Art and Design Students Collaborate With Tate and Artist Hetain Patel on Film Project

Art and Design students at Haberdashers’ Borough Academy have taken part in an exciting creative collaboration with the Tate and artist, Hetain Patel, resulting in the production of an original artist film. Designed to inspire emerging young artists, the project explored how movement and elements of performance can be used to engage with modern or contemporary art, celebrating the creativity that can be found in everyday spaces.

Throughout the project, students discovered how simple surroundings can spark ideas and support the development of an artistic voice. Working closely with Patel, they learned practical approaches for generating and refining concepts for their own work.

Hetain Patel is an award-winning contemporary British Indian artist and filmmaker whose practice spans films, performance, sculpture, photography and painting. His work examines identity, freedom, and cultural complexity, often drawing on humour, popular culture and personal. His pieces feature in major collections worldwide, including those of the Tate and the British Council.   

The resulting film, created for the Tate Kids channel, captures  Borough Academy pupils taking part in an interactive workshop led by Patel. This hands-on experience offered them insight into the creative process and encouraged them to experiment with new ways of developing ideas. The short film, Meet the Artist: Hetain Patel, forms part of a Tate Kids Art series and is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

 Reflecting on his creative journey within the film, Patel offers this advice to young artists  at Borough Academy  and beyond:

My advice would be if you’re becoming an artist, keep your mind as wide and open as possible. All the thoughts that kind of feel like they veer off from your path, they’re the good ones, and try and trust in those… And try to trust in your gut feelings.

We are proud of our students’ achievements and grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the Tate and Hetain Patel on a project that will continue to inspire young artists for years to come.