The Open Box
Run by students, for students, a place in school for creative expression. (2014-15)
Based on the Internationally renowned Room 13 model, The Open Box was a project set up by Sara Downham-Lotto in the autumn of 2014 at King Edward VI Community College (KEVICC) in Totnes, Devon. It comprised a dedicated student-run studio and website facilitating creative expression in young thinkers, makers and artists alongside a professional artist from the local community. The aim was to place art and creativity at the heart of learning with a commitment to involving everyone, generating ripples of influence into the wider community.
‘The Open Box,’ says Elise in Year 8, ‘is a place where kids have a chance to think outside the box and take charge of their responsibilities. This is an opportunity to be creative and do what we want through art. The idea of the title Open Box came from Faith (also Yr 8). We all immediately loved it. It sounds open to all. The box gives you the feeling you have space but still with some rules. The Open Box also suggests that there is no barrier to your imagination and a chance to be free.’
