ART IS YOUR HUMAN RIGHT News from the School of Art, Architecture and Design

Cass Professor’s high profile campaigns against cuts to arts education feature in retrospective at William Morris Gallery

William Morris Gallery is presenting a new exhibition chronicling the campaigns by world renowned artist, activist and Cass Fine Art Professor Bob and Roberta Smith

Enraged by the Government’s downgrading of art in schools, the artist decided to fight back. In this exhibition we follow his campaigns; from his furious painting, Letter to Michael Gove, to the launch of the Art Party and his attempt to be elected to parliament in 2015. Combining film, placards, sculpture, banners and even his slogan-covered campaigning van, this exhibition makes the case for creativity. All schools should be art schools. Music makes children powerful. The show includes a new film Art is Your Human Right: why can’t politics be more fun? and presents the artist’s hopes and fears for the future. Many of Bob and Roberta’s projects and interventions have involved Cass staff, students artists and Alumni including the Art Party Conference in Scarborough , the ART PARTY movie released nationwide on GCSE results day last year and the ARTS EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTRE in April 2015 which took place at The Cass’ Aldgate Bank Gallery and attracted national attention.

Bob and Roberta Smith is the pseudonym of Patrick Brill, leading British contemporary artist and founder of the Leytonstone Centre for Contemporary Art.

This autumn you can see more of Bob and Roberta Smith's work about the history of art education at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Created in response to the YSP's National Arts Education Archive, Art For All