Artist & Educator

Welcome to the Website of Ahmed Sidahmed ElHassan, visual artist and development educator.

Ahmed was born and educated in Sudan. He graduated from the College of Fine and Applied Arts, Khartoum, Sudan in 1972, where he studied painting, drawing and history of art. He then worked for the Ministry of Education as an art teacher and also as an illustrator for children’s magazines. He became Head of the Educational Media department for the Council for Adult Education and Literacy.

During that time he was also the co-ordinator and a member of the arts team for several UNESCO and UNICEF projects in Sudan (on nutrition, population and drug prevention education).

In 1985 Ahmed came to England for postgraduate studies. He gained an Advanced Diploma in Adult Education (1986) followed by a Masters in Media of Education (1989) at the University of Manchester. Alongside this he trained in video production at the Workers Film Association Media Centre.

In the early 1990s he was a founder member of the Southern Voices Project which is concerned with creating bridges between North and South globally. It brings the southern perspective into the educational curriculum in the UK. Ahmed is also involved in work with museums, schools, community groups and international organisations (including Oxfam, VSO and Save the Children) as an advisor, trainer and workshop facilitator.

Throughout this time Ahmed has been sketching and painting, and has held a number of exhibitions in Britain and abroad. He has worked as illustrator for the ElNagid magazine in London, and illustrated several books including for secondary schools. He is currently a freelance artist and development educator. He works from his studio in Manchester.