Brands2Life create ‘globe wings’ installation to help Ark Globe Academy celebrate 10-Year turnaround story

22nd July 2019 – Ark Globe Academy, a leading London school, is working with integrated communications agency Brands2Life to recognise the ambition of its students as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. This activity is the latest in Brands2Life’s ongoing partnership with the school, which dates from the agency’s move to Southwark in 2016.

Over the last decade, Ark Globe Academy, which has over a thousand students from age 5-18 based at its site in Elephant and Castle, Southwark, has turned itself around from a failing school to one which has seen 100% of its students receive a university offer since 2017, including several from Oxbridge. 70% of Post 16 grades attained in the last academic year were A*-B or D*-D.

To mark the anniversary milestone, Brands2Life has helped the school shape an inspiring story, centred on the career aspirations of all students, to demonstrate the drive that exists within the school. This has been brought to life by an illustration, “Globe Wings”, created by Brands2Life’s design team, depicting hundreds of dream jobs. Each feather in the wings contains one of the jobs individually drawn by a student, and then coloured and combined into one huge graphic by the Brands2Life design team. The wings are now on display as an immense, five-metre-wide installation near the entrance of the school to mark the anniversary and inspire students and the wider community.

The students are ambitious: a career as a doctor emerges as the number one job choice. This reflects the general theme that over a third (34%) of students are keen to embark on a STEM career, with the medical profession ranking highest within that bracket. Meanwhile, over one in ten (11%) students are looking to enter the sporting arena, with footballer ranking highest.

However, while the more traditional career pathways, such as lawyer and teacher also feature in the Top 10, nearly 20 new professions have emerged since the school was first founded, including game designer, Youtuber and influencer.

“Brands2Life has been generous with its time and creative talent in helping us bring our story to life as we turn ten,” commented Matt Jones, Principal, Ark Globe Academy. “The way in which they both helped shape the story and worked with our students and staff to bring it to life has been a great example of the business community’s engagement with the school and resonates perfectly with the values of Ark Globe Academy. Our hope is that, with greater awareness of the school’s achievements, ambitions and values, we’ll see even more motivated students and parents list Ark Globe Academy as their first-choice school in the months and years ahead.”

“We have been so impressed by Matt and his team’s drive to make the school one of the best in the country,” said Giles Fraser, Co-Founder, Brands2Life. “The partnership has been so motivational for all of us here, and we are delighted to have been able to lend our creativity to helping the school celebrate its 10th anniversary.”

Brands2Life has donated the time of its design, film, social and PR teams pro-bono as part of its ongoing corporate partnership with the school. The company also supports ‘enrichment days’ for the Ark Globe Academy students annually to give students a realistic preview of working in a communications agency; mentors a member of its marketing team; and hosts work experience students throughout the Summer.