We were delighted to welcome former pupil Romy Brill Allen, above, back to Harrodian this week to share news of her exciting success at The Courtauld Institute of Art, where she is completing her BA in History of Art.
Romy left Harrodian nearly three years ago with A Levels in History of Art, English and Italian, subjects that she says sparked her love of the arts. A key member of the Performing Arts department, she performed as part of ukulele-playing trio Prime, who went on to win Battle of the Bands, and frequently compèred concerts alongside her best friend and former Head Girl, Grace. In the Upper Sixth, Romy also completed an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), where she wrote and directed her own play, demonstrating her creativity and passion for storytelling.
Receiving the Beyad Shield for Citizenship at the Harrodian Leaver's Ball
She is currently serving as Director of the Courtauld’s 16th East Wing Biennial, a prestigious student-led exhibition that has been running since 1991 and showcases cutting-edge contemporary art within the Institute.
The sixteenth edition, titled RE:VISION, opened in September and features more than 40 internationally renowned artists, including Yinka Shonibare, Jeff Wall, Pipilotti Rist and Dora Maar.
Romy explains how the opportunity came about, 'I threw my hat in the ring at the end of my first year not really thinking anything of it and was absolutely thrilled to get the role. I was definitely a little intimidated by the scale of the project at first, but I was so ready to throw myself into it. It’s been over a year in the making and I couldn’t be prouder of the result.'
I threw my hat in the ring at the end of my first year not really thinking anything of it and was absolutely thrilled to get the role
Romy, former pupil
Working with three fellow Courtauld students, she oversaw every stage of the exhibition, from shaping the curatorial theme and liaising with artists to securing loans, writing essays, and designing the official catalogue. Once the curatorial direction was in place, she began contacting artists and commercial galleries directly to secure loans of key works. This involved working with major names such as Yinka Shonibare (courtesy of Cristea Roberts Gallery), Jeff Wall (White Cube), Pipilotti Rist (Hauser & Wirth) and Dora Maar (Amar Gallery).
Romy and her team also handled the detailed logistics — loan agreements, insurance, transport and installation — for more than 50 works by 41 artists. At the same time, they managed publicity and social media, designed posters, produced interviews, and curated the exhibition catalogue.
The exhibition opened with a celebration attended by more than 500 guests, including many of Romy’s Harrodian friends who came to support her. Among them were Grace (mentioned above) who is on a placement in play therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital after studying Psychology at Exeter University; Miles, currently interning in accounting; Romilly, working in fashion production; and Amber, who graduated from the Met Film School and has just landed her first professional acting role in a film alongside a well-known actress.
Thrilled to have her friends there and the chance to reconnect with so many familiar faces, she says: 'I met my best friends at Harrodian – lifelong friendships were forged! The school inspired me to no end. We were always encouraged to try things out, to experiment, and never to place ourselves in a box.'
I met my best friends at Harrodian – lifelong friendships were forged! The school inspired me to no end. We were always encouraged to try things out, to experiment, and never to place ourselves in a box.
Ms Hannah Kroes, Romy’s former History of Art teacher and Head of Department, also attended the exhibition opening and was delighted to see her former pupil’s success firsthand, 'Romy was responsible for contacting artists and arranging loans of their work, as well as curating and writing essays for the exhibition. They had many well-known artists who contributed, so her success was amazing to see. It really was a big deal!'
Romy was responsible for contacting artists and arranging loans of their work, as well as curating and writing essays for the exhibition. They had many well-known artists who contributed, so her success was amazing to see.
Ms Hannah Kroes, Head of History of Art
When she visited the school recently, Romy caught up with Mr Hooke, Ms Heller and the Sixth Form team, as well as some of her former A Level subject teachers, who were all delighted to hear about her accomplishments.
Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in History of Art, a process that involves applying directly to an individual professor whose research aligns with their own. One area that particularly interests her is ‘Telling Stories’, a course exploring art from the 1970s to the present day, focusing on identity politics and feminist art.
'Working on RE:VISION has really cemented for me that this is what I want to do,' she shares. 'I’ve definitely found my place in the art world — and I absolutely love it.'
I've definitely found my place in the art world and I absolutely love it.
Romy has kindly offered to arrange a special guided tour of RE:VISION for Harrodian pupils, alumni and staff. The exhibition is also open to the public by appointment, with tours on the first Sunday of each month.
For more information and to view the full programme, visit @eastwingbiennial or explore the exhibition catalogue online.