Children from seven Tower Hamlets schools take part in an art exhibition at Poplar’s Spotlight youth centre next Thursday to mark five years of collective partnerships with professional artists.

The consortium of primary schools in Poplar, Bromley-by-Bow and Mile End have been developing projects and programmes with the Bow Arts culture organisation since 2014 for pupils and training for teachers.

“The consortium was designed to bring schools together,” Bow Arts’ Rob Smith explained.

“A remarkable body of artist-led projects, training, exhibitions and events have taken place from those beginnings.

“The ambition has grown year on year—and the ideas and imaginations of the youngsters have too.”

Highlights of Thursday’s exhibition include Lansbury Lawrence School’s own arts council designing a ‘curiosity cart’ for Reception year classes with the Make Good architecture and design collective.

Another is pupils at Wellington School creating porcelain products with slip-casting methods, working with designer Haidée Drew.

Teachers at Mayflower School have also experimented with new materials and methods, working with artists Ania Bas and Daniel Wallis.

Many children have also visited Bow Arts’ studios in Bow Road to see the working environments of artists at first-hand.

The exhibition, open to parents, has artist-led workshops devised around the theme of parties, party games and lots of cake! It includes artworks made in the past 12 months as well as highlights going back to 2014.

The seven schools taking part are Mayflower, Lansbury Lawrence, St Saviour’s, Woolmore and Bygrove all in Poplar, Wellington in Bromley-by-Bow and Stebon in Mile End.

Lansbury Lawrence School’s art teacher Kerri Sellens said: “Our relationship with Bow Arts has been an integral part of our creative programme over the past five years, which has enabled us to plan projects for our children.”

East London has a wealth of creative industries, the fastest growing sector of London’s economy, Bow Arts points out. It currently accounts for one in every 10 jobs, which the organisation says makes it essential that children have the skills to work in the creative industries.

Bow Arts works with 10,000 pupils and teachers every year in 90 schools across London, raising children’s attainment and increasing the ‘take up’ in the arts, which also provides work for emerging artists.