Press Release: Liverpool children set off on the Great Art Quest
On Friday 3rd December, children from St Aloysius Primary School, Huyton with Roby, Liverpool will visit Tate Liverpool as part of the Great Art Quest, an initiative designed by The Prince’s Foundation for Children & The Arts and sponsored by GAM to introduce primary school children to the visual arts.
The Great Art Quest is a UK-wide project linking four high quality art galleries with 16 local schools. Through the project children are given the chance to become familiar with their local art gallery and to meet and work with a professional artist and storyteller who will help to bring to life the works of art that they see in the gallery. This programme helps inspire the children’s own creativity, increases their confidence in visiting galleries, and develops individual skills and attitudes to learning.
As well as St. Aloysius Primary, there are three other primary schools taking part – Westvale Primary, St. Dominic’s Primary, and Knowsley Northern Primary Support Centre.
The project will give pupils from these schools the opportunity to explore Tate Liverpool. During their visits, they will be encouraged to get to know the gallery and to gather inspiration for their own masterpieces. When St. Aloysius Primary visit the venue on 3rd December, they will spend time with storyteller, John Hughes and artist, Laurence Payot. They will then go back to their classrooms and create their own works, which will be displayed in a very special exhibition in the gallery itself in early 2011.
Jeremy Newton, Chief Executive of The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts is delighted that The Great Art Quest has come to Liverpool: “The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts was set up five years ago and aims to provide quality and sustained cultural educational experiences to children who might otherwise miss out on such opportunities. We work with the arts organisations and the schools to encourage the children’s creativity and learning and to help develop their confidence.
We are the only national charity covering all cultural genres, and The Great Art Quest is one of a number of programmes we have developed, through which we have already reached over 100,000 children. Not only have we built up a stock of teacher aids and cultural venue best working practices, but we have shown that our model of engaging with schools and arts venues really works, as all our projects are independently evaluated.
We’re delighted to be launching Great Art Quest project at Tate Liverpool. Over the last few years, this initiative has brought the visual arts to life for over 1000 children and shown that, with support, they can truly be inspired to produce fantastic works of their own. I can’t wait to see the creative results of the youngsters taking part in Liverpool.”
Sponsors GAM have strong ties with the Tate, and in particular Tate Liverpool:
“We are delighted that The Great Art Quest has come to Tate Liverpool. We have a long-standing relationship with the Tate that originated with our founder Gilbert de Botton. As a trustee from 1985 to 1992, he helped to raise the Tate’s international profile, serving as founder chairman of both its International Council and of the Tate Gallery Foundation. He was a moving force, as well as a substantial patron, in the creation of Tate Modern.
Three works on display in Tate Liverpool were in fact donated by de Botton’s widow, Janet Wolfson de Botton, also widely renowned as a collector of contemporary art,” said Andrew Hanges, Chief Executive Officer of GAM UK.
Commenting on the project, Deborah Riding, Programme Manager for Schools & Families at Tate Liverpool said: “We’re delighted to have been selected to take part in this year’s Great Art Quest, through the Princes Foundation for Children and the Arts. At Tate Liverpool, our Learning programme aims to encourage those who might not otherwise engage with art to visit the gallery and explore their own creativity. The Great Art Quest will support us in this aim and help to build a lifelong love for the arts among local schoolchildren.”
Jennifer Phillips, Arts Leader and Class Teacher at St. Aloysius Primary School said: “I’m sure that my pupils will benefit hugely from taking part in The Great Art Quest. Visiting a gallery with a visual artist and storyteller is an exciting way to inspire children to explore the arts. I’m looking forward to them gaining cultural understanding, and growing in confidence as they have an opportunity to explore and lead their own learning in the arts. This process will enable them to return to school and create their own artwork for the exhibition at Tate Liverpool.”
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Notes to Editors
For further press enquires contact Marcus Stanton, The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts on 020 8540 5393 or email marcus_stanton@btopenworld.com
Tate Liverpool is one of four art galleries chosen to take part in The Great Art Quest 2010. The other venues are Ormeau Baths Gallery (Belfast), The Saatchi Gallery (London), and Oriel Davies Gallery (Powys).
The four schools are:
St. Aloysius Primary, Twig Lane, Huyton with Roby, Liverpool L36 2LF
Westvale Primary, Melverley Road, Westvale, Kirkby L32 0RQ
St. Dominic’s Primary, Southdene Road, Liverpool L14 8UL
Knowsley Northern Primary Support Centre, Bramcote Walk, Northwood, Kirkby L33 9UR
The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts works in partnership with arts organisations to offer children opportunities to access the very best of the arts. We target those children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the arts and we will work with over 16,000 children in 2010/11.
GAM delivers active investment management to private clients, institutions and intermediaries. Its goal is to produce outstanding results for clients by providing access to great investment talent throughout the world. All of GAM’s fund managers, whether employed by GAM or contracted to GAM, are unconstrained in their investment management process and decisions. As well as active management within funds, GAM uses active asset allocation to combine funds in managed portfolios that meet clients’ diverse needs.
GAM’s funds and strategies cover a broad range of asset classes, currencies and market conditions. It has long experience of hedge funds and funds of hedge funds. With rigorous attention to detail and client-friendly technology, GAM provides excellent service to its clients. It manages some CHF 53.1 billion1 of clients’ assets.
1Data as at 30 June 2010