Burberry, The Face, Marcus Rashford, and the children of Holmleigh Primary School collaborate on a zine

The wonderful work of children from Holmleigh Primary School in North London has been turned into a limited edition zine by Burberry and The Face. Enlisting artist and photographer Tegan Williams, the two companies have collaborated with Years Three and Six for Dreamscapes, “prompting students to creatively express their dreams” in a range of workshops. The zine continues the charitable initiatives Burberry launched in November last year with Marcus Rashford MBE, the National Literacy Trust (NLT) and Macmillan Children’s Books, helping “disadvantaged children develop literacy skills”.

Across the delightful pages of Dreamscapes, the debuting artists have imagined themselves as the “heroes of their own futures” via sketches and text. Dreams include being a drummer in a rock band – “to drum very fast in sonic speed, and cool” – to being a “footballer/technology company owner who has speed as fast as the flash” and to become a “sweet shop worker or a doctor”. Encouraging students to think beyond their everyday reality, the project showcases their artwork alongside collages by Tegen Williams and imagery shot by Campbell Addy.

The student’s artwork also forms a mural crafted for the children’s neighbourhood on Tottenham High Road, London, “reimagined in a digital tapestry” by Williams; their drawings are displayed in the windows of stores including Art World on Broadway Market and MagCulture on St. John’s Street. The A2 zine has been printed in a limited-edition run of 1000 copies which will be distributed to a network of art and community spaces in the school’s vicinity, as well as broader locations in London and Manchester.

Dreamscapes continues an initiative launched by Burberry and Rashford to “provide funding to transform school libraries, book donations and teacher training”, helping children broaden their imagination, unlock new opportunities and develop literacy skills, a release explains. It continues: “The project fits with a broader NLT *Alliance initiative which aims to transform and equip 1000 primary school libraries by 2025, helping to create a new generation of readers who are better equipped to fulfil their potential.”

“We are all products of our communities,” states Rashford. “At times it can be difficult for children to see beyond what is on their doorstep so it’s so important to inspire, to motivate, and to offer opportunity that breaks them out of that restricted mindset. We want to offer every child the opportunity to thrive in later life so developing creative and engaging initiatives like this, projects that the children can see the result of their hard work in every day, is so important.”