engage (National Association for Gallery Education)

engage is the lead organisation for gallery education internationally promoting access to and enjoyment of the visual arts through gallery education. engage has four key areas of work:


  • continued professional development
  • advocacy
  • research and projects
  • sharing practice.

Our 1,000 plus members in 15 countries include teachers, gallery professionals, artists, and others with an interest in the visual arts and education. We reach millions of gallery visitors each year through our programmes and through our members' work.

For the last four years Watch this Space has been a key aspect of engage's work supporting teachers to work with galleries and for gallery educators to work with schools, often for the first time. Supported by DCMS, DCSF, and the Museums and Libraries Archive (MLA), Watch this Space focuses on work with schools, visual arts venues and artists. It complements the MLA's Learning Links programme which builds links between schools, museums, libraries and archives across England. Watch this Space has worked with 74 teachers, 36 host galleries and 49 gallery educators. This has enabled visits to galleries by thousands of young people aged 6 - 18, many of whom were first time visitors.

As part of the Strategic Commissioning Programme, engage also manages the enquire research programme, a partnership with Arts Council England and MLA and supported by DCMS, DCSF and the Foyle Foundation. enquire is researching the learning benefits for young people of working with artists and visual art.

Both Watch this Space and enquire link strongly with key strategic initiatives in arts and education in particular the government's commitment to a cultural offer to young people. This is achieved by:


  • supporting schools in the teaching of art and design and other subjects
  • providing access to cultural institutions and 'real art'
  • extending opportunities in school to learning in the different context of the gallery or museum
  • enabling young people to get used to cultural institutions, get involved and make their own decisions
  • providing CPD for teachers, artists and gallery educators to develop increasingly effective work with young people. Recent events include a briefing day on new policies and initiatives related to young people, gallery and arts education and two CPD days for initial teacher training organisations held in London and Manchester, in association with Ofsted and NSEAD.

Introducing young people and teachers to galleries also supports a number of initiatives such as the new Key Stage 3 curriculum in art and design, the Creative and Media Diploma for 14 to 19 year olds with its emphasises on work-related learning, and creative apprenticeships.

engage is committed to building partnerships with key organisations such as Ofsted, in order to work coherently with teachers and young people and to encourage them to get the very best from working with artists and galleries.

To find out more about Watch this Space, enquire or what engage can offer teachers, visit www.engage.org or contact info@engage.org.