ISSUE 1 SUMMER 2015

A picture for a penny An interview with Penny Johnson CBE (Class of 1974), Director of the Government Art Collection

Taxidermy: not for the coffee table?

An interview from the cutting edge of contemporary taxidermy with Elle Kaye (Class of 2010)

Alumnae in the Arts A glimpse at the careers and achievements of our Alumnae working in the Arts sector

Issue 1 | Summer 2015

a note from...

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Profile, the new publication for Alumnae, parents and staff of St Helen’s.

When we established the Development Office at St Helen’s last year, we intended to create connections between the many different sections of the St Helen’s community, and to create opportunities for them to come together for their mutual benefit: Alumnae, current and former parents, staff, pupils and friends of the School. We have begun to build these connections within our broad community and earlier this month we held our first City Networking event jointly with Merchant Taylors’ School. It was inspiring to see how quickly and easily connections were made, and how many business cards changed hands. I hope that many of those exchanges will grow into meaningful business partnerships which will support the wider communities of both schools; we certainly intend to hold similar future networking events to enable members of the St Helen’s family in different professional fields to get together.

Profile is another way of bringing people together. As you will see, it is packed full of news about St Helen’s Alumnae, their careers and their aspirations. Our first edition focuses on St Helen’s Alumnae who have forged professions in the exciting world of Arts, and I am hugely impressed by the diverse careers and sterling success of our St Helen’s Alumnae represented here, all of who are united by their love of Art which was kindled at St Helen’s. Future editions will focus on other professional sectors, and over time we will be able to celebrate the breadth of achievement of our former 'Girls in Green'.

Of course, Profile will also contain news and views from St Helen’s; in this edition you will read about one of our most exciting young artistic talents, and find out more about the way in which St Helen’s is being transformed, literally, by the building of our new Junior School – itself an architectural wonder!

Please enjoy reading Profile, and please stay in touch with the School, and help us to help you to make those vital connections and re-connections which enrich all our lives.

Dr Mary Short, Headmistress

dates for the diary Please contact the Development Office or visit www.sthelens.london/Events for more information.

Engineering Networking Event October 2015 – Location TBD Networking for Alumnae, parents and friends of St Helen’s who are working in the engineering sector.

The Noughties Reunion November 2015 – Location TBD A reunion for the Classes of 2000-2009.

Calendar Sale 28th November 2015 – St Helen’s School

‘Guys and Dolls’ Reunion 4th December 2015 – Merchant Taylors’ School A reunion for the cast from the 2001 production of the musical, which will coincide with this year’s Joint School Production.

Class of 2015 and 2014 Festive Reunion December 2015 – The Gate, Northwood

Carol Service December 2015 – Holy Trinity Church, Northwood Limited tickets are available for Alumnae and former staff. Please contact the Development Office if you are interested in attending.

cover photo Cover image of Elle Kaye (Class of 2010) and her fox by Johnny Perryman Colbert.

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A picture for a penny An interview with Penny Johnson CBE (Class of 1974), Director of the Government Art Collection

Taxidermy: not for the coffee table?

An interview from the cutting edge of contemporary taxidermy with Elle Kaye (Class of 2010)

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Alumnae in the Arts: Artists, Galleries and Universities

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Alumnae in the Arts: Photography and Fashion

12 Alumnae in the Arts: Advertising, Interior Designers and Soft Furnishings

From the Art Department 14

Re-envisioning drawing in the classroom

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From the Development Director

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Social buzz

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School news

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School trips

Note from the photographer: We curated this image for Sister Magazine, who, upon hearing about Elle's taxidermy, jumped at the opportunity to write an article about this 'hot' topic. I felt it was important that we drew focus on Elle, not only as the artist, but as a successful woman in this shoot.

In doing so I aimed to portray Elle's professional attitude, her beauty and her manifest empathy with the animals.

The photograph was actually taken on a building site, which we commandeered for an afternoon and turned into a pretty stunning set – when two artists get together even the ugliest of places can be made into something beautiful! jperrymancolbert.wix.com/jperrymancolbert

back cover The Grittish Eyes (2013) by Katie Veness nĂŠe Pratt (Class of 1987) is an oil and gesso on canvas, 145 x 125 cm.

Note from the artist: The abstract paintings I make usually begin when I spill oil paint on canvas and look for patterns in the surface material. I identify regularities amongst the splashes and categorise them. Graphic brush marks then link similarities according to rules and systems that I set. This generates imagery that is both organic and concrete in appearance, and acknowledges my interest in complex systems. www.katiepratt.net

Penny Johnson in front of ‘Reflection’ by Bridget Riley

A picture for a penny For many, Penny Johnson as Director of the Government Art Collection (GAC), has the dream job; travelling the world, working with major political figures and acquiring and commissioning new works. Since 1997 Penny has led this collection, ranging from the 16th century through to contemporary art in a range of media, demonstrating the vibrancy and variety of British artistic life and heritage.

Along with her team, Penny is responsible for about 14,000 works, which are selected and placed in major government buildings in the UK and around the world to promote British art. Penny began her career as the Assistant Keeper of Fine Art at Stokeon-Trent City Museum and Art Gallery – now the Potteries Museum – before taking up the position of Curator at Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne in 1987.

In 1997 Penny moved to her current position with the GAC and in 2010 was awarded a CBE for her contribution to British art.

Q: During your time at the GAC what are you most proud of achieving?

A: Placing works of art in locations that provide the greatest opportunity for people to appreciate British art around the world. We have made the collection much more accessible. The collection begun in 1898, and in 2011 at the Whitechapel Gallery we had the first public exhibition focusing on GAC art. This was a significant achievement consisting of five consecutive exhibitions over 15 months. We then toured the five separate shows as one exhibition to galleries in Birmingham and Belfast. We also produced a book called ‘Art, Power and Diplomacy: The Untold History of the Government Art Collection', which rather than being a catalogue of the collection, sheds light on the way the GAC operates and its history.

