The exhibition was hosted by Sarabande Foundation in Tottenham High Road, reports Kinga Plata

Levent with his artwork *Courage From Scraps*

Tottenham A-level students have shown off their artwork at a prestigious art foundation.

Year 13 students from the Tottenham Hotspur-sponsored London Academy of Excellence Tottenham (LAET) marked the culmination of their studies by celebrating talent and creativity with an exhibition of their artworks, Private View.

The exhibition was hosted by Sarabande Foundation, the highly regarded foundation established by Lee Alexander McQueen, in Tottenham High Road.

Sarabande recently expanded to Tottenham, with 15 new studios and an exhibition space, as part of its mission to help more artists realise their bold vision. The foundation sits on the High Road as part of Paxton17, the new ‘creative quarter’ in Tottenham.

LAET is bringing a first-class academic curriculum to young people from one of the capital’s most underprivileged areas. By using an academically selective recruitment model, it prioritises local students most likely to benefit from a rigorous curriculum as well as those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

One young artist whose work was featured in the exhibition, Maya, has received an offer to complete a foundation diploma in art and design studies at Camden Working Man’s College.

She described the opportunity to exhibit her work publicly as “very exciting” and said: “Looking around the art classroom, especially when we were working together, it made me realise how talented everyone is, and then to see everyone’s work together and my work as part of that, it made me feel really proud.”

Another participant, Levent, who holds an offer to study fashion marketing at Manchester University, exhibited a mixed media work that included weaving, sewing, dyeing and painting entitled Courage From Scraps. His work was inspired by the LGBTQ community’s history and how far it has come from the 1950s to present day.

Levent described Art as “a good release – it’s very therapeutic. It gives you a chance to let out your emotions.”

Jan Balon, head teacher at London Academy of Excellence Tottenham, said: “LAET is all about aspiration, endeavour and community, and the exhibition embodies these core values. Here, ambitious and hard-working LAET students have created an exhibition that has inspired not only their peers but also members of the public, including students and parents from our local feeder schools.

“I’m very excited to see what this next generation of leaders in creative fields is able to accomplish once they graduate from LAET and head off into institutions that will enable their creativity to flourish even further.”

Trino Verkade, CEO of Sarabande, added: “We were very happy to give these talented year 13 students a showcase for the day. It’s a great experience for them to know what it feels like to show artwork in a professional gallery setting. Tottenham is bursting with artistic talent, and we are delighted to support the local area and our neighbours in this way.”

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