Dixons Brooklands Academy spent a day at Manchester Art Gallery at the end of May 2026 as part of their involvement in MADE’s Creative Leadership Programme.

22 students were welcomed at the gallery to look at the artwork and to look behind the scenes. The visit began with analysing and comparing different artworks in a session led by an artist facilitator. This involved group discussions on different artworks in the gallery, creating hybrid sculptures inspired by the artwork out of airdry clay, and drawing the artworks that connected with the object that they made.

In the afternoon, the group got to go to the storerooms where the gallery keeps the artworks not on display – somewhere that is closed off to the public. The students got to share their opinions on the pieces, and form part of a wider consultation by the gallery about what pieces of art young people would be interested in seeing and have tour to their schools.