Opening Times

Winter opening hours: Mon- Fri 10:00am-4:00pm
Sat and Sun 11:00am- 4:00pm

What makes this a great venue for School group Fun or Educational Visits?

Our learning team offers a unique learning experience across our arts and heritage sites. We provide bespoke workshops and tours for all ages and curriculum stages. Both our archaeology museum and our art gallery have been designated as having national importance outside of the city of London. Our maritime museum includes a permanent display commemorating the bravery of local crew on board the Titanic ship when it sailed from Southampton.

What are the Curriculum Topics or Benefit to the students from a visit?

An opportunity to handle real objects from antiquity, to view themed exhibitions in context, and to experiment with a range of exciting materials with support from a range of artist educators.

What are the activities?

Visitors can choose from self guided tours (these are free if booked with the education team), or can purchase workshops and tours. Loans boxes are available to schools at a small charge to cover administrative costs.

What is the age range of the activities?

Activities include pre-school sessions, and cover all key stages. Additional educational events are provided at weekends and during school holiday times.

Sample programme of the activities:

Howard Hodgkin: As Time Goes By
December-February 09

This sensation exhibition of printed works promises to be a highlight of 2009-2010. Howard Hodgkin is one of the most important painters and printmakers working today. With works are held by almost every major international museum, and he has been the subject of numerous retrospectives, including at the Tate Gallery, London (2006).
As part of the exhibition, two impressive new works will be shown for the first time. The pair, titled As Time Goes By, are Hodgkin’s most ambitious and complex works to date. Measuring over 20ft long each, they are the largest printed works ever made by an artist using a combination of aquatint, carborundum embossing and painting. There will also be two series of large scale prints, Venetian Views and Into the Woods, as well as documentary material showing the process of creating these large scale works.


SAT 10 OCT
Big Draw Day:
Portraits from the past
Two sessions: 11am–12.30pm (Families
aged 5+) Gallery Main Hall / FREE / Please
book in advance.
Using the BP Portrait Award exhibition as
inspiration and costumes from the learning
resource you will be able to reinvent
yourself in a ‘portrait from the past’. Dress
up and capture your image in a photo and
then get creative drawing out your image
on a grand scale!
October Half Term
MON 26 OCT
Capture it in Print
Family Workshop (aged 6 +) / Two sessions:
11am–1pm and 2–4pm / Gallery Education
Room / FREE / Please book in advance / All
children MUST be accompanied by an adult.
Hands on printmaking workshop inspired
by the wonders of the Itchen Navigation.
Dan Wheale, printmaker, will introduce
you to different ways of capturing your
imagination print. This free workshop is
part of the Itchen Navigation Arts Project.
The Itchen Navigation Heritage Trail
Programme, a lottery funded conservation
project on your doorstep www.hwt.org.u

What materials to you provide or suggest groups bring to support the visit?

School groups may wish to bring clip boards and paper for self guided visits.

What are the minimum and maximum group sizes and the free Teacher Ratio?

Freelancers work with maximum group sizes of 36 pupils, with a minimum of one adult per 6 to 8 children. Adult group sizes are 20 participants maximum.

Do you have or how do you arrange risk assessment?

Risk assessments for educational activities have been completed for our arts and heritage sites.

Do you offer Teacher familiarisation days?

Southampton City Art Gallery offers school INSET days at key stages 1-4. Teachers may wish to visit prior to school trips and we are always happy to meet them if required.

What facilities are there for school groups for food and drink, shop etc?

Southampton City Art Gallery has public toilets, lift access and a cafe. Regrettably, we currently have no lift access, public toilets or refreshment areas in our museums.

Is specific clothing required?

No.

Do you have first aid on site?

We provide first aid to employees only. Schools need to make their own provisions for first aid.

Are there any restrictions on photos, copyright etc?

Photography is restricted in the art gallery, however we can provide a limited number of jpeg images to schools upon request.

Additional information.

Please contact the Arts and Heritage Learning and Outreach Team if you are interested in visiting any of our arts and heritage venues, and we will send you a copy of our learning and events brochures. Additionally, you can speak to a member of the team to arrange your visit.