The Haileybury Society is delighted to support two OHs, Sophie Wei-San Miller (M 17) and Chengyi Xu (H 16), with a £1,000 grant towards their exciting international exhibition project, Simulacrum, which opens in London this August. Simulacrum brings together the work of emerging international artists connected through the Royal College of Art. The accompanying publication explores themes of digital culture and hyperreality through the practices of ten contemporary artists.

For Sophie, the project is the latest milestone in a flourishing artistic career. After studying Higher Level IB Art at Haileybury as an Art Scholar, she went on to complete a Master’s in Contemporary Art Practice at the Royal College of Art. She now manages the practice of a prominent artist in Singapore, coordinating exhibitions, publications and operations, while continuing to develop her own work internationally.

Sophie has remained closely connected with Haileybury since leaving school, returning to speak to pupils about her career, exhibiting as part of the Art School’s 60th anniversary celebrations, and taking part in the Haileybury Society Mentoring Programme.

Chengyi, who joins the Royal College of Art this autumn, is coordinating partnerships and outreach for Simulacrum. Together, Sophie and Chengyi hope the exhibition will strengthen connections between ‘Haileyburians and our school, and the Royal College of Art’s growing international creative network.

The Haileybury Society grant will help support travel and bring artists together from around the world to realise the exhibition. In thanking the Society for its support, Sophie and Chengyi said:

“We are deeply appreciative of the Haileybury Society’s support and confidence in our work. We look forward to sharing the exhibition with the Haileybury community and providing a report following the event.”

The exhibition is free and open to the public, with the official opening taking place on Tuesday 4 August at 6.30pm at ANNEX by The Koppel Project, 1 Tiverton Street, London SE1 6NT. We’d love to see members of the Haileybury community there. If you would like to attend, please email Members@thehaileyburysociety.org to register your interest.

Supporting the ambitions of our OH community – The Haileybury Society is proud to support Old Haileyburians as they pursue ambitious projects around the world. Through our Grants Programme, we are able to provide financial assistance to help members develop their careers, undertake meaningful projects and make the most of exciting opportunities.

If you are an OH with a project, expedition or initiative that could benefit from Society support, we’d love to hear from you.