Painting with a purpose – school children exhibit at Saatchi Gallery

A GROUP of entrepreneurial schoolchildren are currently having their work shown at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea.

Finn, Joe, Morgan, Paloma, and Susanah, also known as the ‘Boogie Kids’, have set up a not-for-profit organisation selling handmade cards to raise money for charity.

The cards, which are sold online by the children, have so far been sent as far afield as Yorkshire, Dublin, America, and Kenya, and raised money for Save the Children, Child Poverty Action Group, and to help deliver water to a rural village in Kenya.

11 year-old Finn Magee said, “All the Boogie Kids live on the same street as me in Frome and we get together every day after school and play on our street.

“Paloma is eight years old, Joe is 13, and Susanah and Morgan are 11. In August last year we all met at my house and started painting.

“We have produced all different styles of art and hand-made special cards which we then sell on our street and also through Boogie Kids’ Facebook page.

“As a group we decided to send all the money to other children around the  UK and the world who need help. On the 1st September we bought two goats for Save The Children. 76 days passed and on the 15th November we bought a water filter for Syrian school children.

“Almost four weeks later we learnt how to etch which was brilliant, and we sold 30 Christmas cards and raised money for the Child Poverty Action Group (UK). On the 15th January this year we bought water for Samburu Children.

​”For the Saatchi Gallery exhibition we have spoken to the Honeypot Children’s Charity​ which helps kids who are caring for their parents, so we thought it would be cool if we helped them to have some fun time.”

Boogie Kids have recently followed in the footsteps of Andy Warhol, and  Damien Hirst and had their work displayed at the Saatchi Gallery on King’s Road, London since Saturday 18th April, where it will stay until Monday 27th April.

The children were asked to display their cards after they showed their work to staff at the museum when invited to visit.

Finn’s mother Kath Roberts said, “It’s a fascinating dynamic watching the children work together. They do all the artwork and sales, and upload everything to the website and Facebook themselves.

“The children are really enjoying it and I can see their art is really improving at the same time. It’s nice to see them thinking of other children, and particularly for them to be producing something rather than just asking people for the money.”

To find out more about Boogie Kids go to www.boogiekids.com, or find them on Facebook.

The Honeypot Children’s Charity aim to give young carers a break from demanding and stressful responsibilities at home and provide a safe, nurturing environment where children at risk can develop their full potential. For more information go to www.honeypot.org.uk.