Art School for Rebel Girls is a project devised by Pavilion and offers a freer and more expansive approach to art and inspires young women to value themselves, to believe they can succeed, and to think big.

There is a mental health crisis amongst teens in the UK which has been linked to austerity, pressure from school, changes in the ways young people are socialised, gender expectations and the emotional demands of appearance-focused social media. This is exasperated by increasingly outcome driven school curriculums and a decline in creative subjects that provide space for self-expression, playfulness, exploration and dialogue.

Having volunteered during the first year of ASFRG in 2018, Alice was asked to move into a paid role of project assistant to continue with the development of the programme.

Being passionate about education in feminism and arts, Alice is working with the project to inspire girls from Year 9 and 10 to question what it means to be a young woman in today’s society.

This is an ongoing arts project fostering confidence, creativity and collaboration between young women from Leeds schools, currently Carr Manor Community School and The Co-operative Academy of Leeds. Supported by Soroptimist International Leeds the initiative is now in its second year.

Gelli Printing workshop

Gelli Printing workshop

This year’s programme culminates with an exhibition of work made by the girls during weekly after school workshops, a two day half term workshop and a Spring workshop that ends on Friday 12 April with a celebration event/opening of this exhibition. This year the group have worked collaboratively to create artworks that take up space and interrogate their place in the world; from large-scale gestural painting to stop-motion animation and working with artists such as Helen De Main.

Exhibition opening on Friday 12 April from 3pm at:

Project Space
Pavilion
42 New Briggate
Leeds
LS1 6NU

The celebration event will be from 3pm-6pm (speeches and awards at 5pm).

The Art School for Rebel Girls Exhibition runs until Thursday 18 April. Opening times: Friday 12 to Saturday 13 April, 3pm–6pm; Closed Sunday; Monday 15 to Thursday 18 April, 3pm–6pm.

Further Information

Marion Harrison

Senior Lecturer / Leeds School Of Arts

Marion Harrison is a Senior Lecturer in Fine Art working on both UG and PG programmes. Marion is currently Acting Course Leader for BA(Hons) Fine Art and Course Leader for APD in Professional Practice in Art and Design.

More from the blog

All blogs