Our history
Room 13 Hareclive is a creative hub where transformations – material, ideas, personal and community – have been taking place since 2003. Our studio is one of the oldest, most established Room 13 spaces in the world (100+ studios internationally) and the flagship project for England. You can read our story here.
Room 13 in Scotland
The Room 13 idea began in a primary school in Caol, Fort William, in the Highlands of Scotland in the late 1990s. Children helped raise funds for a visiting artist in residence, Rob Fairley, and were given a space to work in – room number 13.
A different approach began to emerge in that room – and the results were extraordinary. Children were free to work on their own creative ideas at their own pace, and they were given responsibility for running the space, funding materials and making decisions. As well as creating rich and varied artworks in that space, the children behaved, talked and learnt very differently to in school.
This got lots of publicity raised many important questions: what are children capable of with freedom, trust, responsibility and support? What is education and learning? How old do you have to be to an artist?
Room 13 in Hartcliffe, south Bristol
In 2003, the Room 13 idea spread to Hareclive primary school, supported by the Head, staff and parents and funded by the Government’s Creative Partnerships initiative. Founding artist educators Shani Ali and Paul Bradley took up the approach, first based in a classroom, then in a purpose-built studio that children helped to fundraise for and design. Development worker and writer Ingrid Skeels joined the Collective one day a week to help sustain and support the studio’s work out in the world.
Our studio has now been open to children aged 5-11 three days a week for over 20 years, with ‘generations’ of Hareclive children helping to grow and shape the unique creative, child led culture. More than 1500 children – artists, makers, thinkers, do-ers, entrepreneurs – have used the studio regularly to think, talk, dream, explore, experiment, collaborate, make and create. It’s a space where children say they feel safe and happy, and have a sense of ownership, responsibility, equality and freedom. Amazing individual and collective achievements have come from all this, and it’s had a significant impact on many children’s lives and learning.
Keeping doors open
How have we survived, when so much has changed dramatically over 20 years? Governments, education policy, academisation, and big pressures and lack of resourcing for schools have all had an impact. And there have been many serious challenges for children, the community and our studio, from funding to Covid to cost of living crisis and deepening inequalities throughout.
Room 13 is still here because of our deep commitment to children, equality and the power of art. And because others – from our host school to funders and supporters – believe this too. Together, we have not let the beacon go out. It’s been very challenging, often on stretched resources. But it’s also a daily inspiration, privilege and joy. We hope this website shares some of this with you. And that, with a change in government, change will also now come for children, education and the arts in the UK.