Chichester Open Studios will "open up a world of possibilities"

She believes that art is being destroyed in schools by far too prescriptive an approach. She believes that art trails are a vital way to hook young people and to make them see that art is actually all about possibilities. Shazia is offering Studio 80 on the trail, offering works in oils and acrylics depicting the contrasting coastlines of West Sussex and the Scottish Highlands (Cross Trees, Burlow Close, Birdham, Chichester, PO20 7ES).

Her great inspiration is Sir Ken Robinson (1950-2020), the author, speaker and international advisor on education in the arts: “He definitely tried to change educational systems around the world, really trying to make breakthroughs in the education systems. And there are other people now trying desperately to do the same. Really it is just a question of keeping trying to get the message out there. Even little people like me can make a difference just by saying ‘Come and create’, just by saying ‘take away the concept of right and wrong and just try it, just try to be creative.’

“And that educational aspect is a really important part of the trail so that children and teenagers can come and see just what you can do. In schools everyone is adamant things absolutely have to be done in a particular way, that there is right and wrong, that there is good and bad and that we have very fixed methods. And you find that in schools anything creative is being pooh-poohed. Drama and making and sculpture and things like that are becoming less and less and less on the curriculum but the point is that creative making is very strongly related to creative thinking and creative thinking is linked to absolutely everything, every single subject and that's what we've got to change. If children get an appreciation of that, if they are encouraged to be creative, then they can really learn to express themselves. It's about taking away that concept of good and bad. The concept should not exist. But children are just taught according to the rules these days. It's just encoded in teachers and parents to tell them that this is how you do it when that absolutely is not the way to do it. It is about just doing it, free from the rules, just exploring and just trying.”

Shazia has done all the Chichester Open Studios right from the start and absolutely loves it: “People come in and they say ‘Oh my God, look at your floor!’ People love finding out about how we work, about the processes and about the materials. But also for us artists, the work is really isolating. You're on your own all day working and it becomes quite lonely and this is so lovely because it becomes so busy with people who are so interested. It's just a brilliant thing to do.”

Chichester Open Studios participating studios will open from 10.30am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday, April 22-Sunday, April 23 and Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30 plus Monday, May 1. Full details are on Chichester Open Studios’ new website chichesteropenstudios.org or you can pick up a COS Guide from the Oxmarket, The Novium, Pallant House or download from the website.

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