I Am Here

Creative Introductions from Year 7 students as they start secondary school

‘Being a part of this project was an absolutely exciting opportunity for our students. By the end of it our students modelled a new sense of confidence and self-esteem.’
From the Culture Arts Lead at Riverside School, Barking

We know that 2020 has been an especially challenging time for children and young people, and this has been particularly the case for students making the transition from Primary to Secondary School.

I am Here is a creative photography project, providing an opportunity for Year 7 students embarking on life at secondary school to curate and capture their own self-portrait as a moment of self-reflection and a way of introducing themselves to their new school, peers & teachers, and look positively into the future.

The project is built around an opportunity to have their work showcased on the auditorium seats and across the digital screens of the London Coliseum, and celebrated in an especially produced photo magazine.

We asked students to share their self-portraits with us, as an act of shared optimism towards their future and our commitment to developing skills in young people across the creative arts.

A huge congratulations to the 700 Year 7 students who participated in I am Here from the following ENO Engage Partner Schools:

‘It was lovely to see the pride students take in these workshops, but also feeling they are being listened to and taken seriously.

We saw some great teamwork for the busier photos, which involved some of the more outgoing students, but it helped some shy students come out of their shell building their self-confidence, asking for more photos to be taken.’

From the Head of Music at Kingsbury High School, Brent