In the late 1990s we began giving regular guided tours of the GAC's premises and took part in the annual London Open House so that visitors can view parts of the collection.

I would like to open up the collection more should resources allow. We will be moving our office to a Government building near Whitehall and are planning to have more public access.

I am proud of how the collection has developed in the following ways. We

© Stephen Cox

A Tribute to Sir John Soane

in a particular government department.

Many ministers and diplomats visit the collection to see the initial selection and either agree with our proposal or together we look for other options. are acquiring art by artists working in the UK today. Our curators have improved our knowledge of the collection and use research to prepare interpretations to accompany works on display. We also provide opportunities for schools and MA curatorial students to develop their knowledge using the collection. In 2001 we launched a website and most of the collection is now on line at www.gac.culture Q: Why is it important to promote British art & culture in Government buildings and Embassies around the world?

A: Through displaying our art in Government and diplomatic buildings worldwide, we showcase the UK's wonderful creativity, heritage and culture to the thousands of visitors who pass through these buildings every year. In New York we have a portrait of the Duke of York (later James II) after whom the city was named to connect the heritage of the UK and the United States, and a view of a New York skyline with the ubiquitous water towers by Rachel Whiteread showing the continual association of the two countries.

Q: How do you decide what art to place and where?

A: The collection has some outstanding art of the past and the best contemporary works we can acquire. We select those pieces which have a specific association, geographical, historical or cultural, to the place where they will be viewed. In New Delhi there are 19th century landscapes of India and contemporary views by Howard Hodgkin. Not all works have a resonance with a location, so we look for works that are appropriate in scale to the architecture and complement each other. For ministers, we might suggest pieces that reflect the portfolio of their work

Q: Have you ever placed a piece of art in any Government building or Embassy where it was not well received?

A: Early on I remember an Ambassador did not think a contemporary piece was appropriate for an historical interior. After some discussion on the pros and cons of mixing the new with the old, we agreed on a location that everyone was happy with.

Q: What is your favourite piece in the GAC? A: Actually I don't have a favourite.

I am very keen on a sculpture with us at the moment. It is a work by Stephen Cox, called 'A Tribute to Sir John Soane'. It’s made of beautiful imperial porphyry stone and is just the most wonderful shape.

I do have many works that are high on my list such as a work by Bridget Riley that we were fortunate to buy before she was as popular as she is today. It's very important to get the timing right with purchasing. The painting is called ‘Reflection’ and the colours she used were inspired by a trip to Egypt. She noticed that ancient Egyptian wall painters used only five colours in their work and she adopted those colours for her palette.

Q: How did you feel when you realised you were being made a CBE in the 2010 New Year Honours list?

A: Totally shocked and surprised. The notice arrived in an official brown envelope without any prior warning.

Many possibilities flew through my mind but none of them was an honour.

Q: Obviously you have a passion personally and professionally for art and culture. Where do you think your love of art stems from?

A: My mother and one of my teachers at school were very interested in art, and I was often taken to art galleries, so initially it was a combination of their

influence that inspired me. I can remember giving a talk at school when I was about ten, which I can’t believe I did now, on complementary colours.

I painted square pieces of paper with poster paints to show how different colour combinations affect each other.

From those early colour combinations I became interested in learning more about art and how artists create work.

Q: Would you also consider yourself an artist, and what type of art form do you prefer?

A: I consider myself an appreciator of art who has developed a skill in organising, commissioning and acquiring the work of artists and installing them to allow the viewer to understand and enjoy their work.

I have a very catholic taste in art from all periods, but not surprisingly I know most about British art of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

Q: How do you think your time at St Helen’s informed your career path?

A: I don't know actually. There wasn't anyone saying you should work in an art gallery, that was very much me. I was influenced by the art teacher, Miss Beckett, who was very enthusiastic about art – she was a breath of fresh air. She introduced us to contemporary art. I recall going to see an exhibition on kinetic art with her at the Hayward Gallery. What I would say is that I was very happy at St Helen's and loved school and the friendships I made there. It was a happy school.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in the arts sector?

A: To persevere. A good education is obviously essential, but in addition she needs to develop a thorough knowledge of the exciting and innovative work being done in the arts today.

Penny Johnson CBE, Class of 1974 Interview by Zoe Baines, Class of 2000, Development Director

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At the age of 23, Elle Kaye, a former St Helen’s pupil and Sixth Form Art Scholar, is creating quite a stir in the artistic community and the wider public as she strives to share her passion for animals, change the stereotypical view of her craft and preserve animals and their amazing character through her work.

Elle studied at St Helen’s from 2003 until 2010 when she left to pursue a BA in Fine Art at Loughborough University before working at the London Taxidermy Academy for a year. In 2014 Elle launched her own business Elle Kaye Taxidermy and now works on commissions, whilst also teaching taxidermy to others with a similar passion.

Q: How do you think other people perceive what you do?

A: Somebody once said to me that “you will never make taxidermy commonplace. It’s never going to be something that people have in their homes on their coffee tables, like a chess board or a bouquet of flowers”.

Then I made a chess board out of rats and a bouquet of flowers out of mice.

It was kind of a tongue-in-cheek thing.

It created quite a lot of controversy resulting in my work being destroyed in a gallery in London.

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75% of the communication I receive is negative but I just put it down to ignorance. Mostly people think it’s cruel and that I have killed the animal myself,

for the purpose of my work. Anyone who knows me or about my ethics, knows this is completely the opposite of why I’m a taxidermist. Animals are my greatest love. I am not motivated by brutality. It is a sensitive medium and negativity is bound to happen. It used to really upset me but now I just use it as fuel to try to change views and educate others.

Taxidermy is subjective. Someone might not like it in their house – I would!

Having said this I do think generally that my work is quite tentative and has quite a playful innocence to it. I am not making animals do obscure sadistic puppeteering things, which I don’t agree with; instead my work is very real and honest and I try to achieve accuracy when recreating the animal.

