School of the Damned

Co-founder / Artist–student, 2013

In 2013, I co-founded School of the Damned, an unaccredited Fine Arts MA developed in direct response to government cuts to arts education and the soaring cost of formal study in the UK. It was a radical, peer-led alternative built on collective knowledge-sharing, critical discourse, and mutual support.

Each year, the program was shaped by its participants. We invited artists, writers, and practitioners to share time and ideas in exchange for skills, labour, or care—offering an experimental model of learning outside of traditional institutions. The school ran collaboratively and without hierarchy, operating through a labour exchange system.

During the program, I exhibited in group shows at Five Years (London), The Horse Hospital (London), and East Street Arts / Blip Blip Blip (Leeds). In 2013, I was invited to speak at The Centre is Here: Alternative Art Schools symposium, hosted by g39/WARP and Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff. This event brought together artists and organisers from across the UK to discuss the state of arts education and the role of self-organised learning structures.

School of the Damned shaped not only my artistic outlook, but also my deep belief in generosity, dialogue, and shared space—principles that continue to inform my practice.