AccessArt inspires and supports high-quality visual arts teaching, learning, and practice as a member-driven community. Discover what we stand for and how you can get involved below.
AccessArt is a unique organisation.
We believe that:
-
Art helps us thrive.
-
Art education can help us build a better world.
-
Every child and young person is entitled to a high-quality art education.
-
Every person, whatever their age, background, or culture, deserves the opportunity to explore how art can help them find their voice.
Our reputation as experts in the field has been built through the vision and dedication of our passionate team, and trustees—alongside the support of a creative community of over 24,000 artists, teachers, and facilitators who both use our resources and actively contribute their ideas.
How We Evolved
In 2011, as the economic climate tightened and funding became harder to secure, AccessArt made the conscious decision not to apply for core or revenue funding. Instead, we set out to become a self-sustaining arts organisation.
A membership scheme was introduced, and for a small fee, our community was invited to join AccessArt in return for full access to all our resources. The income generated through membership now allows AccessArt to be self-funding—enabling us to follow our own vision and expertise as we continue to grow the organisation on behalf of our members.
Join Us
AccessArt really works.
It’s built on the idea of a shared “pot” of creativity. Teachers and artist-educators are openly invited to contribute visual arts education ideas, aligning with our ethos of promoting transferable, open-ended creative learning. All contributors are paid for their work.
As the pot of resources has grown—now with over 1,800 tried-and-tested activities adaptable to different audiences—so too have the opportunities for our members to develop their understanding and practice in arts education.
As a charity, we deliberately keep membership fees low, ensuring no one is excluded from accessing our work on financial grounds.
We hope you’ll feel inspired by what we stand for and what we offer. Now more than ever, we need to work together and speak out about the value of visual arts education—for individuals and for society.
Be Inspired,
Paula Briggs, CEO & Creative Director, AccessArt
