Amber Perrier
AP: Amber Perrier
INT: Interviewer
INT: Tell us your name and who you are.
AP: My name is Amber Perrier and I am a young trustee with Rosetta Arts.
INT: Can you tell us about your role and when you started?
AP: When I started at Rosetta Arts I was at the tender age of 15. I was part of Rosetta’s Young Newham Artist Programme; it was sent through the local school where I was brought up in Newham. I went to a local school in Forest Gate called St Angela’s Ursuline and studied lots of art and they forwarded the programme and myself and a few students decided to sign up. At first, I was nervous cos drawing was something. I’ve been drawing since the tender age of 2 and I felt would my work reflect that would it give that interest for others wo see|? So, I had the interview with Sanaz and within that I got the role as one of the Young New Artists, there was about 10 of us roughly and I did my art, not only in Rosetta Headquarters, but in Rathbone market – before the flats were built they had empty derelict shopping centres, but it was turned into an arts residency hall, so we used it as a studio so I was able to get here and do painting and be creative and also learn about the arts business.
INT: Can you talk about your connection to Newham?
AP: So, I was born and raised in Newham. I lived in Plaistow, I would say, between Plaistow and Custom House postcode area, and I would say, its full of creativity in Newham. I grew up in a flat, a maisonette with my two siblings, and my parents and I loved to draw and continually drew as my heart content being influenced by so many TV shows, comics, buildings as well. I’ve seen a lot of Newham being gentrified as well, so for example, Stratford, with Queen Elizabeth Park, I’ve seen from the bottom down, I’ve seen it grow within an amazing space and within a Rosetta Arts it been 30 years and I’m 29 years old so I feel it’s a bit of a milestone between both of us on both sides. Again, I went to the local schools in Newham, I went to St Helen’s Catholic School just by West Ham, I mentioned St Angela’s at Forest Gate, and I also studied at the University of East London, the Docklands campus, 10 minutes away from where I lived in Newham. Currently, I live a little bit further down in Essex, but still connecting with the East End. Still a Newham girl through and through.
INT: Can you talk about the changes you’ve developed in your own artwork and your parallel journey.
AP: I was drawing comics and things that inspired me, so as I was drawing I studied. I just completed my GCSEs and going into my A-levels, again, that came with changes to the Olympics. I would say I am seeing more buildings being built around me. As I’m driving by anywhere in East London in Newham, you would see scaffolding, you would see structures, being built and within a few months later it’s become flats, and you’re surprised. There’s gentrification in the area, and there’s opportunities as well, I would say that’s where Rosetta Arts came in, where its construction or new spaces opening, Rosetta Arts had the opportunity to jump in and get involved. Again, this could be workshops, or training programmes or encouraging whether its young people or mature people, or those that haven’t done art for years, have an opportunity to go to Rosetta and take some of the courses. I would say, after university, I took an internship in Rosetta Arts, so not only was an individual doing the painting, being part of a cohort, I was behind the scenes with Rosetta, so I’ve seen how they work with communities. One of the things I’ve seen and did, was support the team pack up the materials and go to community centres across Newham, it could be a local church, local school, local community centre, delivering artworks and delivering workshops and getting to know some of the residence in the area. Things for myself, I would say, is getting to learn about eh art business; how do you sell artwork; the cost, how much budget, do you have to save up to create the piece? I realise now it’s reflected in how I was working at Rosetta. For example, scheduling grants, and biddings and how they set that up, em also, within my own confidence, public speaking. I was a quiet person throughout my life really, a one day there was a meeting I attended within my own local community, different community organisations, and I had to introduce myself, yet everyone was so keen, nodding and I thought, OK, I feel I’m being heard. It was something, I was behind the scene not realising that my confidence has built when I was at Rosetta. Em, I also have to say the team has been great, working with different members of staff, whether with working with young people, you know, doing photography, it’s also the opportunity of getting involved as well. I also supported the artists on delivering a young people’s programme and help with their drawing and how to do contrasting and monochrome colours and how to use pens and pencils and getting to know them. I was also given advice as well, being a mentor, big sister. Yeah, again that’s how its changed in Newham. As you get older you start to see the young people that’s in front of you. You will you have to be a really good role model. You say, this is what I’ve done, but you can change it up. Cos if you stay in one position, and with Rosetta arts, they haven’t changed, they’ve changed and flourished as individuals within the team are really pushing that forward.
INT: Are you an artist?
AP: Yes I am…I’m giving back to the community. My artwork does involve, eh, pen drawings, acrylic paints, inks, also a bit of printing as well, it’s like different forms of art. It’s something that I have infiltrated in lots of my work and programme so again, in working with Rosetta there were times when you needed to create an activity, I feel, yeah, I can do it and make it fun. Through working at Rosetta Arts, working in the community and as a young trustee, I’m understanding the creative side of art, but within the community of giving back. It’s more than just drawing and painting, its mentoring, it’s getting an individual’s confidence built despite whatever the case might be. . It’s a hub. I bump into so many people in the area and met them from Rosetta. You see a familiar face and Rosetta is the first thing that comes up…
The artwork that I created for my final year of university is actually pinned up at Rosetta. It’s a massive piece and that’s from my final year. It’s home from home really. I feel every time I go past that it’s my work!
INT: Can you tell us about something you would like to see in the future?
AP: What I would like to see is another 30 years of Rosetta, I would like to see it flourish. I would like to see Rosetta working with more organisations than they are now.
