Old Girls in Art

The Girls’ Division has seen some very creative pupils pass through its Art, Design and Textiles Departments. Here we meet three of them who have made careers out of their artistic talents.

Hannah Morgan (née Leedham, Class of 1999) Hannah is an illustrator. After having her children she started running her own company, ‘Hanxmade’, from her home in Nantwich, Cheshire, designing greetings cards, prints and private commissions as well as illustrations for websites. Her work can be seen at www.hannah-morgan.com. “I think going to Bolton School Girls’ Division influenced my career choice in many ways. I’ve always loved creating and that was hugely encouraged and supported by my design teacher at the time, Mrs Langley-West. I also remember Mrs Head (History) commenting in my, heavily decorated, homework that “You should be an illustrator”. Funny that she didn’t suggest for me to become a historian, but it’s entirely possible that the illustrations were an attempt to distract her from the text!

“What you don’t realise in GCSE Design when you’re grappling with a hacksaw is that the people you’re sharing the bench with will also be a huge help and influence in your future career. These are the people that are giving you free marketing advice at their kitchen table 25 years later, they’re buying your artwork when you’re starting out or commissioning illustrations from you for their website.

“You don’t realise then the wealth of knowledge that surrounds you and will support your future self, or the cheerleaders that will back you long after you’ve abandoned the School netball court.

“Bolton School helped me forge a dogged determination and a desire to succeed, an almost compulsive love of writing lists and a hunger to continue to learn more. “What it doesn’t teach you is how to fail, which is something you should experience a few times in life and business. You do have setbacks when you run your own business and sometimes these are the most valuable lessons you can learn. Fortunately, when you have these setbacks, the girl you met on the School bus 30 years ago is still happy to put the world to rights when this happens too.”

Courteney Kiely (Class of 2014) Courteney had intended to gain several more years’ experience at the established firm where she started her career a few years earlier. However, earlier this year, at the age of 25, she started her own commercial interior design practice, Scene Interiors (www.sceneinteriors.com). “I had learned a lot, having worked on some of the North West’s most prestigious residential and office developments, ultimately becoming lead interior designer. But I could see things were changing. Our clients – mostly major property developers – were looking for bigger and bolder ideas for their interiors in order to attract buyers and tenants in an increasingly competitive market. And yet most firms were providing the same tired ideas – following trends rather than starting them. “So I set up Scene Interiors with a singular vision: to create boundary-shifting interior spaces that would redefine the role of design and set our clients apart. I was conscious that, with the UK in the middle of a pandemic and the economy uncertain, my timing may not have been great. But the urge

Katy O’Neil (1979-1992) Katy loved Art lessons at Bolton School – the art room was her sanctuary. She counts herself lucky to have had Mrs Fisher as her Art teacher throughout and as her Form Teacher in the Sixth Form: Mrs Fisher instilled a deep love of art, clay and ceramics in Katy, going above and beyond to encourage her. “After leaving the Sixth Form, I went on to study glass and ceramics at degree level followed by a Masters in Ceramics at UWIC. I fell in to Further Education teaching, initially Adult Learners and subsequently 16-19 year olds. I hope I inspired in them a love for art, and opened their eyes to the many and varied career possibilities available.

“In 2012 I was the Art and Design Curriculum Leader at Bolton College, enjoying the teaching, but less so all the other aspects of education and management. It became to break-out and seize the opportunity was too strong. “Although only six months in, we have already launched our website, kicked-off our social media marketing and started building relationships with suppliers and partners, most recently at the Maison&Objet international trade show in Paris. We have also secured our first project for a new luxury residential and commercial developer which has a number of exciting new schemes in the pipeline. There’s a long road ahead, and I’m under no illusion that building a business from scratch will be easy. It will take a lot of focus and a little bit of luck.

“Over the past year, I have often reflected on what has given me the confidence to set out on my own now, rather than follow a more conventional career path. My time at Bolton School taught me a lot, but two things in particular stand out: “Firstly, the importance of self-belief when pursuing your ambitions. As pupils, we were always encouraged to find our own unique strengths and to have faith in our own abilities. “And secondly, the importance of self-discipline if you’re going to succeed. Achieving your goals requires relentless focus, which itself requires constant discipline.”

apparent to me that I needed to return to making my own art. I quit teaching and never looked back.

“I am now a full-time professional ceramic artist, creating in my home studio. I create ceramic vases, wall plaques and bowls, as well as an extensive range of ceramic jewellery. My work is stocked throughout the UK in over 30 galleries and on my own online store (www.katyoneil.com) and I exhibit regularly at selected shows up and down the country. Each day brings new challenges, experiences and different ways to express myself through my art. “To this day I have the friendship and support of many Old Girls and Old Boys with whom I shared my time with at School; I cherish these connections. In many ways I owe a huge debt to Mrs Fisher and Bolton School Art Department for guiding me through to the career path that I find so fulfilling.”