give participants a glimpse of life inside the design industry.

‘It’s very valuable to share ideas with different groups of peers,’ says ReachoutRCA joint project manager Vanessa Rolf. ‘By working with the V&A, we can reach a much bigger audience. We are always on the lookout for interesting collaborations.’

ReachOutRCA’s main focus is pupils who have the potential to go on to higher education but who face barriers, including failing in traditional academic subjects, dyslexia, being constrained by social factors, or where art is not seen as a viable career in their cultural background.

The project has been running for two years, and received a three-year cash injection from the Man Group last year.