The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has generously given £1 million towards the education programme for Tate Modern. The money will support the extensive Schools Programme, a full time Education Programme Curator and the exciting Young People’s Programme at the new gallery until 2005.
Tate Modern, which opens on 12 May, is committed to education and as a new national museum is determined to seize the opportunity to pioneer innovative approaches to education and interpretation.
The Schools Programme offers an extensive and diverse range of activities and resources for school groups to explore visual culture and ideas. A workshop programme has been created which covers all ages from pre-school to A Level and support the national curriculum. In addition the schools programme supports teachers through a range of activities including professional development and teachers’ publications and responds to recent Government initiatives such as After School Learning.
The Young People’s Programme is aimed at young visitors between the ages of 15 and 23. It includes weekend and evening events and holiday courses run by artists, designers and cultural critics. A key feature of this programme is its peer-led structure which was pioneered by Tate Liverpool. Tate Modern will train young people to devise, plan and run programmes and debates for their peers.
The Education Programme Curator was appointed to Tate Modern in the autumn of 1997, early in the building programme. As the first education curator to join the new gallery, Caro Howell was responsible for developing a range of education programmes for local audiences and young people and building relationships both with Tate Modern display curators and local groups.
The education programme benefits from a full range of education facilities and spaces situated in the heart of Tate Modern. These include an auditorium, a film room, workshop studios, and classrooms.
Patricia Lankester, Director of The Paul Hamlyn Foundation, commented:
The Foundation is delighted to be supporting the education work at Tate Modern which will bring children and young people into contact with contemporary art in such exciting ways.
Sir Nicholas Serota, Director of Tate, said:
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is a long-term supporter of Tate programmes to encourage new audiences. Their involvement at Tate Modern will help realise an education programme which breaks new ground.