Freedom to Create

The exhibition honours the creative, artistic work of ten former Summerhillians who attended the school between the 1930s and the 1990s. It is also a celebration and promotion of school children everywhere having the freedom to create, a central part of Neill’s philosophy and still the practice of the school today. 

The Summerhill School alumni, or their families/estates, have said their education at Summerhill set them on course for their later successful careers in the arts.

The exhibition features work by:

• John Burningham (1936-2019) - children’s author and illustrator, 
• Peter Chadwick (1948) - artist and photographer, 
• Keith Critchlow (1933-2020) - artist, lecturer, author, sacred geometer and Professor of Architecture, 
• Mikey Cuddihy (1952) - artist and author, 
• Gus Dudgeon (1942-2002) - music producer, 
• Roger Dwek (1962) - ceramic artist, 
• Ishbel McWhirter (1927) - artist, 
• Nao Matsunaga (1980) - artist and sculptor, 
• Storm Thorgerson (1944-2013) - graphic designer and music video director, 
• Evelyn Williams (1929-2012) - artist.

This event will be particularly useful for those interested in art education, alternative schools and democratic education.

Freedom, Community and Democratic Education

The exhibition marks the launch of a term-long programme of events on this theme. The series will include a broad variety of ideas and practices around art education, creativity and democracy within different educational settings, past present and future.

Related links

• Art, Design and Museology
• Department of Culture, Communication and Media
• Department of Education, Practice and Society

Image

K k KING (mixed media) by John Burningham. The original illustration for 'John Burningham's ABC', first published by Jonathan Cape, London, 1964. Reproduced with kind permission of the John Burningham Estate.