MERCER GALLERY: WEEK LONG PLACEMENT FOR SIXTH FORMERS

We again used the Community Grant of £250 from The Arts Society to go towards funding a weeklong project in July at the Mercer Art Gallery aimed at Sixth Formers (Year 12 students). They came from Harrogate College, Harrogate Grammar School, Ripon Grammar School, King James’ Knaresborough and St Aidan’s. (totalling 11). The project was for them to spend time in the gallery and gain an understanding of various aspects of gallery and collections work. They had the opportunity to learn about careers from gallery staff and contribute to the current programme and ongoing work at the gallery. They also had a brief: as in how to attract young audiences to the Mercer. Two project leaders were engaged, Helen Warburton, who has worked at the National Trust in a curating role and Zoe Platt who has arts teaching experience at Leeds University, and a full and comprehensive schedule for the week was put together. The students engaged directly with the current exhibitions, We think the World of You: People and Dogs Drawn Together by David Remfry RA and Finding Eva Leigh: A Harrogate Artist Rediscovered, writing their own impressions of the works on display. They also got to meet the exhibiting artist to learn more about his techniques and how he made the artworks on display.

Committee members attended an informal presentation at the end of the project and heard all the young people involved talk in different ways about what they had learnt and enjoyed, about their ideas and saw some of the drawings they had created.

There was so much fantastic feedback from the students; and five of the students expressed a wish to volunteer with The Mercer over the summer, working on content for social media and on specific archiving. They also produced so many ideas for increasing access to the gallery for young audiences – which will hopefully be acted upon.

North Yorkshire Council’s Resourcing Solutions were so impressed with the project that they want to use it as a model of good practice for work experience that could be used across the Council.

The following is a thank you received from Karen Southworth, the Curator at the Mercer Art Gallery:

“We are so grateful to HDFAG for once again supporting this opportunity for young people and for the gallery. It is really visionary of you to commit to such a project with unforeseeable long-term outcomes, and I hope you feel it has been a worthwhile thing to do.”

(and we definitely think it was!)