2022 Awards Winner
30 Stories of Family Arts:
MK Gallery
Want to feel what it’s like to be in the circus? Whether balancing on a circus tightrope for Laura Knight or experiencing the smells of a boxing arena for Ingrid Pollard, MK Gallery artworks come to life for families in a truly magical and inspiring way. Sensory tours have enabled families to connect with art using their own sensory language, through music, storytelling, object handling, dress–up and play.
Sensory Exhibition Tours were designed for families, in particular families with very young and SEND children, who were unable to engage fully with exhibitions due to support needs and inaccessible content. The tours were devised in collaboration with Associate Artist, Julia Collar, who used her expertise as a sensory theatre practitioner to ignite imagination, play and curiosity for each family based on the artworks and each of the participant’s access needs.
Since 2018, MK Gallery’s Inclusive Practice in the Arts programme has provided bespoke opportunities for children and young people with additional and complex needs to engage in meaningful, creative experiences. Their Sensory Exhibition Tours were restarted last year post-pandemic as part of a wider organisational commitment to championing access and inclusion throughout the Gallery. These artist-led tours were designed for toddlers, children, and young people with complex support needs, and for those who may benefit from a sensory exploration of their spaces and exhibitions.
You can discover all 30 Stories of Family Arts here. If you’d like to discover more fantastic organisations that meet our Family Arts Standards or Age-Friendly Standards explore the Fantastic for Families Directory.
MK Gallery is a Fantastic for Families Awards 2022 Winner in the category:
Best Family Arts Activity
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30 Stories of Family Arts
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