By Leon Thomas
Over a decade of Tory rule has seen the decimation of youth support systems, a move which has often been blamed for the capital’s rising crime rate. Leon Thomas meets a woman providing prospects for at-risk youth
With the age of austerity came sweeping cuts which disproportionately affected the poorest communities within our society. Under George Osborne, the Treasury reduced local authority spending by about 60 per cent as well as halting public investment spending – ending a 15-year streak of improvements for hospital and school buildings.
“When the Tottenham riots broke out in 2012, we thought, ‘What the hell is going on?’ It was due to suppression and the kids not having anything,” explained Debbi Clark, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the Sir Hubert von Herkomer Arts Foundation. The charity based in North London provides disadvantaged primary and secondary school children with the means to access the arts.
Clark, who had started her career in fashion as a portrait and editorial photographer, started up the Foundation in 2013 (providing courses from 2014) after hosting a pop-up gallery in Queens Crescent, north London.
“That was the start of the journey because the council extended the lease to five months,” she recalls, sat in a café just outside the London School of Mosaic, where she had managed to acquire studio space in order to safely store equipment and work on film editing.
“I thought, “Five months won’t make a difference, one year won’t make a difference. We have to have been here at least three to five years and follow the kids through.”
Speaking with Debbi you can tell that she clearly means business. Kind and thoughtful, she explains that the Foundation had been named after her husband’s great-great grandfather, a famous German painter.
Though on the surface the space looks unassuming, it recently hosted a runway presentation in conjunction with Camden Alive, which had drawn valuable attention to her foundation.
“The fashion project was an amazing journey. It became almost more of a forum, the mums were getting together and questioning how to help. It was one of the most positive and powerful projects since opening,” she said.
“It became a family affair,” Clark added. “People bonded, there was a strong support system and the kids started to help each other more.”
On another level
“Charity arts foundation” conjures up a haphazard, small community with clunky equipment and ad-hoc lessons. However, what Clark has accomplished is of another level entirely. Somewhere between youth club and academic provider, the Foundation provides intricate and high-end courses for children who would otherwise not have the means.
In addition to benefiting from meeting industry hot-shots such as actor Damian Lewis or documentary film-maker Paul Roman, the Foundation also provides equipment – including 14 ESL8 and ESL9 cameras donated by Olympus UK – of another level entirely, with courses including digital photography, sculpting and song writing.
Through Clark’s own career as a successful photographer, she has been able to put her industry network to good use. As such, the Foundation benefits from the ambassadorship of some of the biggest names across a variety of industries, including Kate Moss, Billie Piper, Sadie Frost and the patronage of actress Helen McCrory OBE.
Breaking barriers
“I grew up on an estate so I know how hard it is,” says Clark, explaining why this all means so much to her. “These kids do not have the opportunities which should be available now. These days, austerity presents itself and creates barriers.
“Because I’m capable of breaking those barriers, I like to commit myself to doing so.”
And that she does. As well as being a photographer, mother and head of the Foundation, Clark also works as a teacher in both private and state schools – a position she uses to blur the class lines drawn by society.
“The money which comes from private schools can go straight into the programme and provide courses for kids from state schools. The private school kids will come to the gallery and art projects, which means that everybody is mixing with people from different social classes.”
It comes as a shock that the Foundation is ran entirely through fundraising efforts and donations, providing expert experiences and qualification level support to the extent that one school it worked with was able to push its GCSE photography grades up by two.
“We survived on just £47,000 last year,” explains Clark. “We have donations from BGC as well as support from Childhood Trust through the Big Give platform, Arts England and we are taking part in the summer Big Give fundraiser opening in June.”
“We could treble the support”
Despite the success of the Foundation and the level of support, talent and opportunities it provides, Clark feels as though there is more that it can achieve.
“We are oversubscribed because we do not have the space. If I could have a bigger space, I could be helping 30 to 40 kids every single day. It’s so important for kids to have their space, especially with the closure of youth clubs.
“I’ve seen a real positive move with the support we give. If we could have a bigger space and be more supported, we could treble the support we provide,” Clark explains.
The magic of art
The Foundation not only supports children while they are at school but has recently created scholarship programmes for those who are about to reach the next step of their academic career. It encourages scholarship children to use the equipment, such as cameras, for their assessments and helps with applications for universities and exams, as well as providing access to events.
“When I get behind the lens, I lose myself in a whole new magical world and nothing else really matters,” says Clark. “Your fears and anxiety and worries go away.
“We all have it, everyone. A lot of kids from underprivileged backgrounds more so. I wanted to show them that magic. I wanted to transport them to another world.
“There is inspiration, hope, creativity. You don’t need to be angry with the world. I think giving access to the arts is therapeutic and visual and empowering.
“So, for me that’s what I wanted to give kids.”
Leave a Reply