How Rayven D’Clark is Shaping Public Art and Bringing Those Lessons Back to SAE

Meet Rayven D’Clark

SAE is more than a place to study creative media. It’s a creative community shaped by the people who power it.

One of those people is Rayven D’Clark.

Alongside lecturing on SAE’s Content Creation degree, Rayvenn is an accomplished digital sculptor and researcher working in the public realm whose work explores history, identity and community through large-scale public art commissions.

Since graduating in 2018, she has built a career spanning public art, higher education and cultural research, creating projects that sit at the intersection of digital design, storytelling and social impact.

“I never really liked working in isolation,” Rayven explains. “Teaching and my professional practice keep me connected to different groups of people, different industries and different ways of thinking.”

For SAE students, that means learning from someone who isn’t just teaching creative practice, but actively shaping it.

From Graduation to Public Art Practice

Since leaving university, Rayvenn has developed a unique career that combines public art, research and scholarly practice.

Her work has seen her collaborate with cultural institutions, community organisations and creative partners across the UK, Europe, US and the Middle East, using digital sculpture and public art as a way to tell stories that might otherwise go unheard.

What makes her approach unique is the way research sits at the heart of every project.

Whether she’s creating a public sculpture, delivering community workshops or teaching in the classroom, the starting point is always understanding people, communities and the stories that deserve visibility.

Leading a Landmark Project in Liverpool

One of Rayvenn’s most significant projects to date is her ongoing work with the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool.

Earlier this year, she was selected to help shape a major new entrance pavilion for the museum, a landmark project that will form part of the museum’s first dedicated front entrance on the Riverfront.

Working alongside museum teams, architects and local communities, Rayvenn is helping develop permanent public artwork that will welcome visitors and become part of Liverpool’s cultural landscape for years to come.

The commission involves extensive community engagement, community workshops and co-creation of the major design elements, ensuring the final artwork reflects the voices and experiences of the people connected to the museum’s mission.

“I almost didn’t apply,” Rayvenn admits. “I wasn’t sure whether I could take on something of this scale.”

Fortunately, she did.

The project is now one of the most exciting examples of how creativity, research and community collaboration can come together to create something meaningful and lasting.

Creativity with Community at its Heart

Community engagement is a common thread running through Rayvenn’s work.

Alongside her Liverpool commission, she is currently working on a public art project in Croydon, South London that uses 3D scanning technology to capture local residents and transform their stories into a permanent public installation.

She has also recently completed Mother Vérité, a public artwork exploring the emotional realities of postpartum experiences and giving visibility to the realities of motherhood globally.

While each project tackles a different subject, they all share the same goal: using creativity as a way to connect people, spark conversations and create lasting impact.

Bringing Industry Back to SAE

While Rayvenn’s public commissions may appear very different to the projects students create at SAE, she believes the same core skills sit behind both.

Research.

Storytelling.

Communication.

Critical thinking.

Problem Solving.

Ideation.

“A lot of these projects happen because somebody wants to tell a story,” she explains. “Your role is convincing people that the story you want to tell is the one worth telling.”

These are the lessons she brings directly into the classroom.

Students aren’t simply learning theory. They’re learning from someone actively pitching ideas, securing commissions, collaborating with communities and delivering creative work in the public realm.

That real-world perspective helps students understand how creative careers are built beyond the final piece of content or artwork.

Teaching Students to Find Their Own Voice

One of the topics Rayvenn is particularly passionate about is helping students develop their own academic ‘voice’.

As technologies like AI continue to reshape creative industries, she believes original thought and critical thinking are becoming more valuable than ever.

While she recognises the benefits of new tools, she encourages students to look beyond shortcuts and develop the confidence to form their own perspectives.

“The most important thing is having your own voice,” she says.

For Rayvenn, education isn’t about giving students all the answers. It’s about helping them ask better questions, explore ideas more deeply and build the confidence to express themselves creatively.

Why This Matters for SAE Students

One of SAE’s greatest strengths is that students learn from industry professionals who continue to shape their fields.

For Rayvenn, that means reflecting on active brands and projects, unpacking current industry challenges and real-world experiences directly into the learning environment.

Students gain insight not only into creative processes, but also into the research, planning, collaboration and resilience needed to succeed in creative careers.

It’s this connection between industry and education that helps prepare students for life beyond graduation.

More Than a Lecturer

Rayvenn’s story reflects something that sits at the heart of SAE.

Our lecturers aren’t just educators. They’re artists, filmmakers, developers, musicians, designers and creative practitioners actively working within their industries.

By bringing those experiences into the classroom, they help students understand not just what the industry looks like today, but how they can shape it tomorrow.

For Rayvenn, that means helping students find their own voice while continuing to use hers to create public work that leaves a lasting impact on communities across the UK.

Start Your content creation & marekting Career at SAE London

If you’re serious about working in content or marketing, it’s not just about what you learn. It’s about what you create, how you develop your ideas, and how early you start applying them in real-world environments.

At SAE Liverpool, students don’t just study content. They develop projects, showcase their work, and take their ideas into the industry.

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