A series of events is being held this weekend in west London as part of #ARTCONNECTS19, a national festival which celebrates and inspires creativity in schools to create careers and connect communities.

The weekend of events in west London kicks off with a music and comedy social in a canal-side pub in Notting Hill hosted by Jimmy Rotheram, a music teacher from Bradford,recently shortlisted for the $1m Global Teacher Prize.

On Saturday there will be a day of inspiring short talks, workshops, performances and creative activities at Kensington Aldridge Academy, the creative arts and entrepreneurship specialist school at the foot of Grenfell Tower.

Sunday - ‘Creative Work and Lives’ Day

On Sunday a family-friendly afternoon will be held at White City Place, London’s new campus for innovative and creative industries, consisting of a programme of inspiring short talks, workshops, performances and activities looking at the roles of creativity and technology in the economy and in society. Taking place between 12.00pm and 5.00pm in the WestWorks studio (W12 7QF)

At 2.00pm and 5.00pm there will be launches of dynamite-powered rockets with parachute recovery systems. Other highlights include:

• Photographer Charlie Phillips, who photographed the Windrush generation and took the first photos of the Notting Hill Carnival, will talk about his life’s work
• Stuart Trevor, co-founder of fashion chains All Saints and Bolongaro Trevor, will offer advice to aspiring fashion designers
• Technology evangelist Christiana Aimafidon will provide a layman’s guide to the technologies shaping our futures and offer advice on pursuing careers in them
• Alan Grant, west London nightclub impresario will describe his journey from washing dishes to owning several London night clubs

For more information on #ArtConnects19 and for further details on the festival see link to website: http://www.steamco.org.uk/