Young people across Whitby will benefit from a new art education programme after Pannett Art Gallery secured an £11,130 grant to develop free, curriculum-linked resources.
Creative opportunities for young people in Whitby will expand following an £11,130 grant to develop an accessible new art education programme.
Curriculum-linked educational resources will be created using the permanent collections at Pannett Art Gallery. The initiative aims to inspire the next generation of creative talent by allowing students to engage directly with original artworks and explore various artistic techniques.
The funding comes from Museum Development North through its Museum Learning and Education Grant Programme. Securing the cash was highly competitive, with only around a quarter of all applications chosen for financial support.
Secondary school art education will receive a boost as the gallery works closely with Whitby School, education specialists, and local creative professionals. Together, they will develop and test materials to ensure they are engaging and relevant for students.
Once completed in March 2027, the resources will be available free of charge to schools, home educators, and community organisations. They will be accessible both at the gallery and online, ensuring rural communities surrounding Whitby can also benefit.
Curator of Pannett Art Gallery, Helen Berry, said:
"This is absolutely wonderful news for the gallery and for the young people of Whitby. We know that there is a huge amount of creative potential in our local community, but opportunities for young people to engage with art and explore creative careers can sometimes be limited. Our collections are an incredible educational resource, and this funding will allow us to work with teachers and young people to make much greater use of them. There is something very special about seeing an original artwork in person, rather than simply looking at an image on a screen, and we want more young people to have that experience. We're particularly pleased that the resources will be developed with local students helping us create something that is genuinely useful, engaging, and relevant to their education."
The initiative forms part of a wider ambition to improve access to arts education and encourage more young people to consider careers in the creative industries. It also highlights Whitby Town Council's commitment to investing in cultural assets so they deliver meaningful benefits for local residents.
Whitby Town Mayor, Councillor Sandra Turner, said:
"Pannett Art Gallery is one of Whitby's cultural treasures, and I am absolutely delighted that it has secured this funding. As a Town Council, we are committed to supporting the gallery, investing in its future, and helping it develop its role at the heart of our community. This latest success demonstrates what can be achieved when we support our talented staff and encourage them to pursue new opportunities and external funding. While Whitby has a remarkable artistic and cultural heritage, we must also look to the future and ensure that our young people have opportunities to develop their own talents. This project will help forge stronger links between the gallery and our local schools, make better use of the wonderful collections we have here in Whitby, and give young people the opportunity to explore art in a way that might not otherwise be available to them. To have secured this funding against such strong competition is a real vote of confidence in the gallery and the work we are doing."
Work on the project is expected to begin shortly, with the development and testing of resources taking place over the coming months.
Investment from Arts Council England and the UK Government made the Museum Learning and Education Grant Programme possible.
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