Young Change Makers: Why and How Margo Dimlić of The Young London Print Prize Is Helping To Change Our World
Build connections with those you want to work with. Don’t be afraid to be inquisitive and reach out, whether you’re interested in how they got started, or collaborating, or asking for support for your initiative.
As part of my series about young people who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Margo Dimlić of the Young London Print Prize.
Margo Dimlić project manages the Young London Print Prize, which uses the power of printmaking to bring an open dialogue around compulsory art education and climate issues among primary school students in London. The project is based on the belief that art is an indispensable tool in shaping society’s values and inspiring necessary behavioural change, while also recognising a need to empower young voices on the climate crisis.
A fine arts graduate from Goldsmiths University, Margo is also well-integrated in the art world and has organised artist-led speaking events and exhibitions, as well as community arts projects and education initiatives.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
It is a pleasure to do this interview, thank you! I’m from London and grew up with my parents and older brother in Harrow. I always found Harrow too sleepy for my long list of ever-changing childhood ambitions, but I look back with fondness at the individuals, and moments that shaped my early life. My mother is Brazilian, and my father is Serbo-Croatian, so there was a lot of cultural influence within the house in the form of music playing, a jungle of tropical plants, and the smell of home-cooked food wafting from our windows down the street.
Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you growing up? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
The illustrated novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi moved me deeply growing up. It’s an autobiographical coming of age story in a challenging political climate and very much broadened my perspective on everyday life, my understanding of the world, and the obstacles around us.
How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
To me, “making a difference” means giving someone the mirror to truly see themselves. I work with children most of the time, and they don’t always view themselves as someone with great ideas; someone whose opinions, or questions, or art matters. So, to me, making a difference is about encouraging those around you and making them aware that what they do is important.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently leading an organization that aims to make a social impact. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
The Young London Print Prize is a grassroots printmaking competition open to primary school children between the ages of 9 and 11 years old. All of the artwork is created and judged by young people and the programme itself is delivered in four parts. We start with the teachers — trying to understand their needs, enhancing their skills through printing sessions, meetings, and lesson packs, as well as delivering information and resources on how the climate crisis affects primary schools in London.
In the Autumn term, we run free workshops in all of the participating schools, giving students the opportunity to learn more about climate art, and guiding them in making great prints. Simultaneously, we have a group of young 16- and 17-year-old curators from a variety of schools that go through their own robust programme, learning about careers in the contemporary art world, the climate and critical thinking.
The young curators then anonymously judge all of the entries (nearly 2,000 submissions in 2023) which is no easy task, and select a winner from each school as well as the overall Top 3. Finally, we announce the winners, with the Top 3 having their artwork on display at the Piccadilly Lights in Central London! We also exhibit the prize winners at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, an international stage for some of the world’s finest printmakers. The young people are celebrated at an awards ceremony, which is the first opportunity for teachers, students, families, and all those involved to see the winning works of art and the fair itself.
Our goal at the Young London Print Prize is to inspire young people to develop the confidence and creative expression to believe in themselves as artists in their own right, no matter their age, gender, race, educational needs, or experience. We aim to build long-lasting, personalised relationships with schools as well as introduce young people to a creative practice, encouraging a long-term relationship with art that goes beyond the mainstream curriculum. As mentioned, our prize has a particular focus on the environmental crisis, something that affects all facets of life. Soon enough, these young people that we work with will be making decisions based on the actions of today, on things that affect them personally, and on how they envision the world of tomorrow. Engaging in climate-focused art is an incredibly powerful way to share a message and encourage climate action now and for the future because you can find your voice through art.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
The prize resonates with me personally on many levels: As a person of colour, as a woman, as a neurodivergent, as a creative person. At home I was never brought up to question whether any of these defined me. I was, and am, Margo before anything else. As you grow up, society, different external influences, ideas, opinions, and experiences try to leave their stamp on you (some more clearly than others); so, going into schools for the Young London Print Prize, initially as an arts educator, and seeing myself reflected back in some form really made an impact on me.
In our positions, we have to advocate for future generations, and the first thing the children are excited about is who you are. The educators that help run the workshops are all practising artists and creatives, and an embodiment of the potential that these young people have. It’s a very special thing to know that in representing yourself and what you stand for, you can spark something in others.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. We don’t always get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
A lot of big changes had happened in my life before I took on this role. I had left a toxic workplace during Covid and through the help of friends, I started to teach art classes again as well as engage in ad-hoc educator work like the Young London Print Prize. When I was called the following year and offered the chance to project manage, I definitely took my time in stepping up to the opportunity. It was the realisation that I had all the skills necessary for the role, but just needed to believe in my abilities, combined with our Chair, Matt Bell’s persistence to have me on board and his unwavering support.
Many young people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
I cannot take credit for this amazing project. Izzy Yon of Boldface, and Matt Bell the Chair of Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair started it. They had been running drop-in printmaking sessions for young people at the Print Fair for a couple of years. These were hugely popular. There was clearly demand. So, Matt and Izzy had a conversation about how to turn this into a programme working with local schools in low-income neighbourhoods. Izzy devised the structure and built a group of art educators. Matt raised the money and got the schools engaged. And then it’s about tenacity and vision.
