Our vision

Established by artists Gail Astbury and Ariella Giulivi, 18A offers family orientated projects that bring together the talents of children, families, artists, curators, gallery educators, writers, designers, performing artists, and film makers. 

These opportunities are organized and facilitated by 18A arts education experts in a variety of cultural spaces, where creating and learning together is playful and rewarding. The energies created and harnessed throughout each session are palpable and lead to works that are engaging and heartfelt. Operating across a number of formats from afterschool clubs, gallery workshops, group shows, arts awards and screenings, to online blogs for home support, inspiration and ideas, 18A is about making art inclusive, meaningful and fun.

Community Minded

18A is a family-centered organization, for all ages, which is dedicated to meeting the challenges of London’s cultural identities and demands. Each project focuses at the beginning on knowledge sharing and understanding of each participant’s different value systems and beliefs through creative explorations, display and feedback. Central to 18A aims is the idea that providing imaginative spaces to learn and play in is not just about creating happy children but happy families and healthier communities and a thriving society too.

Our Experts

We work with an expanding team of experts from fields of the visual arts: photography, sculpture, printmaking, curating and digital design, who are all experienced educators as well as artists and committed to sharing their craft and cultural experience, to ensure the richest learning experiences for everyone who takes part.

The Arts Award

The Arts Council’s Arts Award provides an excellent framework for young arts enthusiasts to learn and develop. As trained arts advisers, 18A leaders will facilitate the students’ progress from the discover and explore stages of ages 7-11 through to bronze and silver ages 11-18, and we hope that some will stay into their early 20’s to achieve their Gold award at the professional development stage and create a pathway into training, employment and a career.

Our aim is to keep the class sizes smaller than in main stream education with a ratio of 1 Arts Award Adviser to 10 students.


Partnerships

We will continue to make connections and partnerships with the local schools and other arts organisations, offering potential scholarships to outstanding students and endeavouring to form new links with practicing artists and galleries  This could come through project work such as the Serpentine Gallery’s Edgware Road Project, or the nearby London Print Studios, along with our existing partnerships with the Ben Uri Gallery education team, the Royal Academy, Royal Albert Hall, and the White Cube.