Outreach

These programmes provide a mixture of on and off-site learning and are focused on groups who have difficulty or are unable to access the collection independently.

These groups include under-5s, young people at risk of exclusion and isolated elderly people.

Look and Play

Look and Play is a programme for children aged under-5 and their parents and carers.

The Look and Play resource consists of a large scale reproduction of the painting 'Het Steen' by Rubens, which can be laid on the floor and used as a play mat. This is accompanied by a selection of multi-sensory toys which relate to objects featured in the painting.

Sessions are flexible and can be delivered either at the National Gallery or at external community venues such as schools, play centres and libraries.

Workshop sessions consist of a short interactive storytelling session followed by a hands-on creative play session which may involve a wide range of activities

Line of Vision

Line of Vision offers vulnerable children and young people who are at risk of exclusion opportunities to access the National Gallery’s collection and make their own creative responses to the paintings.

The National Gallery has worked in partnership with a wide range of organizations including NCB (National Children’s Bureau), The Place2Be and the Royal Ballet School, as well as numerous London Borough Councils including Ealing and Waltham Forest.

Projects can be scheduled during term-time and school holidays. They consist of visits to the National Gallery, during which young people participate in discussions focused on selected paintings and practical workshops. At the end of each project the young people are presented with a certificate and their art works are displayed in the Education Centre.

Take Art

The National Gallery works with children and young people aged 0 to 18 who attend hospital school.

Lecturers use prints of paintings and multi-sensory resources as a stimulus for interactive curriculum-based sessions, which combine discussion and hands-on art activities. Sessions may be delivered in classrooms, on general wards and in specialist units. At the end of each visit one print is permanently donated to the hospital school as a resource for further educational work.

Take Art is funded by The John S Cohen Foundation.

Inside Art

Inside Art is a three-year outreach programme running from 2009-11 in partnership with HMP Young Offenders Institution Feltham.

Every year the National Gallery will deliver four practical projects for groups of young male offenders aged 15-21 onsite at Feltham. Workshops will take place in Feltham’s Art Academy, a centre aiming to involve Feltham’s young adults in a wide range of creative arts activities.

The young men will be asked to engage imaginatively with the visual arts and creative processes. Projects are delivered by contemporary artists who encourage participants to engage with the National Gallery’s collection by using prints as a stimulus for discussion and an inspiration for the young men’s own art work.

The aim is to help enable the young men leaving custody reintegrate back in to society by:

• Developing their confidence and self-esteem
• Improving their communication skills and general well-being
• Encouraging a greater understanding of self and others

Inside Art will culminate with an exhibition of the young men's work in the Learning Gallery in spring 2010.

Inside Art is funded by The Lankelly Chase Foundation [external website]

English for Speakers of Other Languages

We offer free tailored guided tours for adult ESOL groups which can be booked by colleges and community organisations. Each tour lasts one hour and can be themed according to the needs and interests of the group.

To book an ESOL guided tour please telephone 020 7747 2488.

Ageing Creatively

Ageing Creatively is a programme of practical art projects for older people who are unable to visit the National Gallery independently. Projects are delivered by artists and workshop sessions take place at an external community venues using prints of focus paintings as a stimulus for interactive discussion and practical creative work. We will also arrange for groups who are able to travel to visit the Gallery and see the real paintings.

Short taster sessions are also available on request. Please telephone 020 7747 2488 for further details.

Contact us

For further details on any of the above programmes please contact: Emma Rehm, Outreach Officer, 020 7747 2488 or emma.rehm@ng-london.org.uk