There were four million children living below the poverty line in England in 2017 andaccording to the Child Poverty Action Group, child poverty is projected to increase in the East Midlands from 29.3% in 2006/08 to 36.2% between 2019/21.
Poverty is not just a matter of finance. Many children, young people and families face the poverty of access to opportunities: and we’re on the road over the next few months to find out how we can work with our regional cultural organisations in the fight against child poverty.
Leicester Print Workshop is a centre of excellence for Fine Art Printmaking, run by its director, Yasmin Canvin. She recognises the unique value the arts can play in transforming children’s lives, putting it down to artists being able to do and think things differently. Artists’ recognition of difference enables young people to understand and celebrate their own difference and helps them find their place in their community.The processes involved in printmaking affords its own special kind of learning too argues Yasmin, allowing for kinaesthetic learning and approaches which welcome ‘slow learning’ and the appreciation that not everything we do, needs to go at the speed of light – .
Whilst LPW is one of very few shining lights in the visual arts in Leicester, it is well networked in the city and beyond through The City Classroom, Leicester Arts Week and CVAN,EM the Contemporary Visual Arts Network.Inspired by the long term vision of the Talent 25 programme at De Montfort University (DMU), Yasmin is keen to see a longer term, 10 year vision when it comes to developing employment opportunities in the cultural sector in Leicester. When asked what she would do if money was no object, she said “invite artists in residence at LPW to not only make new work, but also to affect the culture of the whole organisation, something she thinks would challenge us to think and work differently, in a more responsive way.
