Lisa Milroy

In 2015 artist Lisa Milroy initiated Hands On Art Workshops with the support of the Vodafone Foundation, Vodafone’s charitable arm (UK registered charity 1089625) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Hands On Art Workshops contributes to the Instant Network Schools - digital learning - programme of UNHCR and Vodafone Foundation, which has connected over 86,000 refugee students to quality digital education. Hands On Art Workshops engages students in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya in practical art workshops, which Lisa delivers from London through interactive video conference sessions. Lisa travels to Kakuma Refugee Camp annually to deliver Hands On Art Workshops, working with UNHCR Kakuma. In 2020, artist Stephanie Nebbia joined Hands On Art workshops as Deputy Director. During the Covid-19 pandemic when schools closed in Kakuma, Hands On continued to deliver art workshops to students via mobile phone messaging.

The aim of Hands On Art Workshops is to support and encourage creative and imaginative thinking, engagement and exchange globally and intergenerationally between artists and students. All Hands On Art Workshops are devised by artists, and based on an artist’s practice. Students participating in Hands On Art Workshops can develop their creative skills through drawing, painting, performance, object-making and writing, and aspects of functional design.

Hands On Art Workshops supports two educational initiatives: the Hands On Art Workshops Scholarship, providing secondary school tuition for a Hands On student in Kakuma; and the Hands On Gateway Bursary, providing an annual salary for the recipient in the role of Hands On Coach to lead and develop art workshops in Kakuma. Hands On Art Workshops is also supported by the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL with the Hands On-Slade Short Courses Bursary (a part of the Hands On Gateway Bursary), enabling the Hands On Coach to attend the Slade Short Courses online programme in drawing and painting. The Hands On Art Workshops Scholarship and Hands On Gateway Bursary are administered by Windle International Kenya.

Colart generously supports Hands On Art Workshops with donations of art materials.

Hands On Art Workshops works in partnership with Vodafone Foundation, UNHCR, Colart, Slade School of Fine Art, UCL and Windle International Kenya.