National Art and Design Saturday Club

Since 2017, the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies has been running the University of Leeds Art & Design Saturday Club as part of a national network created by the Sorrell Foundation and coordinated by the Saturday Club Trust. The Club gives young people aged 13 to 16 (years 9, 10 and 11) the unique opportunity to study art & design on Saturday mornings at their local college, university or museum, free of charge.

The aim is to nurture the young people’s talent, build their confidence and self-esteem, give them an insight into student life and an understanding of new opportunities that further and higher education can offer, as well as helping to improve their school work.

Our Club offers young people the opportunity to:

• Attend over 10 weeks of inspiring classes over the academic year
• Experience a range of different disciplines using our specialist facilities, including printmaking, casting, photography, sculpture, archives, history of art, and many more
• Work with different academics, artists and staff from the across the University of Leeds
• Visit different galleries and museums

Club members also take part in national events including Masterclasses with leading industry professionals and the Summer Show, where Saturday Clubs nationwide exhibit their work in a public exhibition – all for free!

Express your interest in the Club here. Please select ‘University of Leeds – Art&Design’ as the Club Location.

The Club is suitable for young people aged 13-16 with an interest in art and design. Participation in the Club is free of charge ― including any travel for trips and Arts Awards submissions.

Please note that places are limited, and in the event the Club is oversubscribed priority will be given to young people who identify with one or more of the Saturday Club Trust’s widening participation criteria: 

• are the first generation in their family to attend university, or neither parent has studied to Higher Education level
• are receiving, or have received, free school meals
• have experience of local authority care
• come from a group that may be subject to discrimination or might face additional barriers to progression. For example: young carers, young people with a disability or special educational needs, young people from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background, young people living in areas of multiple deprivation

and/ or meet the following Access to Leeds criteria:

• attend a school achieving below the national average at GCSE (Attainment 8 score)
• live in an area with low progression to higher education (use our online Access to Leeds postcode checker).

If you have any queries about the Club please contact Sarah Harvey Richardson: S.H.Richardson@leeds.ac.uk

Please find the University’s National Art and Design Saturday Club privacy notice here, and the Saturday Club Trust’s privacy notice here.