Schools

We offer an exciting, varied programme of introductions, tours, and workshops (subject to capacity) designed to engage and inspire curiosity across nursery, primary, and secondary levels, all completely free of charge. With multiple exhibitions throughout the year, Talbot Rice Gallery presents a rich range of themes, art forms, and ideas. 

Each workshop is closely linked to the current exhibition and aligned with the Curriculum for Excellence, focusing on exploring, experiencing, discussing, and making, with activities and conversations shaped by the art around us. 

Take a look below at the impact of our school engagement programme during our most recent exhibitions.

The Children are Now

Preston Street Primary, Royal Mile Primary and Multicultural Family Base Young Ambassadors 

We worked in collaboration with artist Eden Bø Dower to create learning experiences through gallery based and creative workshops for Multicultural Family Base Young Ambassadors, Preston Street Primary P6 and Royal Mile Primary P7.

Using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as our starting point, each participant selected a children’s right at random and explored how it related to artworks in the gallery through discussion and interactive activities. We then created collages to visually express the meaning of the right we had been given, experimenting with the arrangement of images and words to communicate ideas and develop our own unique perspectives and artworks. 

Granton Primary School 

Working with our partnership school Granton Pimary, we hosted a workshop that connects to the curriculum, supporting learning across different areas through art.

The children demonstrated remarkable creativity and imagination throughout the session. Using recycled cardboard as a starting base, they transformed simple materials into intricate and expressive creatures, showing how far their ideas could go. Through playful drawing, movement and discussion, we explored how art can give us a voice, support emotional expression and inspire change. In collaboration with artist Eden Bø Dower and inspired by The Children Are Now, the session encouraged confidence, collaboration and curiosity while reflecting on themes of freedom, kindness, rights and wellbeing. 

Wael Shawky

Granton Primary School 

We worked in partnership with two P3 classes from Granton Primary School to discover the work of Wael Shawky. The gallery was full with laughter, colour and creativity as students  dreamed up their own special characters inspired by Wael Shawky's marionettes and brought them to life with help from artist Eden Bø Dower. Thank you to all the young storytellers who took part and reminded us how magical art can be.

Walker & Bromwich / Searching for a Change of Consciousness

Clovenstone Primary School

Over the course of 7 sessions, 35 children from Primary 6 and 7 classes explored contemporary art, learning about different roles in the cultural sector, and discovering what it means to be an artist today.

As part of the project, the children visited Walker & Bromwich / Searching for a Change of Consciousness and met the artists, learning about community focused work that highlights environmental and social justice, art as protest, celebration, and hope. The children even created their own costumes and became part of the artwork themselves - an unforgettable experience for everyone.

Project funded by Museums and Galleries Scotland.