Paloma Faith sings praises of her ‘incredible teachers’ at Islington Green School

Published: 19 November, 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

SINGER Paloma Faith has praised teachers at her former Islington school for doing an incredible job in the face of adversity and has thrown her support behind the recent student protests, the Tribune can reveal.

Speaking from her bathtub on Friday, the eccentric performer – a former pupil of Islington Green School – criticised wealthy music industry figures for complaining about the recession.

Paloma is due to star in a gala Barbican production of Down at the End of Lonely Street, her collaboration with trumpeter-arranger-composer Guy Barker which will feature a full orchestra. 

She said: “When you look at world news, I think we’re really well off, maybe not as well off as in the 1980s and maybe that’ll never happen again.

“From the small perspective of being in the music industry, I work with a lot of people who were in the music business when they earned shedloads of money and now they’re all complaining. 

“Well, they look pretty well off to me, I’ll be honest. 

“I think a lot of people are rich people complaining they’re not as rich, but they’re still rich.”

Paloma, who is working on her second album, praised her teachers at Islington Green School.

She said: “I had an amazing education there. It’s funny because at the time I did my exams it had one of the worst reputations in the country but I have to say the teachers were incredible.”

Now a bestselling recording artist, Paloma recalled appearing in school productions but never winning the coveted star role.  

Recalling one production of Little Shop of Horrors, she said: “I was never one of the leads. I was always one of the dancers because at that time I was really into dance.”

Paloma voiced support for students protesting against the Coalition government’s plans to increase university fees.

She said: “It’s a shame the [protests] went violent because it reflects badly on their argument. If they’re protesting and saying all this stuff about being the future, what kind of impression does that give if they’re smashing things up? 

“It’s a shame for the students who genuinely are the future and are wonderful and have a lot to contribute because it gets them down as well. 

“But I understand their reasoning because I do think that kind of debt is really intimidating to people, especially people from poorer backgrounds.”

She added: “To a person who’s working, £9k is not that bad but if you look at that figure from the perspective of someone who comes from nothing and whose mother and father never in their lives can conceive of £9k or let alone earn it then I think that figure can be seen as extremely threatening and intimidating. It’s really sad and awful. It’s great that students are protesting. For years I came from a really non-political generation.”

It is not the first time Paloma has commented on the British education system. She discussed education­ on television current affairs programme This Week alongside Michael Portillo in October last year.

The singer confessed to looking forward to her Barbican show on December 10. She described the venue as “the cultural centre of the area I was brought up in”. She added: “The Barbican was quite close so it feels quite exciting to be part of it.

“As a kid growing up I always saw it as somewhere quite posh and where rich people go, from the perspective of a young kid in Islington and Hackney. But now I’m playing there it feels like a breakthrough for me.”