A mix of modern British graffiti and ancient Syrian calligraphy has been inspiring teenagers from London and Damascus who have been working together in a pioneering project now being shown at Tate Britain, until July 10.
The exhibition, entitled Nahnou-Together, features the work of GCSE art pupils from Quintin Kynaston school, in north London, and students at the Adham Ismail centre, an arts training centre, in the Syrian capital. Both sets of students worked with artists on techniques ranging from collage to calligraphy, examining themes such as “Who am I?” and “Where I live”.
Among them was Qendrim Makolli (left), 15, a Quintin Kynaston pupil who came to the UK from Kosovo as a baby. He said: “It was great to meet the calligrapher from Syria. I started doing graffiti when I was 12. I’m always experimenting. When we did the project on identity I drew my eye and used lots of words about things I like - drawing, respect, power, money.”
The deadline for TESHSBC Make the Link awards for innovative partnerships with schools in other countries is July 21. To enter, visit our website: www.tes.co.ukMake_the_Linkawards.
