About
An independent liberal art school for the 21st century
Our Philosophy
The Margate School (TMS) is an independent liberal art school with post-graduate provision and community outreach incorporated in 2015. A school in and for Margate, developing a wide range of short courses, technical courses and professional development across liberal arts and media disciplines ranging from MA courses to day courses as well as studios, workspaces and technical facilities whilst reaching out to the local community. Above all, The Margate School is about people. The curriculum is guided by project-based collaborative learning in the expanded field, nurturing independent thinking, inspired by Margate’s past and passionate about the future.
Our vision is the successful establishment of an international liberal art school which is operated independently and on a self-sustaining basis in and for Margate, whose scope, activities and benefits can be enhanced with the support of partners primarily in Kent and Northern France, but also the rest of the UK and international sources.
In our ambition to establish The Margate School we acknowledge that education is a privilege. Few can afford the time to reflect, to learn about what might be of value and what less so; to learn and apply skills in a meaningful, socially and environmentally sensitive fashion. For most of us learning takes place in intensive bursts in particular periods of our lives, institutionalised and structured. In a world of hyper-production and hyper-consumption, social inequality, human and environmental disasters the opportunity to learn should not be removed from life but be part of it.
As Paulo Freire (1921- 1997) pointed out “Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” Here the learner becomes aware at the very moment of learning that she has entered the realm of verstehen, partaking in the onset of erudition, of enlightenment. In The Margate School we aim to extend that learning potential, we seek to do this in the expanded the field, through art practice, philosophical reflection, scientific exploration, technological enquiry, engagement in today’s environmental challenges and sociological investigations.
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TMS is a not-for-profit company.
Our Motto
Officinae humanitatis - fabricando fabricamur
Studios of humanity - we become humans as we engage humanly in the world we occupy
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Johannes Comenius
People
Uwe Derksen
Over 25 years of experience in education, developing entrepreneurship programmes for students and adult learners in the community and the creative sector. Former member of the Board of Governors at the University for the Creative Arts and Assistant Director for Research of the University for the Creative Arts. Before then Assistant Director of the Centre for Enterprise and Business Development and Director of e-Novate Consultancy Ltd. Initiator and founding member, Director and Board Director of The Margate School.
Raphael Sieraczek
Classically trained pianist, theatre director and researcher in creativity. Over 10 years of experience in education and performance. Founder and director of the London based Imagine a Spectacle theatre and Module Leader of the ‘Theatre of Discovery’ Interdisciplinary Award at King’s College London (KCL). Raphael is a guest lecturer and a PhD candidate in the field of learning and creativity at KCL. Founding member of The Margate School and Director for Art & Education.
Arnold Schwartzman
Arnold Schwartzman OBE RDI, Patron of The Margate School, is an Academy Award® winning filmmaker and noted graphic designer. He grew up in Margate and then moved to Hollywood in 1978 to become the Design Director for Saul Bass and Associates. In 1982, Schwartzman was appointed the Director of Design for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Since 1996, he has designed many of the key elements for the Annual Academy Awards® (“Oscar®”), including commemorative posters, billboards, cinema trailers and printed programs for the Awards ceremony and Governors Ball.
Jacob Calland
Drawing from a tradition of aleatoric sound and the New York school of minimalism to create extended pieces of exploratory, expansive and immersive music. Much of my work centred around soft system interaction with sound sculpture, treating the viewer as the performer and the artist as the luthier. I believe Art and music have the power to help heal increasingly fractured societies.
Lydia Bevan
Lydia completed a Fine Art degree at UCA with a core practice focusing on painting and drawing. Following this she spent three years at St Edmund’s Canterbury, teaching lower school Art, and A level photography including wet and digital. For the last 10 years Lydia has developed her drawing and illustration work, focusing on map making and graphic design. Refining graphic skills and responding to various commercial briefs, whilst keeping a paintbrush firmly in the other hand.
Saffie Halke
After studying Music Technology, I spent several years working on arts projects, including as an Assistant Tour Manager for the In C Mali and Orchestra of Syrian Musicians, projects with Africa Express and with the STARGAZE Orchestra for their BBC Proms Late Night Tribute to David Bowie, alongside community based projects with Music for Change. I have a deep rooted belief in the power that the arts can have to transform peoples lives, bring joy and connect people from different walks of life.
TMS Board
Hugo Fenwick
Hugo Fenwick is the trading director of the Fenwick department store, which is a national department store chain. Hugo was trained as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young London and has extensive experience in capital projects. In 2014/15 Hugo was appointed as High Sheriff of Kent. Hugo sponsored a dinner in Margate in March 2015 to local, regional and French stakeholders in support of TMS.
Martin Ebbs
Martin has 30 years experience in business + economic development consultancy. He holds an MBA from London Business School. His specialist expertise includes setting up programmes to support business growth, new enterprise + innovation; development of growth sectors + business clusters; inward investment promotion; economic growth strategies; + workforce skills programmes. He previously held a series of senior positions with London International Group, a multi-national FMCG company, Economic + Transport Planning Group, Eurotunnel.
Caron Derksen
Caron is a qualified and practicing solicitor for over twenty five years, having specialised in civil law and currently practices company and contract law. Caron has also taught various aspects of law and processes at FE and HE institutions. In 2001 Caron took a break from the legal profession when she set up and managed her own company to project manage high value European Commission work for ten years. The projects mainly centred on e-learning for small medium enterprises. Having lived and worked in Margate and East Kent for the last 35 years, Caron has first hand experience of the towns economic decline and now regeneration with emphasis on the arts. Caron is keen to develop a sustained engagement between liberal arts education and the local community and attract new interest and European links to the town.
Partners