I think that helps people to be a bit more open to it.

Q: What first interested you in taxidermy and how were you introduced to the subject?

A: When I was younger I loved Biology and had great aspirations of studying veterinary science but as I went through school, my creativity excelled

and Art developed into my life passion.

Having gone to university without a foundation course, I wanted to use something that would set me aside from my peers that fed a curiosity and interest in animal anatomy. Then I thought, what could be more rewarding than deconstructing an animal and reconstructing it again. So the two things, Art and Biology, sort of came together and I started doing taxidermy from my very first year. After my final degree show I thought there is no way I can throw the towel in now, after three years of practice. I had come too far, loved what I was doing and was good at it.

Q: What do you love most about what you do?

A: I think animals are glorious and I still can’t quite get my head around how animals have evolved. I spent hours researching Darwinism and ecology.

Animals have character, soul and are humanistic in their own nature. Every time I have the privilege of working on a new animal I feel so excited and overwhelmed to be working with something so incredible.

Taxidermy: not for the coffee table?

Q: Considering all your accomplishments, which of them are you most proud?

Rob Stothard – Elle at work

A: That’s quite difficult actually. When I am given something amazing, it is the proudest moment for me, that someone has trusted me with preserving that animal. I have had lionesses, zebras, giraffes, animals that you could only dream of seeing out in the wild on my work bench. Sometimes I will open the boot of my car and I’ll just be rendered speechless.

Good taxidermy has a transience about it, that moment between something being dead or alive. When you are looking in the other direction and you think just for a second the animal might have blinked. The biggest compliment a taxidermist can receive is “That really looks like an animal”. Someone came into the house the other day and said “Is that a real swan” and I just said “Thank you!!” He had no idea why I was thanking him!

Q: Taxidermy is a very old and traditional craft. How do you keep your work relevant in a more digital time?

A: Taxidermy has transcended all of our generations; we have seen it in museums since we were children.

Obviously taxidermy is evolving; it has hit a digital age! However I don’t feel the need to try and make it something that it isn’t. It has managed to get this far.

Having said this I do try to make my work more accessible through social media. I have created a very clear brand identity with the way that I photograph my images and include perhaps my hand or foot in the image. It makes it more digestible, people know I am a real person and it sort of breaks down barriers, unlike other artists who have a name but are more of a corporation.

Q: You have also modelled with some of your pieces. How did this come about?

A: I have been approached by magazines asking to do a photo-shoot with me and my animals. I think it’s the juxtaposition of a young girl doing something very macabre working in harmony with the beauty of my work which makes this attractive. Although the images are really decadent and opulent, there is still a lot of sincerity. I don’t want to be made into a puppeteer or portrayed as macabre with blood on my hands. I want to be me, sincere with my animals. No matter how glammed up you make me, I will still just be me with my animals.

Q: What do you think your next steps are?

A: I have been working a lot on British wildlife but I would like to move on to exotic taxidermy. Animals are being put down in zoos all the time due to ill health and are then incinerated. This for me has no justice. If I could preserve all the animals in the world I would.

Q: How do you think your time at St Helen’s helped form your career to date?

A: Well, I have St Helen’s to thank for my art. I don't know if you remember the Wichels (Mr and Mrs Wichel were the Art teachers), but they really nurtured and inspired me. I remember pursuing entomology (the preservation of insects) for my A Level final because Mrs Wichel said “You are very good at really delicate, fine art, why don't you do something with real butterflies and insects”.

I didn't know at the

time, but that was the first introduction to being tactile with something dead.

At school we used to do one session a week where we learned public speaking, business, politics and so on (now PSHCE) which has been really useful. When you go to university you don't do any of this. I come across a lot of people that can’t articulate themselves in the business world.

They are artists and they live and breathe the bohemian lifestyle but you can’t communicate with them in an intellectual way as they haven't had the same grounding and opportunities.

Q: What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career as an artist?

A: No matter how weird your interest is, I think go with it. I get so much negativity, even relatives asking me when I am going to get a real job! I know it sounds really clichéd, but don't let anyone else tell you, because if you know you want to do something, just do it. Even if it leads you to a dead end, at least you can put your hand up and say you tried. It is worth all the effort, the long hours and early mornings. In the grand scheme of things it is a small price to pay for a job that you love.

Elle Kaye, Class of 2010 www.ellekayetaxidermy.co.uk Interview by Yass Rad (Year 12) and Luxmi Nanthakumar (Year 11)

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Alumnae

in the Arts

Artists Galleries Universities

Boats in a Cornish harbour

Antonia Leak Class of 1986 Librarian, Arts University Bournemouth Like many who work in the arts, my career has relied on a fair amount of chance. Even at St Helen’s, a chance discussion with a Lower Sixth classmate led me to discover that the School was switching from A/O Level to A Level in History of Art; I swapped my subject and have never looked back!

Margaret Payne Class of 1955 Retired Senior Lecturer in Art at Roehampton University and an Artist From childhood art has always featured on my agenda. It was in my Upper Sixth year at St Helen’s that a new art teacher (Miss Taylor) joined the staff. Her encouraging mode, willingness to discuss and offer relevant advice was appreciated and helpful in focusing my work.

On graduating with a degree in History of Art, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I gravitated to working in libraries without really knowing why but I have since learnt that the work suits my magpie mind and interest in helping others. I spent a year doing library work at Allen & Overy Solicitors, and then completed an MA in Library and Information Studies. A last-minute glitch in my planned student placement meant that I ended up working at the Imperial War Museum – and I knew then that I wanted to have a career in the world of museums (preferably art). On graduating, I spent five years working in the National Art Library at the V&A Museum; the training and exposure to so many works of art and such a wide range of researchers made for a fantastic experience.

