William Thomas

Will has overcome multiple challenges to complete his Arts Award Gold. Starting before lockdown Will had to completely adapt the way he was working. He moved from creating a hard copy sketchbook to a digital portfolio, found new ways to visit exhibitions and events, have creative development experiences and meet with artists and organisations. On top of this, Will experienced health problems throughout his journey which made keeping on track pretty challenging.

When I did my training for Arts Award Gold, I spoke to the trainer about Will and how he communicates in a unique way. The process of creating words on paper is extremely lengthly for Will as he uses a communication board to express individual words, some of which might not even be listed! Will is very sure about what he wants to say and if those supporting him do not find the right word, he will keep them guessing for as long as it takes. Because of this, the trainer was anxious as to whether Will would succeed in his arts award Gold. When I told this to Will, he said he wanted to go for it anyway. He worked relentlessly hard, and using his creativity and talent, he succeeded!

Nominated student statement

Thank you to everyone that supported me through the course!