UCA’s Colourful Heritage project has starring role on BBC’s The One Show

Surprising the pupils, Zandra said: “Hello everyone from my old school, it’s lovely to meet you all. And told them: “Never give up and always keep dreaming, and follow your dreams.”

The TV moment was the result of a year-long project, Colourful Heritage, which began in June 2024. It was a partnership between University for the Creative Arts (UCA), the Zandra Rhodes Foundation, and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project aimed to inspire future generations of young designers and creative practitioners by offering a dynamic platform for students to engage with creativity, fashion, and heritage.

The inspiration for Colourful Heritage came from Zandra’s childhood in Medway, Kent. Her passion for improving creative educational opportunities for underprivileged young people in the area also played a key role.

The One Show segment featured pupils from Zandra’s old school, Fort Pitt Grammar School, being surprised by the fashion designer as she emerged in a beautifully choreographed moment, while pupils unknowingly toured the Fashion and Textiles Museum in London – a museum she founded.

Commenting on Zandra’s surprise appearance, a pupil said: “She kept saying ‘don’t let other people tell you that you can’t do something – just follow your dreams’. That’s what we’re going to do and go into the future with that mindset.”

The television moment followed on from a series of creative arts workshops that young people from secondary schools and colleges across Medway and Kent attended at UCA in Canterbury. It was here that Zandra’s learned knowledge was shared, in the very place it was originally nurtured.

And from this September, to support the legacy of the project, teachers across Kent and the UK will have access to a range of resources that will inspire young designers, including a Colourful Heritage Toolkit for Creative Learning.

Zandra added: “Through Colourful Heritage, I’m hoping to inspire future generations of young designers.”

More information about the Colourful Heritage project and the resources available can be found on the Colourful Heritage website: uca.ac.uk/colourful-heritage