ART
TAKING RISKS, BREAKING BOUNDARIES
DIRECTOR OF ART SUE MULHOLLAND LOOKS OVER WHAT HAS BEEN A YEAR OF FIRSTS FOR THE ‘DEP ART MENT’
‘ARTISTS FIND THE MEANING IN EVERYTHING’ PETER RANDALL PAGE
A s an art department we strive to ensure a challenging educational experience through diverse co-curricular and enrichment opportunities that appeal to the wide range of students who come into our care. Endeavouring to instil a lifelong respect and understanding of the arts, we share the words of Sir Peter Bazalgette, OA and Chair of Arts Council England, that ‘the arts define our culture, our identity and our national conversation’. This conversation is evolving at Dulwich and the questions we ask our students are not those that can be answered in a printed worksheet or by simply ticking a box. It is more of a journey, helping students to find a passion and niche within the arts in order to gain the confidence to take risks and learn how to solve problems. Underpinned by core skills, draughtsmanship is a crucial aspect of our language. Without technical knowledge and acuity, progressive ideas cannot come to fruition; drawing is therefore a key player within our studios. Indeed, it was a set of observational drawings of the humble sinks within the aforementioned studios that led to Lucas Morel (OA, 2015) winning the top award at this year’s Young Art competition, run by the Royal College of Art. Lucas beat more than 7,500 other entries to take the Rector’s Prize, the highest accolade of the competition. This news completes what has been a year of firsts, each experience the beginning of a future legacy, strengthening and responding with further conversations. We began the year with our inaugural Film Festival: free runners, burning skulls, mesmerizing ink drops and paint-splattered
Prize-winning observational drawings of sinks by Lucas Morel (OA)
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