As the National Gallery embarks on its third century, a brand-new space for arts education—the Roden Centre for Creative Learning—will officially open to the public on 28th February 2025. As one of the largest dedicated gallery learning spaces in the UK, the Centre will offer a wide range of free artistic activities, including creative workshops for children, families, schools, and young people, as well as diverse art courses and events designed for adults, making art a part of everyday life for everyone.
The National Gallery has long been committed to making art more inclusive, and the establishment of the Roden Centre for Creative Learning is a firm step towards realizing this vision. This new space was made possible thanks to the generous support of Stuart Roden and Bianca Roden and forms an integral part of the National Gallery’s Bicentenary initiative (NG200). The newly transformed Centre is expected to benefit over 246,000 learners annually, including 32,000 school students (an increase of 13,500 from the previous year) and 26,000 first-time family visitors.
The Roden Centre for Creative Learning at National Gallery. Photo by © Ben McMillan
To create a truly open and welcoming learning space, the London-based Lawson Ward Studio has transformed previously small, enclosed rooms into a three-floor, open-plan environment, featuring:
The Welcome Space – A vibrant, drop-in creative hub designed for families. This area offers interactive resources co-created by artists and children, and serves as a focal point for outreach programmes aimed at communities with limited access to art and culture.
The Clore Art Studio – Supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation, this double-height, state-of-the-art studio invites learners of all ages to experience artistic creation firsthand. It features a hybrid learning model, enabling 5,000 students and teachers who cannot visit in person to participate in high-quality live-streamed art classes each year. The space will also benefit 70,000 adult learners enrolled in the National Gallery’s educational programmes.
The Creative Space – A sensory learning environment designed especially for special needs schools, made possible by the Julia Rausing Trust.
The Social Space – A multi-functional area that serves as both a lunchtime venue for schools and a large creative studio for family activities. It will also host the ever-popular Friday Lates, offering an unprecedented opportunity for visitors of all ages to experience paintings through music, dance, poetry, and hands-on creative activities.
The Centre not only enhances the artistic experience but also integrates sustainability and educational values into its very design. For example:
Reclaimed wood from the Gallery’s framing department has been repurposed to create new seating, with the natural textures and colors of different woods still visible, offering visitors a tangible connection to the materials.
The Fragment Wall in the Welcome Space features wooden fragments of paintings, sparking curiosity and encouraging learners to explore the masterpieces displayed throughout the Gallery.
The entrance’s dark smoked glass has been replaced with clear glazing, making creative activities inside the Centre visible from the street. A new large window floods the Clore Art Studio and reception area with natural light, enhancing the learning environment.
The architectural team worked closely with local schools to ensure the space meets the needs of young learners. Students from Soho Parish Primary School not only contributed to the Centre’s design but also built their own architectural models to envision the transformed spaces.
Their desire for a quiet, cozy corner for reading and creating directly inspired the design of the Fragment Houses—small, enclosed spaces within the Centre that echo paintings in the National Gallery’s collection, providing children with dedicated areas to sketch, read, or play.
Similarly, the theatre-style seating in the foyer was inspired by the way students naturally engaged with the mosaic steps outside the Central Hall, where they sketched, conversed, and reflected on the artworks they had seen. This insight led architects to recreate that dynamic sense of community and creative engagement within the Centre itself.
The Roden Centre for Creative Learning at National Gallery. Photo by © Ben McMillan
To celebrate the opening of the Roden Centre for Creative Learning, a special edition of Friday Lates will take place on 28th February 2025, featuring an exciting lineup of immersive experiences:
Tavaziva Dance | Requiem
A powerful dance piece by renowned choreographer Bawren Tavaziva, exploring stories of arrival, learning through art, and cultural connection.
“Thinking and Looking Queerly” Gallery Tour
Led by Dr. Tilly Scantlebury, this interactive tour reexamines portraiture in the collection through a queer lens, encouraging fresh perspectives and lively discussion.
Beatport DJ Live Set
Immerse yourself in an eclectic mix of electronic beats curated by DJs NikNak and Gayance, blending influences from hip-hop, Afro-Latin jazz, Caribbean rhythms, and electronic music.
“Dopamine Dressing” Live Drawing Workshop
Led by Originary Arts, this playful sketching session celebrates bold colors and self-expression, featuring fashionably styled models Herbie Mensah & Sofaya.
“Colour Lab” – Hands-On Art Experimentation
Explore traditional pigment-making techniques, mix your own colors, and contribute to a collaborative artwork.
The Roden Centre for Creative Learning is more than just a new space—it embodies the National Gallery’s commitment to art education, inclusivity, and cultural enrichment. Whether you are a first-time visitor or a seasoned art enthusiast, this is a great chance to immerse yourself in creativity and inspiration.
