Workshops
Available throughout the year
Choose from a range of activity sessions, all of which:
- last 1 hour 45 minutes (maximum)
- include practical activities led by artists/educators
- are cross-curricular in approach and wherever possible, cross-cultural
- are based on the permanent collections and often current special exhibitions
Ancient Greek Ideas
Discover tales of tragedy, power and curiosity in our paintings and original artefacts from ancient Greece. Pupils will debate, discuss and deliberate the timeless morals and issues to help them understand the impact of the Greek civilisation.
A Picture Paints a Thousand Words
Step into paintings, meet people and join in their thoughts and conversations. Pupils’ speaking, listening and writing skills will be developed as they explore artworks through drama and develop their group and individual writing.
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Blitz, Change and Rock 'n' Roll
Based on stories from people who lived in Manchester through the 40s and 50s, this workshop explores life, work and entertainment through drama, dance and song.
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Capturing Nature
Pupils discover how artists have been inspired by nature, research still life, costume, paintings and ceramics and record their responses. In our studio they explore mixed media and experiment with wax trapping techniques.
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Discovering Sculpture
This introduction to sculpture uses two and three-dimensional drawing techniques that allow pupils to create a sculptural artwork with wire, withies and wool.
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Greek Art and Architecture
Visit Manchester Art Gallery’s neo-classical building, designed as a temple to the arts. Pupils will discover the Greek way of life by drawing on myths, stories and beliefs that are contained within paintings, pottery, friezes and relief sculptures.
Macbeth
Visit scenes from Macbeth that feature in the gallery and explore themes such as ambition, loyalty, power and relationships. Using the skills of our drama specialist, pupils will become familiar with Shakespeare’s words and language.
People in Action
The gallery provides the stimulus and stage to experience dance and drama. Using paintings and sculpture, pupils draw, collect ideas and develop stories that translate into movement pieces performed to music.
Portraits
Pupils observe and investigate the relationships between people and objects exploring paintings and sculpture to create their own portraits using two and three-dimensional techniques.
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Take a Seat
Pupils experience the design process by looking at our range of seating from the 17th century to the present day. They will try their skills at constructing and deconstructing chairs and developing design sheets to create the perfect chair.
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Tales of the Unexpected
What do you need to make good story? Is it engaging characters, fascinating plots or sublime vocabulary? Meet our writers who will use the gallery to take your pupils on a fascinating journey into their imagination and help them to develop all of these aspects.
Talking Heads
Facial pattern is explored using artworks that focus on expression, emotion, colour and meaning. Pupils drawings and research are used to design and make unique head masks.
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Victorian Manchester
Find out how Manchester grew during Victorian times and empathise with rich and poor people through various drama activities based on paintings in the collection. An online interactive based on Ford Madox Brown's Work is also available.
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