“Young people deserve help, time, space and permission to be expressive”, says Jude Kelly
The Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre talks about her passion for the arts, inclusivity in the sector and her belief in the power of arts education.
The year is 1969 and Britain is at the peak of its counter-culture revolution -- a time of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. The Beatles are putting together their final album while a relatively unknown musician, David Bowie is making waves with his track "Space Oddity."
Meanwhile, in Liverpool, a 15-year-old schoolgirl is headed for trouble.
Though academically gifted, Jude Kelly is bored at school and overcome with a mix of teenage angst and a vivid imagination. She's beginning to hang around with a rough crowd and soon finds herself in trouble with the law. But one person has taken notice of her downward spiral -- her high school principal.
"The headmaster said to me, 'I don't care if you do maths or biology or whatever, it doesn't matter ... but make sure that you use your imagination for creative good rather than self-destruction'," recalls Kelly.
Fast forward several decades and she's done just that. Today Kelly, 59, is the artistic director of Britain's beloved cultural institution -- London's Southbank Centre.
Looking back, it's clear how defining that very moment was.
The year is 1969 and Britain is at the peak of its counter-culture revolution -- a time of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. The Beatles are putting together their final album while a relatively unknown musician, David Bowie is making waves with his track "Space Oddity."
Meanwhile, in Liverpool, a 15-year-old schoolgirl is headed for trouble.
Though academically gifted, Jude Kelly is bored at school and overcome with a mix of teenage angst and a vivid imagination. She's beginning to hang around with a rough crowd and soon finds herself in trouble with the law. But one person has taken notice of her downward spiral -- her high school principal.
"The headmaster said to me, 'I don't care if you do maths or biology or whatever, it doesn't matter ... but make sure that you use your imagination for creative good rather than self-destruction'," recalls Kelly.
Fast forward several decades and she's done just that. Today Kelly, 59, is the artistic director of Britain's beloved cultural institution -- London's Southbank Centre.
Looking back, it's clear how defining that very moment was.