Enrichment Talks

Posted: 6th March 2024

Enrichment 2023-2024

The Lower Sixth students attend weekly ‘Enrichment’ talks on a wide variety of topics from current affairs to artist talks, to pastoral/ethical matters.

The speakers are carefully chosen to enhance the students’ knowledge and understanding of the world, and, among other things, the talks help them with ideas for their future careers. These events are a crucial part of our students’ development at Fine Arts College.

So far our students have had fantastic talks from Colin Vaines (film producer); Celia Birtwell (Textile designer and muse of David Hockney); Rory Dobner (artist and illustrator); a representative from the Friends of the Earth environmental organisation; as well as talks on preparing for university and higher education, and even a music performance and talk from the pop-up gig company, SoFar Sounds.

Categories: Careers

Spring Enrichment Talks

Sean Scully, 19 March

For our last Enrichment of the term, we were hugely privileged to host a talk by Sean Scully, the globally renowned abstract expressionist artist.

Sean spoke about his life and work as a painter and installation artist, emphasising the importance of hard work – even above talent – and the avoidance of self-doubt. ‘It’s very important’, he said, ‘that art is difficult in some way…once it’s conquerable it’s finished.’

Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, 12 March

Fiona Spargo-Mabbs spoke to the students very movingly about the death of her 16-year-old son Daniel from MDMA/Ecstasy.

She went on to talk about delayed teenage brain development and how this means that teenagers inevitably take more risks. She discussed safer decision-making and the need to look after our friends. The back street manufacture of drugs means that their strength can vary enormously.

The What Three Words App can help you to find your location in an emergency and it’s also good to set up a discreet exit code with your parents to get quietly out of a situation where you feel uncomfortable. Fiona also touched on signs of addiction.

Paul Mayede Berges, 5 March

In our Enrichment talk of Tuesday March 5, Paul Mayeda Berges, screenwriter and film producer of films including Bend it Like Beckham and Blinded by the Light, spoke about his life in the film industry and his partnership with director Gurinder Chadha.

Paul spoke very inspiringly about the importance of authentic self-expression and persistence in a competitive environment. There were many questions from the students about how he got started in the business and the source of his story ideas.

Enrichment Workshop on Pornography, 27 February

This week’s Enrichment talk for the Lower Sixth students took the form of workshops to discuss all aspects of pornography. Experienced facilitators from RSE In London led two groups to consider whether pornography can be harmful or not. They discussed aspects ranging from over-use, unrealistic sexual expectations, attitudes to women and the law concerning explicit imagery, to pornography’s use as a source of information or a shared consensual experience in a relationship.

This event was part of our PSHE provision for our sixth-formers.

Enrichment Talk List 2023-24

Enrichment Talks Spring & Summer