Whilst studying at Harrow Art School I had etchings accepted for the summer Exhibitions at the Royal Academy and other galleries and began to feel like a ‘real’ artist! A teaching course at Goldsmiths’ College followed, then various teaching jobs. I was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Printmakers, and although I exhibited and sold works, financially it was difficult to make ends meet so by necessity I succumbed to full-time teaching.

Eventually I secured a post at a teacher training college in Roehampton, which later became a college of Surrey University. I continued to paint, exhibit and sell in the UK, Europe and the USA and my work developed into a semiabstract style, mostly Beach umbrellas, Greece based on landscapes. In part it was influenced by the writings and surface structuring of painters such as Mondrian, Bonnard and Cézanne. Alongside I did a part-time BA degree in Renaissance History of Art at London University followed by an MA. This led me to write articles, published in several journals about teaching art and the history of art.

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After 25 years at Roehampton I retired to enjoy the freedom and time to think, paint and visit art museums in London and abroad.

Library, Arts University Bournemouth

I then got the job as Librarian and Study Room Manager at the wonderful National Portrait Gallery. It was my first experience of working as a solo librarian within the small close-knit Archive Team, supporting curators and researchers.

Running parallel to all this had been an interest in academic libraries, and the opportunity to make the leap came in 2005.

Luck was on my side as I got a job as Deputy Librarian at the Arts University Bournemouth, which currently serves 4,000 students. Five years later after the birth of my daughter in 2010, I returned to work part-time as a Subject Librarian ensuring the provision of library resources for Acting, Fine Art and Make-up, Media & Performance and our new Dance course.

The constant threads throughout my career have been ‘the arts’ and jobs which entail a variety of tasks; I hope that I may continue to fulfil such roles for as long as possible, as I love the fact that there is rarely a dull day.

Chiara Williams (Claire at school)

Bluixity

Class of 1994

Katie Veness (née Pratt)

Artist, Gallerist, Art Dealer, Consultant, Businesswoman, Mother

Class of 1987 Course Leader, MA Fine Art, University of Gloucestershire and self-employed Artist, Occupation Studios, London As soon as I started St Helen’s I joined the Sketch Club and later, when a teacher suggested I could go to art school, I knew that was what I wanted to do.

After my A Levels, I took Foundation Art at the Central School of Art and Design (now Central St. Martins), a BA(Hons) in Fine Art (Painting) at the Winchester School of Art, an MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art and subsequently was funded to complete a PostDoctoral Fellowship at Winchester, part of the University of Southampton.

In 2001 I won the Jerwood Painting Prize and my paintings were exhibited in the Jerwood Gallery, London and the Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow. Since then, my work has been shown in London, Los Angeles, Tokyo and across Europe.

After my MA, I started as a sessional lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and soon took on teaching sessions at other universities, as well as guest lecturing on my creative practice internationally. I participate in conferences, have had essays published and continue to teach because I believe in the development of people, seeing each individual as a unique resource for the community.

Being an artist is a great choice as we communicate ideas in novel ways, hopefully surprising even ourselves. It is a discursive practice. Sometimes it is very sociable – networking is essential. Yet studio time is solitary and meditative. You can pitch your own intellectual challenges and make technical innovations. You never retire, but neither are you ever at a loose end. www.katiepratt.net Heonmemeron

I never know how to answer ‘What do you do?’ I’d like to say I’m an ‘artist businesswoman’, but that usually just elicits more discourse around whether or not the two are mutually exclusive…

Over the last eight years I’ve been running my own business alongside developing my own artistic practice. I co-founded a gallery (WW Contemporary Art www.wilsonwilliamsgallery.com) from my house in Hackney in 2008 and across six years ran a rollercoaster of 65 shows, including collateral UK exhibitions at the 53rd and 54th Venice Biennales. In 2012 we moved into new premises in Farringdon and now focus on running an annual prize for artists – The SOLO Award – which we showcase at the London Art Fair each January. In 2014, I launched another new business called Desk Address, providing central London desk space to creative business start-ups; a year on, it’s doing very well. I slowed down a bit when my daughter was born in 2014, but I plan to launch a new online art business later this year.

While my business pursuits keep me active, social and solvent, being in the studio is precious time to play and meditate. It’s where I can operate outside of time and space, and be at once 38 and 8 years old.

Venus#5

Birth of Venus

I inherited an intuitive facility for drawing and making from my grandfather, a commercial graphic designer, a natural talent for business from my father, a self-made businessman, and a flair for fashion and interiors from my Italian mother.

My family always supported and encouraged me to follow my heart. Their work in Russia, where I grew up, necessitated a short spell for me as a boarder at St Helen’s, where I found that being good at Art gets you notoriety even if you feel awkward and geeky, which I was. In 1993 I almost monopolised the entire edition of the School Magazine with my artwork and even drew a portrait of the then Headmistress Dr Burne.

Throughout my 20s I thrived most when combining my creativity with my organisational and leadership skills. I knew I had the drive and stamina to be my own boss, and that I’d just have to take the leap at some point… www.chiarawilliams.com

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Alumnae

in the Arts

Photography Fashion

Jo Bouwman (née Plumridge) Class of 1994 Owner at Jo Plumridge Photography, Freelance Photographer and Writer I’ve been working as a freelance photographer and writer for the past fifteen years, although I knew from a very early age that I’d go into a creative industry of some sort. In the Sixth Form at St Helen’s I worked on the School Magazine and spent many happy evenings in the computer room, laying out and writing articles. In fact, I probably spent more time working on the magazine than I did working on my A Levels!

After a gap year spent travelling, I went to university and studied Photography and Media Arts, which essentially consisted of me spending three years in a darkroom. I worked in television for a few years, but it really wasn’t for me, so I emigrated to Botswana and worked as a photographer on a nature reserve, setting up my business when I returned to the UK. Over the years, I’ve worked in most photographic genres and I absolutely love the variety of my job. You never know who you’re going to meet and every day is different. Nowadays, I mainly specialise in portraiture, although I still shoot a lot of travel work for my own personal projects. I also write articles for a variety of magazines and websites – mainly on photography, but also travel, opinion and comedy pieces.