When I joined the Young London Print Prize, everything was growing, so a lot of new systems, people, relationships, and teachers had to be managed. Joining something established can be daunting, so it was important that I asked many questions of Matt and Izzy. This enabled me to assess how I could make things more efficient, support them, and build on the prize. We are a small team, so I do anything from printing tiny little labels (a secret passion of mine), to liaising with schools, to developing the technique and training educators. The first year was certainly a learning curve as I got to know the prize in depth, but I took steps to organise and schedule things properly and create new systems where needed. I think I bring a lot of scrutiny to the process, which in turn allows us to find a middle ground for improving.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
One that is up there on the list is when we were first given the opportunity to use the Piccadilly Lights in Central London to display the artworks of the Top 3 winners. It’s an incredible moment and a fantastic affirmation of what we are doing. This year was the second time it happened, and the novelty does not wear off! Alongside that is visiting the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair whilst it’s being set up. As I mentioned, the prize is in collaboration with the fair, and not only is getting to see the magic that happens behind the scenes fascinating, but getting to pick Jack Bullen and Lizzie Glendinning’s (co-founders) brains is probably the most interesting thing I have been privy to.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?
One of the funniest mistakes that happened was when I forgot to pack inking trays in one of the materials boxes for the first school we had. I was running the workshop that day and had a mental block on what to do and was running around the class looking at the most random objects and wondering how they were going to spread the ink. Thankfully, they took part the year before, but they weren’t sure where the materials were so Paige, one of our educators, searched in every cabinet and finally found a mountain of trays which saved us at the last minute! From that I learnt that as much as you can plan and prepare, things can and will go wrong. You just have to adapt to the changes as they come, ask for help, and hold your hands up when you’ve made a mistake.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I’ve had many people who have been an amazing support system. If this is my academy award acceptance speech, I apologise for any names missed. My family and friendship group have been fantastic cheerleaders, and I don’t know that I’d envision myself being where I am now if it weren’t for those people that celebrated my differences and encouraged my ambitions. There were some teachers along the way, too — My mentor Lidija nurtured and taught me all the art techniques I would never have accessed in compulsory education. Phil, my incredible art foundation tutor, made such a huge difference to my journey, too, and pushed me to experiment and make choices from my heart. There have been many moments where I also felt that I couldn’t succeed, or didn’t know how to access things or gain experience, so reminding myself that I do have people to lean on has helped me to succeed.
Without saying specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
There was one moment when we were doing a one-off end of year workshop. We had been announcing the winners after lunch time and for some reason, the first-place winner had gone off to assembly, so he wasn’t there when we did a big drumroll and announced his name. The teacher went to get him, and we told the whole class to pretend that they didn’t know a thing. When he was ushered in, we asked him to be quick so we could announce the final person, and he was none the wiser taking his seat during the drum roll. His jaw dropped when he heard his name announced. The uproar from his fellow pupils was epic, and he really was speechless! His confidence and will to keep doing art after that win solidified the difference we were making. As for the other winners, a teaching assistant had approached me to say thank you, because those children had really needed the confidence boost that it gave them due to personal circumstances. Of course, we had no inkling of this when going in, the artworks were just thoughtful and beautiful in their own right.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Climate change affects everyone. Politicians, companies, and organisations have a big influence on what happens with our policies and actions, but it is important that communities, like schools, also recognise their importance and influence in this crisis. We can look at what is happening right now and feel sad or hopeless, but as cliché as it might sound, there is hope. We just have to be willing to be a part of the solution, too. It’s students engaging with the topic. It’s the teachers sharing vital information and encouraging expression. It’s the schools making on-site changes. It’s the governing bodies funding, prioritising and consulting on climate issues. It’s a collective effort. Small changes are the catalysts for greater things. COP has shown us that we need to act now. Whilst new policies and laws are crucial, we cannot wait for the big players to dip their toes. We must use our creativity and the knowledge of our immediate surroundings to try and implement change, keep the conversation alive, and put pressure on those in power.
Politicians need to value all aspects of the education system and the many ways that children learn and express themselves. The arts are massively underfunded and undervalued, and in 2023, I am amazed that something so important, a great export of the UK, continues to be neglected within our schools. A child’s access to art should not rely on the borough they live in, how much money their family makes, and whether they can afford extracurricular activities. Compulsory art education needs a shake up, and it begins with the right backing.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of the interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
- It’s okay to ask questions, no one expects you to have all of the answers, especially when embarking on something new.
- Test the Zoom link at least half an hour before the meeting starts.
- As a chronically disorganised person, creating systems, schedules and plans have been a life and time saver. Make sure you plan and organise things somewhere clear and easy to access.
- Build connections with those you want to work with. Don’t be afraid to be inquisitive and reach out, whether you’re interested in how they got started, or collaborating, or asking for support for your initiative.
- Be bold and have confidence in your decisions and ideas.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Why? Because you have a choice. We are often encouraged to or are in circumstances where we need to choose things that are harmful to us or our environment. There are disparities in society and what we have access to, but don’t let that discourage you from making an impact in your own way. You can make, think, grow, group, challenge, express.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
There are so many people in the world I could choose! Seeing as it’s breakfast they might want to dash off after a bite of their croissant, but I would have to say the film director, Richard Linklater. He has made such an eclectic range of films I would love to know more about his career, ideas, and the things that shaped him and inspire him today.
How can our readers follow you online?
I’m not big on social media but I would encourage people to follow @woolwichcontemporaryprintfair on Instagram, and check out www.woolwichprintfair.com/young-london-print-prize to find out more about the project and stay updated!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Young Change Makers: Why and How Margo Dimlić of The Young London Print Prize Is Helping To Change… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.