LGBT History Month Workshops

To celebrate LGBTQ History month we explored what love in all forms means to young people in 2021. Through discussion and learning about different LGBTQ artists including Keith Haring, Frida Kahlo and Kehinde Wiley and styles such as surrealism, text art and portraiture, students created their own visual expressions of their ideas of love.

We explored what LGBTQ history month is for, the history of it, unpacking the meaning of the different identities and the various different flags. Each session explored a different LGBTQ artist and their art form, as well as the historical struggle and context of the communities and artists allowing for discussion and better understanding and tying in to the outcome of Development of strong emotional intelligence, empathy and ability to develop positive social networks. Sessions including studying Keith Haring, Frida Kahlo, Kehinde Wiley, Placards and Protest art, Surrealism, Chosen Family and the Levi’s campaign and Grayson Perry. We had insightful discussions around LGBTQ people, their art and how that impacts on society around them and many young people made links between the current situation due to the pandemic and the lives of LGBTQ people past and present.

Upon completion, the impact of the project as a whole meant that Eltham Hill school decided to change their GCSE Art scheme of work to Identity as the project was so positive for the over 130 students who took part. They have also continued to study the artists we introduced the students to after the project had finished.

The following month we worked with 265 students at Plumstead Manor, also digitally, and their head of year said that he would ‘without a doubt, recommend similar projects to colleagues at other secondary schools and would very much like to work with Emergency Exit Arts again in the future.