Writing even sent me to New Zealand for six months to write and photograph for a guidebook (not a bad gig at all!).

I can’t really imagine a better combination of jobs for me – I get to make people look good in their photographs and capture lots of happy occasions. And I (hopefully) get to make people laugh with my writing. I love running my own business and can’t imagine ever wanting to work for somebody else – I think my ‘independent’ streak is probably too well entrenched by now…

Being a freelancer isn’t for everyone, and certainly takes discipline and determination to succeed. But the rewards of being able to do something creative with my life outweigh any negatives. Besides which, if you are truly passionate about something creative, then you’ll know that it’s the only thing you can and will want to do. www.joplumridge.co.uk

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Leah Green Class of 2003 Senior Designer for Girlswear at River Island Clothing Co Ltd I always loved Art and History of Art and knew I wanted to work in the art sector – it just seemed right. After completing my Foundation Course in Art and Design at the London College of Fashion, I knew that I wanted to go on to study fashion further.

Throughout my fashion degree I was constantly undertaking various internships – I worked at design houses such as Alexander McQueen and for a year with Julien Macdonald in his studio as an intern. These experiences boosted my CV and enabled me to find work after university. I did some work experience at French Connection one summer, which lead to me being offered and accepting a permanent role there as their Ladieswear Assistant Designer. That really was my foot in the door!

After two and a half years at French Connection, I was head-hunted by Abercrombie & Fitch in The States and I accepted a two year contract in Ohio. This was an amazing experience, but after two years I craved to be back in London with its thriving fashion and arts scene, so my boyfriend and I moved – ready to take my career to the next stage.

Currently I work at River Island and am responsible for half the clothing collection for their girlswear range. My job role is extremely challenging, very fast paced, with tight deadlines, but I love it. I travel a great deal, flying to India and Turkey to oversee production, and to Europe and The States on shopping trips for research. The hardest part of the job is designing 'on trend' products that feel fresh and new but that are age appropriate for young girls. As a designer, you're constantly working a year ahead so it's imperative to keep up with the trends to foresee what will be the 'new thing' for the next season.

I am still learning so much and am very ambitious. I love working in fashion. It's so exciting and constantly changing.

Something can feel so right and new, then within a few weeks it is old and something else has replaced it…

Selina Cheong Class of 2000 Director and Designer, Studio 168 Ltd I always knew I loved being creative and working with my hands. After I graduated from Central St Martins I didn't feel like I had found my path and I spent a year working as a textile designer. After realising it wasn't for me I remembered fondly the time when I was a student and worked for a London accessories designer. I loved going to the factories, seeing how the bags were made, and the smell of the leather.

So I decided to retrain at the London College of Fashion in accessories.

After a year of studying, I was lucky and started getting clients who were looking for help to develop their designs and make their bags. It was a slow process but I was moving in the right direction! With my work for clients paying the bills I started up my own line of bags, selling them to London boutiques and stores in China and Taiwan.

The brand grew and I was selected as one of eight designers to represent Britain at Milan Fashion Week. After three seasons I decided that although I enjoyed working as a team, being hands-on with the leather and the craftsmanship of the bag, I didn’t enjoy dealing with unpaid invoices and sub-standard manufacturing.

Fortunately, at the same time a fellow accessories maker wanted to partner up and create a design studio. So together last year we created Studio 168, where we design and develop a range of samples for our clients from catwalk, press and pre-production samples, and the business has been going from strength to strength ever since.

Nine years on and I still love what I do. Every day is different and still on occasions I have to recall Pythagoras’ Theorem for some patterns. I have learnt how to make shoes and made a leather ottoman for my house! I also run a short course at the London College of Fashion sharing my knowledge with whoever wants to listen!

My time at St Helen’s taught me to always strive for the best and I believe I can see that in all I have achieved. www.selinacheong.com

Self-portrait

Charlotte Draycott Class of 2003 Gallery and Project Manager for Art Basel in Hong Kong and Photographer I had two very good Art teachers at St Helen’s, Ms Senior and Mrs Beckett, who as strong, creative and fabulous ladies influenced me a great deal. They really taught me to be expressive with my art and didn’t apply rigid limitations.

Since leaving school I have pursued the arts and went on to study Photography at the London College of Communication specialising in documentary and portrait photography.

Following this I trained under two very influential photographers who inspired my practice hugely: Terry O’Neill, who I assisted for one year and Mario Testino, with whom I worked as Post-Production Manager for three years.

Portrait of a Barrister

I then decided that I wanted to pursue my own practice full-time and travelled for a year through South America, New Zealand, Australia and Asia developing my own photographic project which I hope to develop into a book and an exhibition.

During my year on the road I found myself in Hong Kong where I have settled for the past year working as a photographer and as Gallery and Project Manager for Art Basel in Hong Kong. I love the world it gives me access to; it is the greatest art show in the world and I work with the most reputable galleries and artists.

I’m very lucky that photography is something that I pursue personally and professionally. It all overlaps, I shoot a lot of personal projects, which I then go on to exhibit or publish. I love the process of shooting, the people I meet and the places it takes me. It’s hard to explain, but working with a camera and images is just a language that I understand. www.charlottedraycott.com

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Alumnae

in the Arts

Advertising Interior designers Soft furnishings Make Your Mark project, London

Ella Dominguez (née Callard)

Thalia Cassimatis Class of 1994

Class of 1981 Director of my own interior design company Mella Design Ltd and mother I have always loved working with colour and texture and am passionate about bringing life to the environments in which we live, work and play.

At school I was good at art – House Art Competitions being my forté – and with my family in the building profession, there was certain logic in combining creativity and interior spaces. So after an Art Foundation Course, I studied for a BA in Interior Design at university.

