Art Lending Scheme for Schools Launched in Northern Ireland

Sculptor, Brendan Jamison, has officially launched the Art Lending Scheme for Schools, a new visual arts initiative from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The scheme offers schools the opportunity to exhibit works from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Contemporary Art Collection and aims to increase opportunities for young people to be inspired by and engage with high-quality visual arts.

With support from the Department for Communities (DfC), the Arts Council’s Art Lending Scheme for Schools is a free programme which enables all schools to choose and exhibit works from the Collection, which currently holds over 500 artworks, by established and emerging visual artists working in Northern Ireland.

The scheme was officially launched at Belfast Model School for Girls in North Belfast, one of four schools who are among the first to take up the scheme. Other schools that are taking part include; St Cecilia’s College, Derry-Londonderry, Malone Integrated College and Mercy College, both in Belfast. The Arts Council is keen to hear from schools that are interested in taking part in the scheme and are also on hand to help advise and curate an exhibition for each school if required.

Artist, Brendan Jamison, commented, “the aim is to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers at a pivotal point in their education, helping to expand the minds of young people and encourage teenagers to dream of ambitious futures where they can bring creative magic to all aspects of society”.

Interested schools should visit artscouncil-ni.org for further information or call 028 9262 3555.