Northampton academy welcomes '˜Self' artist Marc to inspire learning

Welcoming over 200 primary and secondary students from Northamptonshire’s academies across the David Ross Education Trust (DRET), the day allowed students to hear from an acclaimed artist and develop their skills through exclusive workshops.

The artist who is best known for ‘Self’, a sculpture of his head made with ten pints of his own frozen blood, has exhibited his works around the world, most notably at the National Portrait Gallery, the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, the Royal Academy and the British Museum.

During his visit, in an interview with the Trust’s sponsor, David Ross, Marc discussed how he began his career as an artist, the importance of believing in yourself and being intensely committed in order to achieve your ambitions.

Speaking of the parallels between being a successful artist and having an entrepreneurial approach to a chosen career, Mr Quinn said: “There’s no obvious path to becoming an artist.

“You have to really want to do it, be stubborn and carry on going.

“You need to love making art and be driven to do it, much like the approach you need for business.”

Richard Williams, Director of Academic Studies at DRET, added: “Our students were very fortunate to meet such an influential contemporary artist.

“Marc’s words really resonated with students across the different age groups, as they begin to think about their future careers.

“Resilience and ambition are attributes that every student should hold on to, and Marc’s journey is a clear example of this.”