Over the years I have refurbished residential properties in London's West End, provided design and fit-out for Government buildings, including Court Rooms and the enormous Belmarsh Prison, and working with a specialist architect I have re-ordered the interiors of numerous churches. In 1999 I formed Mella Design Ltd. enabling me to better manage the family/work life balance, a dilemma I know a lot of us share.

I have a profound love of art, architecture, craft and innovative design, including its context in history and pushing boundaries for the future. I'm not sure whether this was engendered from school, but I guess it helped! www.melladesign.co.uk

Arts Manager, Facilitator and Consultant

Helen King-Cline (née Clayman) Class of 1987 Soft Furnisher and Mother I have always leaned towards the creative and practical areas of life.. My first memories of sewing were in Junior School making an embroidered recorder case and a felt pin cushion, both still in use! I went on to do a Fashion & Fabrics O Level and began to make a lot of my own clothes for Sixth Form, a ball dress for University and maternity clothes years later.

After leaving school I followed a musical path leading to a career in the classical music industry. But after my daughter was born I decided to take a career break and return to my love of sewing.

Armed with my sewing machine I slowly started to generate work and 14 years and three children later, I’m still going, with a great work-life balance.

My main area of work is bespoke handcrafted curtains, cushions and blinds, and when I have time I love experimenting and creating a variety of other items with fabric off-cuts – small toys, bags, seasonal decorations and so on.

In 2010, I also set up a sewing club for Year 3 pupils which has been very popular, and on the back of this I set up beginners’ sewing classes for adults too, some of whom had never even sewn on a button!

I love sharing my enthusiasm and bringing fabric to life, and there is a great sense of achievement seeing my work installed in people’s homes.

After graduating with a BA Hons in Drama, Film and Television with Art from York St John University, I began my career as an Executive Assistant for a small film and television production company in London in 1998. It was a great first step into the creative industries, but my passion was to combine the arts with education. So in 1999 I started as the Education Assistant at the British Film Institute (BFI) and worked my way up over eight years to Education Curator, where I was responsible for programming film and moving image events for schools and colleges. I loved my time at the BFI and relished working for such a prestigious organisation with a strong educational remit.

Seeking new challenges, I left the BFI having also completed my MA in Film and Television: Theory, Culture and Industry at the University of Westminster, to join Rich Mix as Education Officer in May 2008. Over four years I established and managed a cross-arts education programme at this vibrant arts venue in East London.

I then went on to pursue a career as a freelancer, and over the last three years I have worked for a number of organisations including BAFTA, Film London and the arts venue Roundhouse, where I am reviewing an annual training programme for young people as well as researching the arts and culture provision in the London borough of Camden.

I guess what I enjoy most about my work is acting as a bridge maker – providing opportunities for people to work alongside and be inspired by artists and creative professionals. Although St Helen’s is a very academic school, I was able to engage in many arts-based activities whilst I was a pupil, and all of these childhood experiences helped me to develop into the creative professional I am today.

Hayley Morris

Hayley Silverman

Class of 2002

Class of 2007

Senior Advertising Copywriter, RAPP San Francisco

Personal Assistant in a private house

I got into advertising accidentally on purpose. After University I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do – or could do – with a BA in Fine Art from Newcastle University. So I put my certificates in my suitcase, moved to London and took the first decent-paying job offered – Team Coordinator (glorified receptionist) at an advertising agency, RAPP. I instantly took an interest in what was happening in the creative department.

“What is this wonderful world?” I thought.

So out of sheer boredom I started fly-posting recycling propaganda posters on the agency walls. This caught the attention of the Executive Creative Director who said he thought I had a knack for pithy statements and offered me a chance at being a copywriter with six weeks to prove I wasn’t just an environmental activist!

Eight years later, I'm a Senior Copywriter working at RAPP San Francisco. I’ve been with RAPP from the beginning but I’ve worked in different locations including London, New York and now sunny San Francisco. In case you didn’t know, a copywriter writes the words you read in advertising and marketing communications, usually partnered with an Art Director, and you work as a team to think up ways to compel people to engage with brands. Advertising is no longer about selling products using witty one-liners. It’s about creating connections between people and brands.

St Helen’s taught me to just go for it and see what happens, because when it does work out, the feeling of accomplishment is pretty sweet. Being a creative means lots of late nights working to eyewateringly tight deadlines and pitching for new business. It also means working with smart, talented, fun-loving, loony people and, occasionally, seeing your writing in lights. And when that happens, it’s not really work at all!

My favourite A Level subject by a long way was Art History. Miss Ames gave the most interesting and fun lessons and my passion for the subject began. I was accepted by Nottingham University to read Art History. After graduating I began an internship at Christie’s Auction House helping to set up the salerooms and supporting different departments with their preparations for their auctions. After this I spent time travelling in Eastern and Southern Africa with my best friend Steph from school. It was the most amazing and awe-inspiring trip and I have longed to go back ever since.

When I returned I was lucky enough to be offered another role at Christie’s where I organised a four-day print fair arranging the logistics of 40 exhibitors coming to Christie’s from all over the world. I did this for two years with a stint in between working front of house at the National Portrait Gallery for the Lucian Freud exhibition. I then began working in the Chairman’s Office at Christie’s where I was the Personal Assistant to three Senior Directors.

After eighteen months in the Chairman’s Office, one of the Senior Directors asked if I would like to go and work in her private home instead. I have now been a Personal Assistant at a house in Chelsea for the last year and I have loved every minute. Every day is different and I am often still involved in the buying, selling and transportation of the household’s own art collection, as well as doing everything else! I had no idea this was the job I was going to end up in, but I feel extremely lucky to be able to sit next to a Picasso every day!

Suzie Jacobs Class of 2010 Junior PR Executive at Chloe Nelkin Consulting I studied History of Art at Birmingham and completed my Master's at Christie's Education in History of Art and Art World Practice. I have always taken on internships in the art world and have enjoyed experiencing all the different aspects of art including working in a Conservation Workshop on the practical and technical side of art, working at the Wallace Collection – one of the greatest art museums and working at several commercial art galleries in London including the Fine Art Society and the Carpenter's Workshop Gallery.

