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Children’s Workshops At The Burrell Collection

The Burrell Collection reopened to the public in March 2022 and in August a schools education programme funded by the Merchants House began to welcome pupils.

The grant funding from the House of £40,000 covered the cost of hiring a Learning Officer to run educational classes on site, and for transport to and from the Collection for participating schools.

two young girls in school uniforms enjoy looking at the artefacts at the Burrell Collection

(Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

To date, The Merchants House of Glasgow Burrell Schools Programme has welcomed 2,673 children from 81 schools. Workshops were developed with local teachers to support the learning curriculum and included the following topics:

  • Journey on the Silk Road
  • Nature in Art and Design
  • Life in the Castle
  • Express Yourself – identities past and present
  • Tales from Ancient China

Feedback averaged the top score of 5 against key aspects of the Curriculum for Excellence and the following quotes highlight how much the children enjoyed the sessions.

“Life at the Castle was the perfect way to conclude our topic on Scottish History. The children loved trying on/ holding the armour and enjoyed all of the other activities. It was suited to the age/stage (not too much listening and lots of practical activities). We could have spent longer exploring the museum.”

Teacher – Bankhead Primary

Children touching an interactive screen at The Burrell Collection in front of a huge historic rug

(Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

“A fantastic workshop. The children were engaged and active at all times. Sarah encouraged full participation at the same time making sure that the learning was fun and enjoyable. The theme “Identity” would be a great IDL for P6 or P7 and can be extended to take on many curricular areas”

Teacher – Tinto Primary

A full rundown of all our workshops can be found via this link.

Head of Development at Glasgow Life, Iain McPhie said: “The re-imagined Burrell Collection is home to 9,000 inspiring objects. The remarkable scope of the collection means it has huge potential to spark new interests and inspire learning.”

“The Merchant’s House of Glasgow’s generous support is enabling children to explore the Collection’s treasures through educational visits. Thanks to your donation, children are advancing their learning, broadening their horizons, and being inspired to engage with heritage and culture. Thank you for your support.”