Lisa Walker

“Artwork is not just about creating pretty pictures; good artwork has messages that make people stop and think.”

With that same thought in mind, for 32 years, Lisa Walker has inspired generations of students to see beyond the canvas and champion those overlooked by society in their work.

The head of creative arts at Pendleton Sixth Form College teaches in one of Britain’s most economically disadvantaged communities but has used her craft to respond to the realities of social deprivation and drive positive change inside and outside of the classroom.

“I was born in the heart of Salford and never imagined I would go to Uni,” Lisa said, explaining that she was pushed to pursue her passion despite growing up in a working-class area where many may have felt locked out of creativity.

“One of the reasons I love teaching so much is that I think about what my teachers did for me: I was encouraged in high school, and when I went to college, I was given the belief that I could apply to attend university and when I got there, I believed I deserved it.”

The 54-year-old has spent her career instilling that same boundless belief in students who have grown up disadvantaged. “In areas of certain deprivation, sometimes people think that there are not many opportunities,” Lisa explained. “We like to turn that around and have got so many success stories where students have gone on to do great things.

“Almost every week, I bump into somebody that I’ve taught over these last 30-odd years, and they say what they’ve done. They come back to Salford because of the people. Salford is alive; it has its troubles but has so many golden moments.”

The college’s heartwarming relationship with poverty relief charity Salford Loaves and Fishes is one of the city’s points of pride. Their association began in 2018 when the charity asked Lisa’s art students to brighten up the walls of its Pendleton drop-in centre for the homeless, vulnerable and isolated people it supports.

From there, the relationship has flourished, with the college and charity running joint art sessions where students and community members create artwork side by side, before their collaborations go on show to the public at the New Adelphi.

Salford Loaves and Fishes CEO Jenni Smith said she’s thankful for Lisa’s work in helping people facing challenges enrich their lives through the workshops. “We support people living in absolute poverty and are based in Pendleton, which is in the lowest 1% of deprivation in the UK, meaning no other areas are worse off.

“Our community members are linked by poverty, with very few having accessed education past school. They have never experienced things like higher education, creative sessions or visits to cultural venues. Our communities massively benefit from attending creative sessions; their mental health improves, and they grow, develop and thrive from attending,” Jenni explained, adding: “Thank you to Lisa and the college for working with us and making these projects happen.”

It’s a two-way street. While the sessions give the community members respite from the hardships they are facing and a sense of pride when the work goes on display, the students are encouraged to consider the wider purpose and impact of their art. Lisa highlighted that, up to the age of 16, youngsters working towards a GCSE in art will be doing projects focused on self-identity and their hobbies: “This scheme is really an opportunity for the students to stop and think about others.

“At this age, students are always likely to focus on themselves. So, when they are given something real to work on and given a chance to stop and engage with older people from different backgrounds, it’s a real eye-opener.

“It makes them better characters. We are very much about encouraging students to stop and think of others. The turnaround from the moment they walk in the door of the college when they are 16 to when they leave at 18 is quite dramatic.”

While most of the sessions take place at Pendleton Sixth Form College, the first meetup happens off-site. Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery was a fitting host for the latest introductory get-together. “It’s lovely,” Lisa said, “when we meet for the first time, there is no pressure and it’s a nice environment for the students to meet the community members, for whom it might be their first time at a gallery.”

When on home turf, the youngsters make sure to be the best hosts possible. “It’s quite special when the students welcome them into the college, they will take it in turns to make cups of tea and help them feel welcome,” Lisa said, before describing the way the group bonds as the weeks roll by.

“Whenever they come to visit, we start by having a conversation. It gives people opportunities to just speak openly and quietly, to listen to each other’s opinions and get to know each other. Over the period of however many weeks, you see a massive change in confidence, in trust and genuine friendships.”

Jenni highlighted that through Lisa’s hard work in establishing the sessions, two of the older attendees have embarked on higher education courses. “As well as the difference made to our community members from being involved in the projects, we also know that breaking down barriers and showing our community members what higher education is like has encouraged two of them to start higher education courses in the last year, which they never thought possible,” she said.

In the run-up to Christmas, Lisa leads the college’s shoe box drive where students collect essential items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes and shampoo. They pack and wrap the boxes before delivering them to the centre during the festive season. “It’s really good for our students to give back to the community,” she added.

Through her life-changing work at Pendleton Sixth Form College, Lisa has opened doors for students to pursue their passions, fostered a sense of community spirit and broken down barriers for some of Salford’s most vulnerable residents. After more than three decades empowering others, this big-hearted creative arts leader has become a true Salford hero.

Written piece produced by Salford Now.