Kirsty Thomas, who uses the pen name ‘Tom Pigeon’, is the established designer, and former secondary school art and design teacher, behind the studio.

Sharing the story of The Make Bank with us, Kirsty revealed that when she first started searching for new companies and charities to partner with, she came across facts and figures that highlighted creative poverty across the UK.

Kirsty said: “Pupils are dropping out of creative subjects for lots of different reasons – often because they don’t believe that there are careers to be had in creative industries, they’re put off by adults who advise them to choose a ‘real subject’ like those within STEM, but it’s also for financial reasons too.”

Many creative subjects require students to make additional, often ongoing, financial contributions to their learning – for example, buying sets of materials to complete homework or coursework – and while this is financially attainable for some students and their families, for many other creatives, it’s not.

Kirsty said: “The impact that this has on pupils and the choices they’re making at GCSE level and beyond, impacts the entire industry.

“We end up with a narrow, white, middle class industry that’s not particularly representative and that isn’t designing for everybody.”

As a reaction to this systemic problem, Kirsty set up The Make Bank, a non-profit organisation dedicated to financially supporting and inspiring disadvantaged students of creative subjects.

She said: “It’s not about me in a bubble trying to solve the problem – it's about us as a creative industry trying to deal with some of the issues that come up.

“It’s about helping the next generation find their way into the industry and know that it’s for them.”

As part of The Make Banks contribution towards tackling creative poverty, the organisation donates art and design kits to disadvantaged pupils interested in following creative career paths.

The Make Bank also uses its website as a platform to share creative journey stories that are as wide and as diverse as possible, not only so that people can see themselves represented, but so that they can also see the wealth of opportunity out there.

Click here to make a donation to The Make Bank or to purchase an art and design kit.

March’s competition prize is a limited edition, signed, titled, and numbered print entitled Gràcia by James D. Wilson. Now completely sold out online, this print is part of a beautiful series – Shinjuku, Barcelona, and Gràcia – that take their names from places, and are abstract memories of specific times spent there.

To enter this month’s competition, all you have to do is:

01 — Follow @housebyurbansplash, @the_makebank, and @tom_pigeon.
02 — Like the competition post on the House by Urban Splash Instagram page.
03 — Tag a friend in the comments.

There’s no limit to the amount of times you can enter. The competition will close at midnight on Thursday, March 31, and the winner will be notified on Friday, April 1.

Good luck from all of us at House by Urban Splash, Tom Pigeon, and The Make Bank, and, as always, please read our terms and conditions before you enter.