A specialist arts and music school has struck “gold” in its latest fundraising drive – it will host Spandau Ballet star Gary Kemp for an exclusive talk next week.

Compered by veteran music journo Neil McCormick, the evening will also see students from the Arts and Media School perform their take on the Spandau classic Through the Barricades, originally a hit in 1986 – well before any of the students were born.

Mr McCormick, who writes for the Telegraph, has a son in Year 7 at the Turle Road school where he will conduct Thursday’s interview. He is also planning a series of future talks with big names like film composer David Arnold and ex-Undertone Feargal Sharkey.

The cash will be used to fund extra-curricular activities. Mr McCormick told the Gazette parents at the largely working-class school often can’t afford to cough up the hundreds of pounds needed to send children on trips.

“It’s a really progressive school but the middle classes of Islington tend to give it a wide berth,” he told the Gazette. “I thought something like this would be a fun experience and raise a proper amount of money.

“Gary’s a working-class London boy and he knows what it’s like.”

The talk is something of a homecoming for the musician and film star – Spandau Ballet formed at Dame Alice Owen’s School in Islington during the 1970s.

The talk starts at 7.30pm. Click here for tickets.