Imagination Takes National Saturday Club’s Annual Summer Show Online
Global experience agency Imagination has devised an innovative campaign for creative education charity the National Saturday Club to take its annual Summer Show online after the Coronavirus pandemic compromised their usual exhibition at London’s Somerset House.
The National Saturday Club Summer Show takes place this month, featuring work from the next generation of creatives, innovators and entrepreneurs. For the first time, Imagination has turned it into an online digital exhibition. The online exhibition will showcase the work of the Club’s 1,500 13 to 16-year-old members who have taken part in National Saturday Club’s free, year-long programmes in Art and Design, Writing and Talking, Fashion and Business and Science and Engineering.
The brief to Imagination - an independent agency which specialises in creating experiences that change how people feel, think and act and which has partnered with the National Saturday Club since 2015 - was to take the annual showcase online with a user experience that would engage and inspire. The National Saturday Club saw this as an opportunity to maximise the potential of the Summer Show and extend its reach further, celebrating and connecting the whole network.
The end result is a virtual celebration of the ideas, vision and creativity of young people that embraces the breadth and depth of the National Saturday Club network nationwide. It unites everyone involved – from members and tutors to family, friends and industry supporters.
Showcasing the Club members’ accomplishments and celebrating the creative process, Imagination’s designs for the exhibition are inspired by the different ways that artists generate ideas rather than the finished product. The Club pages serve as an evocative and eclectic document of the members’ creativity, akin to artists’ scrapbooks.
This year is like no other in history. So naturally, the online 2020 Summer Show reflects that, serving as a living, breathing document of the Club members’ bold creativity. Local clubs are hosted by universities, colleges and cultural institutions, with 13 to 16-year-olds taking part in inspirational programmes of weekly Saturday classes.
The National Saturday Club pivoted to online delivery once lockdown was enforced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Clubs continued weekly classes and Masterclasses remotely, boosting the wellbeing of the young people who continued to explore their creativity from home with the support of their Saturday Club tutors.
John and Frances Sorrell, National Saturday Club co-founders and trustees, said: “Over the last 11 years, the National Saturday Club has benefitted thousands of young people. It is a unique model that really works. Our aim is to give all 13 to 16-year-olds the opportunity to attend free Saturday classes in subjects they love at their local university, college or other institution. Just imagine what a difference that could make to a generation of young people, as well as to society and our country.”
The National Saturday Club’s Summer Show 2020 will debut online with a launch film, which will go live at the website at midday on Saturday 18th July, featuring messages of support from National Saturday Club founders and programme tutors. Post-broadcast, the film will be available to watch on the dedicated Summer Show website.
Patrick Reid, CEO at Imagination and National Saturday Club trustee, said: “We are proud to have the opportunity to work with National Saturday Club – an inspirational, inclusive and truly transformative organisation – to further grow its reach and impact.”
Lucy Kennedy, CEO of the National Saturday Club, added: “We are delighted to launch the National Saturday Club’s Summer Show on this exciting new digital platform, showcasing the incredible work that the young people have been developing at their local Saturday Clubs throughout the year. I’m so impressed with all that the young people have achieved this year and the collaborative energy and commitment that our phenomenal network has shown in coming together to inspire the next generation creatives, innovators and entrepreneurs. The National Saturday Club aims to provide a magical space for young people, a transformative moment when they can discover the subjects they love, innovate, problem solve and explore. What we see is a real increase in their confidence and well-being as a result of the programme. As we look to the future we plan to grow significantly, so that every young person can benefit from the programme and as a charity, we welcome support to achieve this.”
Over the next few years, the National Saturday Club plans to grow significantly, increasing the number of Clubs and reaching even more young people from diverse backgrounds across the country, so that every young person has the opportunity to take part in the National Saturday Club programme.
