In February 2025, students from Croydon College collaborated with SGI-UK to create art pieces inspired by panels from the “Seeds of Hope & Action” (SOHA) exhibition created by SGI and Earth Charter International. The Level 3, Year 2 students’ individual artworks were displayed alongside the exhibition in the Parfitt Gallery from 24–26 February.
Based in South London, Croydon College serves a diverse student community and is widely recognized for its commitment to arts and vocational education. It has produced famous alumni, including David Bowie, and has a longstanding tradition of community engagement that earned it the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
The “Seeds of Hope & Action” exhibition at Croydon College, shown alongside students’ works
A local SGI-UK member introduced the SOHA exhibition to the College, with its message emphasizing interconnectedness and highlighting the power of each person to initiate positive change. The exhibition, which challenges feelings of powerlessness and encourages a sense of shared responsibility, offered students a meaningful framework to reflect on their place within society, nature and the future they are helping to shape.
Beth Newman-Moseley, a teacher at the College, identified hope as the central theme of the students’ work created through the collaboration. As she explained, “The main thing was hope. Everyone tackled the idea of hope in their own way and catered it to their practices. It had a profound impact on their work as a whole.” She noted that the pieces created for the exhibition extended into their current practice, influencing the students’ creative development. Students now, she said, were more consciously engaging with ideas such as sustainability in their work. Overall, she described the impact of the collaboration as significant, adding simply, “It’s had a profound impact.”
Student voices echoed this sense of optimism and purpose discovered through the exhibition. Reflecting on how she hoped audiences would respond to her work, Georgia McKenzie, a student at Croydon College, said, “I wanted people’s first glance to be a joyful response to nature and our connection to it.” She also spoke about the power of positive messaging, particularly for young people, adding, “Positives are always more powerful than negatives, and that’s what inspires the change we need.” Fellow student Freddy Green added, “Teaching young people that what they do has impact helps secure a more sustainable future.”
