Author: Cherelle Cunningham

We are pleased to share that our Toddle Exhibition Tours, designed and delivered in collaboration with sensory practitioner Collar & Cuffs Co, have been commended in the Early Years category of the Family Learning Awards 2026.

Toddle Exhibition Tours, alongside SEND Exhibition Tours, make up our Sensory Tour programme, an offer which aims to break down barriers for audiences in the early years and with additional needs. Our long-term collaborator Collar & Cuffs Co expertly brings exhibitions to life through imaginative, multisensory experiences. Families are guided through selected artworks using hands-on materials, movement, and storytelling, with Makaton used throughout to support communication.

Toddle Tours turn expectations of how to engage with a gallery space on their head. They make space for joy, laughter, song, and self-expression, supporting young children to connect with artworks in a way that is truly meaningful to them. ‘There is joy in being able to use the space to play, dance, make noise, lie on the floor, and do so without self-consciousness or the risk of being shushed.’ – Collar & Cuffs Co

Due to popular demand, Collar & Cuffs Co will be leading an additional Toddle Tour of our current exhibition Jacques Henri Lartigue: Life in Colour on Saturday 26th September at 11am. Booking information can be found via this link.

The full case study by Campaign for Learning about our Toddle Exhibition tours can be found via this link.

MK Gallery has received a Large Strategic Grant from the Milton Keynes Community Foundation, to support with the development of the ‘Our Studio’ programme!

Our Studio offers a creative, social and supportive space for young people aged 14-25yrs, who identify as neurodivergent or as having additional support needs.  

Thanks to the £108,000 grant from Milton Keynes Community Foundation, we can run new, twice weekly, sessions from MK Gallery’s Project Space, which has been transformed into a dedicated studio space for the programme. With guidance from lead artist facilitators Sarah Hunt and Emily Stapleton-Jefferis, participants will explore, experiment, and develop their own unique artistic practices.   

This funding will also support the continuation of the Our Studio regular sessions on the third Saturday of the month, as well as enrichment opportunities including guest artist workshops and offsite trips.  

Jake Geelan, Philanthropy Director at MK Community Foundation stated:

Lead artist facilitator, Sarah Hunt, commented: 

“This grant from Milton Keynes Community Foundation is an exciting development for Our Studio. The young people are delighted to finally have a permanent studio space to make their own and to be able to meet more regularly. It is an incredible opportunity for them to explore their creative ambitions and build new friendships.” 

Producer of Inclusion at MK Gallery, Rosie May, noted: 

“Having a dedicated studio space at MK Gallery hugely raises the visibility of the Our Studio programme, and the creativity of the young people attending sessions. We’re excited to see the impact of more frequent encounters for our participants, and for all of the learning which will take place over the coming two years.” 

Established in 2022, Our Studio is part of MK Gallery’s wider Inclusive Practice in the Arts (IPA) programme, which is committed to providing opportunities for children, young people and adults with additional and complex support needs.  

The IPA programme is generously supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation Milton Keynes Community Foundation, Art Fund, and ARTIST ROOMS. 

To find out more, please see here: Inclusive Practice in the Arts – MK Gallery

MK Gallery is thrilled that our partnership with ARTIST ROOMS will enable us to extend our Inclusive Practice in the Arts programming this spring around our upcoming exhibition, Andy Warhol: Portrait of America. 

ARTIST ROOMS, Tate and National Galleries of Scotland’s touring exhibition programme, gives young people across the UK the chance to get involved in creative projects, discover more about art and artists, and learn new skills. With Art Fund and Henry Moore Foundation support, ARTIST ROOMS is a catalyst for access and engagement with young people in museums and galleries. An ARTIST ROOMS bursary will support the delivery of IPA’s monthly Our Studio sessions, for neurodivergent young people aged 14-25 yrs and those with additional support needs, until June 2025.  

It will also enable two exciting guest artist workshops delivered by Silly Gooze Editions, an artist-led Risograph studio and artist book makers in Northamptonshire. The young people’s creativity will culminate in a pop-up exhibition at the end of June to celebrate this specially themed series of workshops and exploration of Andy Warhol’s practice.  

The bursary will also make possible two additional days of Art Together workshops during the Easter and May school holidays. Art Together provides an open and friendly space for families who have a child or children with additional or complex support needs, to make, play and explore their creativity. 

ARTIST ROOMS presents the work of international artists in solo exhibitions drawn from a national touring collection jointly owned by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Its programme reaches audiences across the UK and is developed through local partnerships.  

Find out more:
www.nationalgalleries.org/artistrooms
www.tate.org.uk/artist-rooms  

The ARTIST ROOMS national collection and programme is managed in partnership by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland with the support of Art Fund, Henry Moore Foundation and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Creative Scotland.