Manchester Art Gallery was refurbished in 2002. Its collection is famous for its Pre-Raphaelite artists but it also has a significant portrait collection. It is a good example of an art gallery refocusing its attention on a specific audience – families.

 

 

Resources in the Gallery

  • Family backpacks with activity trails, six activities, instruction booklet and map. For family groups with children aged 7-12.
  • Family audioguide that features comments from children, celebrities and curators.
  • Storybags that explores one of the works in the gallery. Each bag has a cushion, book and game. For children aged 2 to 4.
  • Several family trail sheets for drawing pictures, enjoying poems or quizzes.
  • Gallery of Craft and Design handling trail. This trail focuses on feeling ceramics, glass, metal and wood objects made especially for touching, listen to the artists who made them or read the printed guide.
  • The Clore Interactive Gallery allows children to explore real works of art through a range of hands-on activities from dressing up games to chariot racing, spooky stories to computer interactives.

 

 

Family Facilities

  • Getting around – there are ramps leading to the main entrance. There are lifts to all floors or buggies can be left in the ground floor cloakroom.
  • There are baby change facilities on the ground floor in both men’s and women’s toilets next to the entrance hall.
  • The cafe offers great value children’s lunch boxes and half portions of our hot food. Baby food can be bought or they’ll heat visitors’ own for free. High chairs are available.
  • A children’s book on Manchester Art Gallery was specially commissioned from children’s author and illustrator Tony Ross. The Gallery Cat explores some of the paintings in the gallery with Valette, the gallery cat. It is available in the shop at a reasonable price.

 

Family Events

  • There are regular family events, including a monthly Family Art Club, and bespoke events during the school holidays.
  • Exhibitions at the gallery have an interactive element. For example the Art Treasures in Manchester: 150 Years On exhibition add a small room about half way with story books, drawing activities, dressing up clothes and stamp making.

 

 

Manchester Art Gallery family programmes >>