My journey in the art sector is still evolving and a few months ago I started working at a PR company which specialises in visual art as well as theatre and opera. I now work on the press coverage for artists, galleries, and curators, building relationships with art publications and editors of art magazines and newspapers. Working on 'art projects' is what I absolutely loved doing at St Helen's – being able to start something and see it through to the end – in a creative sense.

My time at St Helen's has undoubtedly been the basis of everything that I have achieved. As clichéd as that sounds, it is true. I was awarded the St Helen's Prize for Art in 2010 which gave me the confidence to excel in this sector after leaving school.

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From the Art Department

Re-envisioning drawing in the classroom I believe drawing to be a fundamental element in art and design education, and it is becoming one of the most fertile arenas of contemporary art practice.

The use of drawing to explore ideas is well accepted; artists and designers make and modify drawings as part of their creative process. One of the strengths of drawing is its ability to elicit tacit knowledge as it fundamentally enables the visualisation and development of perceptions and ideas.

In my role as Head of Art I am encouraging schemes of learning which challenge and explore traditional drawing practice. The idea that drawing has the potential to be used as a method that has a capacity to shape ideas and communicate thoughts is under investigation.

It is my view that drawing should involve thinking and ideas equally: its simplicity and unfinished nature make it a unique discipline.

Drawing has the ability to capture unresolved thoughts and ideas which may provide inspiration for transformative perceptions and concepts. Drawing also has the capacity to offer a visual language that is immediate.

The idea that drawing is capable of being inventive, experimental and explorative is inherent in the work which our students create. Their experience of a more wideranging approach to drawing is also reflected in their individual thoughts regarding the very nature of drawing practice.

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Nicola Smith – Head of Art

“…dragging your pencil along until it starts to resemble what you imagined.”

Bella Davey, Year 7

What is

drawing? “…writing a story with a picture.”

“…communication between, hand, brain and eye.”

Maya Kateli, Year 8

Hannah Davidson, Year 7

“…a way of speech without talking.”

Charlotte Urban, Year 9

Student profile Rasika Bharadwaj Year 9 Rasika is currently in Year 9 and studying Art at St Helen’s.

Next year she will progress to study the subject at GCSE. “I can’t imagine a time when I was not drawing or painting. I have this strangely vivid memory of doing a sketch of my Dad when I was about four, and I remember even now that I thought it was a close likeness. I love painting things on a large scale and I inevitably end up using a slightly abstracted colour palette, as I have a passion for using strong and vibrant colours.”

“In Year 7 and 8, Art lessons were an opportunity to practise our skills in drawing and painting. This year (Year 9), the subject has become very varied and I am becoming exposed to a lot more aspects of Art, including 3-D work, relief and curating, all of which are fascinating, particularly for a person keen on Art. I have been very fortunate to have been given opportunities to work much more closely with the Department and am so grateful to have been given a space to exhibit my work.

I feel confident about approaching my GCSE in Art because I know that I will receive tons of guidance and support from my Art teachers.”

“I intend to work very hard for my Art GCSE and hope to exceed both my own and my teachers’ expectations.

Over the course of the GCSE I hope to develop my practice and enhance my long-held appreciation of art.

I am hoping to pursue a career somewhere within the creative industries. There seems to be an overwhelming number of options at this stage and I really have no clue what direction to follow, but I am hoping that things will become clearer in time.”

Legs – The concept for this painting began with an exploration of how cropping images might enhance visual interest. I shot a series of self-portraits that focused on my legs and feet. I completed this painting using oil paint, as I also wanted to experiment with this medium.

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From the Development Director Zoe Baines

Zoe Baines, Class of 2000

Welcome to the first edition of our Development Office bi-annual publication, Profile.

This publication is part of many exciting developments currently taking place at St Helen’s, one of which is the establishment of the School’s Development Office.

I was appointed as the School’s Development Director in August last year and have been working hard, with my Development Officer, Mira Meisuria, to enhance our engagement with the School's wider community: our Alumnae, parents and former parents. For our Alumnae, our Old Girls’ Club has and continues to be a valuable means of staying in touch and we are working closely with them, to build upon and develop these connections with the School’s Alumnae.

A former St Helen’s girl myself, I am passionate about making new connections and renewing longstanding ones within the School's community. I know that the stronger and more vibrant our community is the more support we can offer to the

The domain name for the School has changed to:

current cohort of 'Girls in Green', whilst also reaping the benefits of all that such a network has to offer to us.

I believe that business affinity networking events, reunions and tailored special interest events, alongside periodic communication and information sharing, have a great deal to offer us all; by bringing together like-minded people, who share a common connection and who are willing and able to offer advice, support and friendship to others.

So I urge you to stay in touch with us in the Development Office and update your contact details to enable you to remain connected to the wider St Helen’s community.

This year we have started to develop and implement our programme of events. In June just gone, we hosted our first City Networking event jointly with Merchant Taylors’ for Alumni, parents and former parents from both schools. This was a huge success with over 130 people attending the London reception, marking what we hope will be the first of many more business affinity networking opportunities.

We are also keen to maintain our already strong connections with our most recent leavers and want to support them as much as we can. On the social side we have run a series of

Mira Meisuria

'class reunions' and by the time this goes to print will have hosted our first ‘Big BBQ’ in the St Helen’s grounds with our Class of 2014, 2013 and 2012 leavers. We are also in the process of establishing University networks, linking our Sixth Form leavers with those currently at their destination University, so that our Alumnae have a continuous support network throughout their tertiary studies.

There is a lot more that we can do to support our youngest Alumnae, and we look forward to working with you to increase the opportunities available to them.

