High demand for RUA education programme ahead of 145th Annual Exhibition
5th October, 2026
Education and public engagement are central to the work of the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, and the Academy’s education programme around the 145th Annual Exhibition at the Ulster Museum will again give schools, colleges and community groups the opportunity to engage directly with original works of art and practising artists.
The programme is supported by National Lottery Project Funding through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and has become an increasingly important part of the Annual Exhibition. It gives school and college students, particularly those studying Art and Design at GCSE and A level, the opportunity to engage directly with original works of art and with practising artists during the exhibition.
Demand from schools has grown considerably, with the programme now attracting schools from across Northern Ireland as well as Further Education colleges, specialist groups and community organisations. An important part of the programme is helping schools outside Belfast to access the exhibition. For many schools, particularly those travelling some distance, the cost of hiring a bus can significantly restrict or even prevent a gallery visit from taking place. Through the programme, the RUA is able to make a contribution towards bus hire, helping schools for which transport costs would otherwise be a barrier to bring their pupils to the Ulster Museum.
For many of the pupils who take part, the visit is also their first experience of an art gallery or museum. The RUA Annual Exhibition therefore provides an accessible introduction not only to original works of art, but to the Ulster Museum itself, encouraging young visitors to explore the wider collections and exhibitions while they are there.
Alongside school groups, the RUA welcomes students from Further Education colleges, as well as specialist and community groups. These visits extend the reach of the education programme beyond schools and help introduce a wider range of people to the Annual Exhibition and the Ulster Museum.
The programme includes guided gallery visits, artist-led workshops and opportunities for young people and other visitors to explore the exhibition and discuss the work directly with practising artists and experienced guides.
The RUA Annual Exhibition provides an unusually rich learning environment, bringing together hundreds of works across painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and contemporary craft.
The programme is particularly valuable to A-level students, who are able to examine original artworks at close quarters, consider different techniques and working methods, and use the exhibition to inform the development of their own work.
The RUA uses a team of specialist guides, including artists and experienced arts educators, to deliver the gallery programme. Maggi Bowen, who has played a central role in developing and coordinating the RUA’s education activity, is overseeing the programme, working with the Academy, participating artists, schools and the Ulster Museum.
RUA President Peter Richards said: “The Annual Exhibition gives young people the opportunity to see an extraordinary range of original work in one place. For students developing their own artistic practice, being able to look closely at a painting, sculpture, print or textile work and discuss it with an artist or knowledgeable guide can be enormously valuable.”
RUA Managing Director Simon McWilliams said: “The demand from schools has become a very important part of the Annual Exhibition. Teachers recognise the value of bringing their pupils into the gallery and allowing them to engage with real artworks rather than simply seeing them reproduced on a screen or in a book. For many pupils it is their first visit to a museum, which makes the experience much broader than simply seeing the RUA exhibition. We are introducing them to the Ulster Museum and, hopefully, giving them the confidence and curiosity to explore what else is there and to come back again.
"Transport is one of the most practical barriers. The cost of hiring a bus can restrict what a school is able to do, and in some cases can stop a visit happening altogether. Being able to make a contribution towards those costs can make the difference between pupils getting to experience the exhibition or missing out.”
Dr Suzanne Lyle, Head of Visual Arts, Arts Council Northern Ireland, commented, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to support this year’s RUA Annual Exhibition Education Programme for schools, colleges and community groups, thanks to the National Lottery players. This important programme helps to widen and diversify audiences for visual arts and ensures that more people from all backgrounds can enjoy arts experiences. Well-done to all involved!”
Alongside the funded education activity, Simon McWilliams, Managing Director of the RUA, has developed a mobile-friendly searchable resource to help guides, teachers and visitors access information supplied by exhibiting artists by catalogue number, artist or title.
The digital resource has been developed separately from the Arts Council-funded programme and is intended to make the large amount of information associated with the exhibition easier to access while in the gallery.
The Royal Ulster Academy of Arts 145th Annual Exhibition opens to the public at the Ulster Museum on Sunday 18 October 2026 and runs until Sunday 3 January 2027 visit Royal Ulster Academy of Arts