The National Galleries of Scotland offers hands-on workshops for school groups led by professional artists in fully equipped studios. Visitors can try different art-making techniques in an environment designed to stimulate and encourage their own creativity. Workshops can last from two hours to all day. We ask schools to pay 50% of the costs of each workshop.
Early Years – 3-5 years
Follow the Seasons
2 hours
Painting, mixing colours, making marks. Following a guided tour specially designed for pre-school visitors, children are invited to paint their own work inspired by the sensations, sights and sounds of a seasonal painting.
Artsparks!
Using the Modern Collection at The Gallery of Modern Art & Dean Gallery, preschool visitors are invited to explore and interact with the collection in a variety of exciting and stimulating ways through practical artist-led workshops using a plethora of materials!
Paolozzi-inspired workshops
Paolozzi famously used robots, machinery and everyday items to construct some of his most dynamic sculptures. Following a guided tour of his work including the enormous Vulcan sculpture; children will work with an artist to create their own Paolozzi-inspired artwork using a range of materials.
Primary 1-3
Fantastic Creatures
2 hours 30 mins
Lions, snakes and mythical monsters are brought to life through a choice of paper collage, clay relief or printmaking.
Primary 4-7
Amazing Stories
3 hours 30 mins
A cardboard construction workshop in which pupils imagine a painting as a scene from a play. They will work together to make a theatre set and the characters to go in it.
Looking at landscape
2 hours 30 mins
Inspired by the landscapes in the collection, pupils will be encouraged to paint their own landscape creatively and confidently in acrylics.
Heads and Shoulders
2 hours 30 mins
Choose between working in clay to create a 3D bust or make a self-portrait using mirrors and different methods of drawing.
Secondary
Art Journey: A Drawing Workshop
Suitable for P6–S6
2 hours 30 mins
In this artist-led workshop, pupils collate ideas, drawings, notes and sketches to create a visual logbook of their journey through the National Galleries of Scotland. The workshop aims to develop the skills of observing and recording, and raises awareness of the role that notebooks, diaries and sketchbooks play in the practice of many artists.
Construction Workshop
Suitable for P6–S2
2 hours 30 mins
Following a guided tour of Eduardo Paolozzi’s work, this artist-led workshop challenges pupils’ imaginations to create sculptures using found and ready-made objects.
3D Workshop
2 hours 30 mins
At the Gallery of Modern Art
Following a guided tour of the modern collection, pupils will be encouraged to respond to some of the art works using a variety of media in a practical artist-led workshop.
Portraiture
2 hours 30 mins
Work from a model in different poses using a variety of media.
Cost
Up to 33 pupils and accompanying adults – £95 per workshop
Up to 15 pupils and accompanying adults – £45 per workshop
Nursery Groups up to 12 children and accompanying adults – £35 per workshop
For schools that genuinely are unable to pay these costs, we may be able to offer financial assistance. Please bear in mind that these workshops are already heavily subsidised by the National Galleries of Scotland.
