Spotlight: Turning Schools into Galleries

What happens when young people take the lead in curating an art display for their school?

In this short film, follow a group of Year 12 students from Forge Valley School in Sheffield as they work with their teachers and Sheffield Museums to select artworks from the city’s collection to display in their school for their classmates and wider school community to enjoy.

Along the way, the students discovered artworks in the museum stores, worked as a team and gained confidence. Plus, they inspired their families and peers to visit galleries! 

Hear directly from the students about what the project meant to them:

‘Museums and galleries are really important to me because they give me the chance to find out about the past without going on my phone.’

‘I want people who don’t often get the opportunity to go to museums and galleries to see artworks.’

‘Working with Sheffield Museums has been incredibly fun for me ,it’s inspired me to go to more art galleries and I’ve even dragged my family along with me!’

Sheffield’s collections belong to the city and its people. Opportunities to connect with them, and the ideas they represent, can shape lives, shape how young people see the world and help them imagine their place in it. This transformational project was achieved thanks to generous funding from the Ampersand Foundation as part of a five year programme of change and improvement at the Graves Gallery. 

With your help, we can continue to create life-changing experiences for young people across the museums.