The Margate School Art&Design Saturday Club has got off to a great start
National Saturday Club sessions have got off to a great start at The Margate School with a full cohort of twenty young people aged 13 to 16 from across Thanet. The sessions, which have been designed and put together by the talented team at TMS, led by Sam Giles and coordinated by Poppy Phibbs, both of Loser Gang, cover many aspects of the Art&Design theme, including creating zines, designing tote bags, banner making with natural dyes, typography, printing and self-portraits which will be displayed at the end of year exhibition at Somerset House in London as part of the National Saturday Club’s annual Summer Show.
We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks for the financial support that we have had to deliver these sessions, which are running from March to July, both from the generous supporters of our Crowdfunder campaign and from the Thanet Community Small Grants Fund as part of the Thanet Shared Prosperity Grant Fund. The Margate School Art&Design Saturday Club has received £10,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is delivered by Thanet District Council.
Cllr Ruth Duckworth, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property at Thanet District Council, said: “The Shared Prosperity Grant Fund is supporting Thanet’s voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to deliver a diverse range of community-focused projects. Each of these has the potential to improve the lives of residents in the five communities that have been identified as needing additional support.
“This funding can make a real difference to our residents. I am looking forward to seeing the progress on each of the projects as they develop, and to finding out more about the pilot schemes submitted as part of the Community Development Grant Programme.”
Uwe Derksen, Director of The Margate School, said: “We are delighted to be hosting and delivering the National Saturday Club, a unique opportunity in Margate and East Kent. The National Saturday Club fits our School’s ethos to support the local communities, a School in and for Margate. We look forward to developing the programme over the next years”.
Paul Allnutt, UK Network Director of National Saturday Club, said "By running an Art&Design Saturday Club, The Margate School is offering an invaluable opportunity for local young people to build their skills and confidence, discover their talents, and explore future pathways that are open to them in education and careers. We are delighted to welcome them to the National Saturday Club network”.
UK Shared Prosperity Fund The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit the website shown above.
National Saturday Club
The National Saturday Club gives 13–16-year-olds across the UK a unique opportunity to study subjects they love for free, on a Saturday at their local university, college or cultural institution. The programme is free, has no exams and offers young people a unique opportunity to build their skills, develop their confidence, and discover pathways to further study and future careers. Saturday Clubs are currently offered in eight subjects: Art&Design, Craft&Making, Fashion&Business, Film&Media, Performance&Theatre, Society&Change, Science&Engineering and Writing&Talking.
Club members attend weekly Saturday classes led by expert tutors in their local community, and take part in national events throughout the year including visits to leading cultural institutions, Masterclasses with industry, a Summer Show exhibition of all Club members’ work at London’s prestigious Somerset House, and a Graduation Ceremony. A remarkable national network of further education, higher education, the cultural sector, and industry works together in partnership to deliver these enriching extracurricular activities.
With a particular focus on engaging young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented communities, the National Saturday Club’s established model has proven impact. The programme offers a transformational opportunity to build skills, develop confidence and discover pathways to further study and future careers.
