Willard Wigan MBE
Internationally renowned artist Willard Wigan MBE is painting a picture of a brighter future in education, announcing that he is joining forces with leading distance learning provider, Oxbridge. Having spoken publicly about his own experience of bullying at school, the world-famous artist has become an advocate for Oxbridge’s approach to making education accessible to everyone.
Now an ambassador for Oxbridge, championing its bespoke learning opportunities and culture of ‘learning without limits’, they are working together to challenge conventional on-campus learning, shifting expectations that education is a ‘one-size fits all’ system and giving students across the world the confidence to believe that they can reach their goals.
Currently embarking on a Transatlantic tour of thousands of schools, which sees him speaking to students in the UK and the US about self-belief, confidence, and overcoming adversity, Willard has teamed up with the award-winning distance learning college to take his message to the masses.
The artist has published a Q&A with Oxbridge’s founder, Matt Jones, about his own educational journey in a piece that is readily accessible for Oxbridge’s students. Both hope that it will be a source of hope and inspiration for those embarking on courses, many of whom might not have thrived in a traditional classroom setting and are giving education another go. What’s more, there are plans in place to record his powerful keynote and publish this for learners too.
Speaking about the partnership, Willard commented: “I know firsthand just how alienating it can be to be sat in a room, surrounded by your peers, and feeling like you’re the only person who it doesn’t click for. When I was at school in the 60s, dyslexia was unheard of, so I was ridiculed, humiliated, and tormented for struggling to read and write. I never want another person to feel that way again.
“I think online learning works as long as you have real human interaction. I’m sure that when students have the chance for that extra human care and support, home learning can greatly improve their education. Some people just don’t cope well in a classroom environment or don’t have the chance to go back to school. So, Oxbridge help those people to get to where they want to be. That’s why I’m so proud to be working with Oxbridge to tell all those students who are working so hard that they can achieve great things if they believe in themselves.”
Without the constraints of a bricks-and-mortar classroom, Oxbridge’s agility ensures that it can tailor its courses to suit all needs. “Not only does this give each learner the support necessary for them to achieve their goals, it provides the opportunity for accessible and flexible study methods, anytime, anywhere, anyhow. It is this very personalisation of Oxbridge’s courses that will be a game changer for students like Willard in the future.
Rather than following the conventional academic pathway, Willard escaped to his own world, expanding his imagination, playing, building, sculpting. Willard is now world-famous for creating tiny, beautifully crafted sculptures that are invisible to the naked eye. To create these wondrous micro-sculptures, Willard goes through painstaking concentration, holding his breath, carving and painting in between heartbeats. The final result is a masterpiece perfectly nested in the eye of a needle, a magical reality through the lens of a microscope.
Commenting on the collaboration, Matt Jones from Oxbridge said:
“Working with Willard to tell his incredibly moving story to our students is an absolute pleasure. His journey to become the international artist he is today is an inspiration to us all, and completely embodies the ‘I can, I will’ motto that Oxbridge lives by. We hope our learners find encouragement and hope in Willard’s message, and our relationship with Willard continues to go from strength to strength.”
Oxbridge prides itself on its innovative approach to education, as one of the UK’s leading EdTech companies. The Birmingham headquartered business recently picked up the award for ‘Best Use of Blended Learning – Commercial Sector’ from the prestigious Learning Technologies Awards, beating off stiff competition from the likes of Jet2.com (Silver Award), Calex UK & PSA Group (Bronze Award), L’Oréal, MG, and Domino’s Pizza. Founder, Matt Jones, has also been recognised; crowned ‘Company Leader’ and ‘Overall Winner’ at the West Midlands Leadership Awards 2019 with Willard as his special guest in attendance too.
For more information about Willard and his schools tour, please visit: www.willardwiganmbe.com/.
For more information on Oxbridge and the services they offer, please visit: https://oxbridgehomelearning.uk.
