MK Gallery’s Inclusive Practice in the Arts (IPA) team have branched into a new area of programme development through a partnership with Aylesbury based specialist school, The Pace Centre, who support children with Neurodisability’s to achieve their potential.
Taking place across both venues, the partnership is offering innovative artist-led workshops, creative child-led learning experiences, and exciting exhibition visits. Through this work our IPA team will build upon their existing skillsets for working with children with complex needs, including cerebral palsy, and Pace staff will gain new creative toolkits to bring to their teaching on a long-term basis.
Sophie, Producer of Inclusion said “Having this opportunity to work with such a unique school is incredible. The Pace staff team are so supportive and generous, and we hope that this partnership can offer their children a greater experience of the arts and access to cultural spaces, which will inspire them into their futures.”
Working with IPA Associate Artists Matt Shaw and Sarah Hunt, four encounters initially took place during the summer term of 2023, including a class visit to Boyd and Evans: High Time. Matt and Sarah also transformed the children’s classroom into a glittering party palace and turned MK Gallery’s Event Space into a dynamic painting studio, which prompted one child to comment “it’s mind-blowing!”
Artist Sarah said about the project so far “having the children in the Gallery and getting really messy were particularly fun” and teacher Catherine commented “For us it’s seeing a difference in the children. It’s been an amazing experience and the children are still talking about it!”
Diving into the new term the IPA team are excited to be doing some more workshops at Pace in the lead up to Christmas.
“Each of our encounters with Pace so far have been so joy filled and we are really excited to see what happens next!” (Rosie, Inclusion Coordinator)
This work is generously supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