Alongside the work we are doing to establish professional networks we want to develop a much more tailored programme of reunions. We have invited our Alumnae who left in 1968 or before for an afternoon tea and tour of the School in July (this month), and in time we will design bespoke reunion events for other age groups – or for groups of Alumnae with shared interests.

This is a period of new and exciting developments for St Helen's and our wider community, and I look forward to meeting with you all in due course and developing what will in time become a wide array of opportunities.

We have launched our new website www.sthelens.london so please take a look, especially at our Alumnae section and let us know what you think.

sthelens.london

Our email address is now: development@sthelens.london

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Find St Helens School Northwood Alumnae, and click

Please join our group, St Helen's Network: St Helen's School London

Alumnae news In November last year we were all deeply saddened to receive the news of the death of Miss June Leader, Headmistress of St Helen’s from 1966 to 1986. Miss Leader played the central role in creating the educational experience which defines St Helen’s and which has enabled so many old girls to emerge as confident and successful professionals. She will be sorely missed by the present parent and pupil body and by our Alumnae and former staff, with many of whom she had formed strong and lasting friendships. Her funeral was held at Holy Trinity Church followed by a reception at School; and in March this year we gathered at School for a memorial service where ex-colleagues and former pupils celebrated and paid tribute, with enormous affection and humour, to the life of Miss Leader, their beloved Headmistress and friend.

Guest speakers Thank you to our Alumnae who recently came back to St Helen’s to talk with the girls about their career paths. These talks are an invaluable part of the girls’ education and open their eyes to the possibilities and opportunities available to them.

In March this year, Vanessa Lawrence CB (Class of 1980), one of our eminent Alumnae, returned to St Helen’s to give an evening lecture to our pupils and parents on ‘Location: its role in solving issues faced by you, our nation and the world’. Vanessa was, for fourteen years, the Director General of the Ordinance Survey and is now Co-Chair of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management. Her talk was both fascinating and challenging; and we hope to build on this to create a programme of inspiring evening talks for our pupils who are curious about the world in which they live.

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School news Oxbridge offers record

2014 Examination Results

In January this year nine of our girls received offers from Oxford and Cambridge. This is a significant record for the School (14% of Year 13!) and reflects the girls’ talent, drive and readiness to aim high, as well as the dedication and support of their teachers.

What makes us particularly proud is that the girls have been offered places to read subjects across the full range of academic disciplines – from Human Sciences and Medicine to English, Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, and Music.

This year's A Level results were a fantastic set of achievements with 24% of all grades awarded at A* and 85% at A*-B. More than one-third of the year has left with three or more A/A* grades. These stunning results mean that the girls are going to read the subjects they love, at the best universities in the country. At least 23 are going to read STEM subjects, of whom seven are studying Medicine or Dentistry; seven will study Psychology; six will be reading Economics or Business Studies; a further 14 will be taking History, International Relations, Politics and History of Art courses; and at least two are studying Modern Foreign Languages.

The GCSEs were equally stunning! 49% of all grades were A* and 81% either A* or A. Eleven girls achieved all A*s and a further 31 received a combination of A* and A grades.

These are exciting times for the School. This year saw the launch of the School’s Strategic Plan, providing the framework for the achievement of the Vision for St Helen’s which was set out by Dr Mary Short in the spring of 2014.

Since the summer of 2014 our plans have started coming to fruition and we have seen: • the opening of The Centre as the School’s Performing Arts Centre.

The Centre was formerly the gym and also houses the Mint Café, an area for our Sixth Formers to relax and socialise,

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• the arrival of the Dome, which radically enhances our sporting facilities in the winter season by covering two netball courts, tennis courts and a 5-a-side football pitch,

• the erection of the Climbing Wall in the Sports Hall, a very generous gift from the PTA; and • the completion of planning for the construction of a new Junior School alongside the reorganisation and development of School House. Building work for both these projects is expected to start this summer and we look forward to seeing and sharing these projects with you by September 2016.

School trips

Malawi In July 2014 a group of 16 girls travelled to Malawi to undertake their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Expedition.

No-one was quite prepared for the challenges ahead, starting with six days on the stunning Mt Mulanji in mostly torrential rain! Despite the occasional bout of tears we all made it down the mountain and embarked on our first project in Fisherman’s Rest. Here we engaged in many activities from reading in schools and feeding children in nurseries, to fixing bore holes, and making and laying a total of 5000 cement bricks.

During our second project in Dzanlayama we worked in a primary school helping to finish building a new boys’ dorm, mixing cement (by hand) and plastering it on the walls.

The children were incredibly welcoming and in return we taught them how to take photos and introduced them to the concept of a selfie! Overall, we had one of the best experiences of our lives, and one that none of us will ever forget!

Extracts from Year 13 visit reports

Iceland

Switzerland

In October 2014 Year 12 and 13 Biology and Geography students visited Iceland.

On a far larger scale of world-class experiences, a group of twelve Sixth Form physicists enjoyed a trip to Switzerland in February 2015 to visit CERN, The European Organisation for Nuclear Research.

We headed straight for the Blue Lagoon, where stunning scenery, hot blue water and natural mud masks quickly assured us we were not insane to bathe outdoors in a temperature one degree above freezing! We then visited the beautiful and majestic Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls, and kitted out with crampons, ice picks and stylish orange safety helmets climbed and explored the frozen glacier tongue of Solheimajokull. We even visited the Turbines at the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Station that supplies Icelanders with power for only 80p a day! It really was a truly memorable and stunningly breathtaking trip.

Extracts from Year 13 visit report

CERN's main function is to provide the particle accelerators and other infrastructure needed for highenergy Physics research, and the girls enjoyed talks, exhibitions and visiting the tunnel, which houses one of the detectors used for exploring the deep nature of matter. They even saw an astronaut float past on the live video stream from the International Space Station!

St Helen’s School Development Office Eastbury Road Northwood Middlesex HA6 3AS +44 (0)1923 843327 development@sthelens.london www.sthelens.london