The Tauranga Art Gallery is receiving a $40,000 government contract to boost its education programmes.
The contract has been awarded to the gallery as part of the Ministry of Education's ‘Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom' scheme.
Tauranga Art Gallery (Facebook)
Tauranga Art Gallery education and visitor programme manager Grant Thompson says the contract runs until mid-2013.
'We had to put in a lengthy application to show that we provide a programme that fits in with the New Zealand curriculum,” says Grant.
'We needed to show that we had an educational programme which inspired students of all ages and levels.”
Grant says the gallery tailors its programmes to fit with what is taught in schools.
'We have had 9500 students come through in the last 12 months; these are not just one-off visits.”
Tauranga MP Simon Bridges says Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom presents opportunities for students of all ages as it subsidises the cost for students to go to the art gallery.
'The Tauranga Art Gallery is well known for its first class exhibitions of historical, modern and contemporary art.
'Our children will get to see these and also be exposed to a range of programmes tailored especially for them.
'I can recall visiting art galleries as a youngster and what I saw had a profound impact on me.”
Simon hopes it will be the same for Tauranga students today owing to this contract.
'I hope they will find the visits stimulating and provoking and that as a result they will be inspired to greater creativity.
'This is a great opportunity for our children to get hands-on; real-life educational experiences that will boost their learning and help them develop new interests and skills.”
The Tauranga Art Gallery is one of 21 organisations to receive a Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom contract.
Simon says more the 450,000 students are taking part in LEOTC visits this year around the country.
'The government's annual investment is around $5 million and the Ministry of Education monitors all programmes to ensure students get the most out of their visits.”
3 comments
What a waste of other peoples money
Posted on 30-08-2011 13:40 | By The Tomahawk Kid
I have never seen anybody in there APART from school kids
So no more ratepayers money required!!!
Posted on 30-08-2011 13:53 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
Does this mean that this pretentious "arty-farty" parasite will no longer be sucking on the TCC/ratepayers tit, saying every year,"Just ONE more million, then I'll be strong enough to stand up by myself" (Until next year)
$40k less in rates subsidy?
Posted on 30-08-2011 15:12 | By Inconvenient Truth
The good news is that should equal $40,000 less required from the rates, but the bad news is that it's still coming from taxpayers. I would have a whole lot more respect for the Gallery if it charged an entrance fee. That would measure it's true value to people alongside other arts pursuits they regularly pay for themselves. I think that the Gallery is good and the exhibits worth a look but I can't forget the assurances of a one-off one million dollars from ratepayers. The Gallery will always have negatives around it because of that assurance that seems not to have been adhered to.
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