The Roden Centre for Creative Learning at National Gallery. Photo by © Ben McMillan
隨著國家美術館邁入第三個世紀，一個全新的藝術教育空間——「羅登創意學習中心」（The Roden Centre for Creative Learning）將於2025年2月28日（週五）正式向公眾開放。作為英國最大規模的美術館學習空間之一，該中心將提供多元化的免費藝術活動，包括面向兒童、家庭、學校與青少年的創意工作坊，以及專為成人打造的藝術課程與活動，讓藝術真正融入每個人的日常生活。
國家美術館一直致力於讓藝術更具包容性，而羅登創意學習中心的誕生，正是對這一理念的堅定實踐。這座全新空間由斯圖爾特·羅登（Stuart Roden）與比安卡·羅登（Bianca Roden）慷慨捐助，並成為國家美術館200週年計劃（NG200）的重要一環。未來，每年將額外惠及5萬名學習者，使受益總數達到24.6萬人，其中包括3.2萬名學校學生（相比去年增加1.35萬），以及2.6萬名首次參觀的家庭訪客。
為了創造一個真正開放、包容的學習環境，總部位於倫敦的Lawson Ward Studio建築事務所對原先較小、封閉的房間進行了全面改造，使其成為跨越三層樓的開放式空間，其中包括：
「歡迎空間」（The Welcome Space）——一個充滿活力的開放式創意區，供家庭隨時進入。這裡提供由藝術家和兒童共同創作的互動資源，並重點向無法輕易接觸藝術文化的人群展開外展活動。
「克洛爾藝術工作室」（The Clore Art Studio）——由克洛爾·達菲爾德基金會（Clore Duffield Foundation）支持，這個挑高雙層空間鼓勵各年齡階段的學習者親身體驗藝術家的創作過程，並提供線上線下混合教學模式。每年可以讓無法親臨美術館的5000名學生與教師也能通過高質量的線上課程參與藝術學習。該工作室的設施還將惠及7萬名國家美術館成人學習課程的參與者。
「創意空間」（The Creative Space）——專注於感官學習，特別面向特殊需求學校，由朱莉婭·勞辛信託基金（Julia Rausing Trust）支持。
「社交空間」（The Social Space）——兼具學校午餐區與大型創意工坊功能，同時也是「周五藝術之夜」（Friday Lates）活動的舉辦地點，音樂、舞蹈、詩歌與繪畫交融，打造出前所未有的藝術體驗。
在設計上，學習中心不僅考慮到了藝術體驗，還將可持續發展與教育理念融入空間。例如，美術館畫框製作部門的廢棄木材被重新利用，打造出嶄新的座椅與裝飾，遊客仍能在這些木材表面看到不同木種的顏色和紋理；而「歡迎空間」內設有「碎片牆」（Fragment Wall），這面牆以木雕呈現館藏畫作的碎片，激發訪客的好奇心並幫助他們在美術館內尋找完整的作品；中心入口處的深色玻璃杯替換為全新透明玻璃，讓街道上的行人也能看到內部的創意活動，而新增的大型窗戶也大幅提高了接待區和克洛爾藝術工作室的自然採光。
建築團隊還與當地學校密切合作，例如，索霍教區小學（Soho Parish Primary School）的學生不僅參與空間設計，還親手製作建築模型。他們還希望有一個安靜的閱讀與創作角落，這一靈感最終促成了「碎片小屋」（Fragment Houses）的誕生——這些與館藏畫作呼應的小角落讓孩子們可以在其中閱讀、素描或發揮創意。而前廳的劇院式階梯座椅（theatre steps）靈感則來自於學生們的觀察，他們喜歡在中央大廳外的馬賽克台階上素描、交談、沈思，這種開放而自由的互動方式促成了這一設計。
為慶祝學習中心正式開幕，2月28日將舉辦一場特別的「周五藝術之夜（Friday Lates）」活動，帶來豐富的沉浸式體驗：
Tavaziva Dance舞蹈表演《Requiem》，由著名編舞家巴倫·塔瓦齊瓦（Bawren Tavaziva）創作，這部震撼人心的舞蹈作品講述人們相遇、學習與藝術交融的旅程，讓觀眾感受藝術如何跨越文化界限，連結人心。
「酷兒視角：重思與凝視」美術館導覽，由Dr. Tilly Scantlebury帶領，透過「酷兒視角」探索美術館的肖像畫藏品。這場互動式導覽將透過近距離觀察與討論，邀請參與者重新審視這些藝術作品，並以多元視角解讀畫作中的人物、背景與故事。
Beatport DJ 現場音樂派對，感受電子音樂的律動，沉浸在DJ NikNak 與 Gayance 精選的音樂之中。這兩位藝術家將帶來從電子音樂、嘻哈、加勒比節奏到非洲音樂等豐富的音樂體驗。
「多巴胺時尚」現場速寫工作坊，與Originary Arts 藝術團隊一起，透過明亮大膽的色彩與服飾，探索「多巴胺時尚」的藝術風格。參加者將為兩位風格獨特的模特兒 Herbie Mensah & Sofaya 創作速寫，並在音樂的陪伴下，享受即興繪畫的樂趣。
「色彩實驗室」——藝術顏料與技法體驗，探索藝術家的調色技術，使用天然材料混合顏色、創作屬於自己的色彩，並共同完成一件集體藝術作品！
開幕週末（1-2 March 2025）還將繼續推出免費手工坊、家庭導覽、親子藝術體驗等多樣活動，現場更有STABILO贊助的繪畫工具，以及Daler Rowney提供的顏料，讓大人與孩子都能即興創作。
羅登創意學習中心不僅是一座全新的藝術空間，它代表著國家美術館對藝術普及、教育創新與文化包容的堅定承諾。在這裡，無論你是初次接觸藝術的新手，還是渴望深度探索的藝術愛好者，都能找到屬於自己的創意天地，開啟一場無界限的藝術之旅。
Edited by Michelle Yu
