Tour of Tate Britain
The Visit
The Visit brings the national network together at the start of the academic year, giving Club members the chance to explore and engage with some of the UK’s most inspiring cultural spaces.
The Visit provides an important moment, early in their Saturday Club journey, for Club members to come together with their peers, explore prestigious cultural destinations, be introduced to new perspectives and ways of thinking and build an appetite for cultural engagement in the future. During The Visit, Club members hear from inspiring speakers, see their work displayed in a pop-up exhibition, and go on specially arranged visits to leading museums and galleries.
“I learned that there are so many other people with the same interests as me” – Club member
The Visit 2025/26
The Visit is back and bigger than ever taking place in four major cities across the UK! Across two weekends, world-leading museums, galleries and theatres across London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Plymouth will open their doors to over 1,000 young people.
As a core element of the National Saturday Club programme, The Visit aims to provide young people from all backgrounds with the opportunity to engage with the rich cultural offering of their region.
We’re incredibly grateful to our cultural partners in all four cities for helping to break down barriers and make these life-changing opportunities possible for 13–16-year-olds:
London Visit cultural partners:
Central Saint Martins, Tate Britain, The Courtauld, National Portrait Gallery, Crafts Council, the V&A, National Theatre, Whitechapel Gallery, Tate Modern, Imperial War Museum, Goldsmiths’ Hall, Barbican, Bomb Factory, Government Art Collection, National Gallery, and Saachi Gallery.
Manchester Visit cultural partners:
The Whitworth, Castlefield Gallery, Factory International, Manchester Art Gallery, HOME Manchester, Manchester Museum, Museum of Science and Industry and People’s History Museum.
Edinburgh Visit cultural partners:
National Galleries: Portrait, Fruitmarket, Collective and Stills Gallery
Plymouth Visit cultural partners:
Arts University Plymouth and The Box.
“I most valued our visit to the gallery, because our guided tour gave me a better understanding of art” – Club member
“It’s a lovely way for the young people to feel part of something bigger, to meet other groups from around their country and see their work” – Ella Rule, Club tutor
Explore the highlights from the 2024 London and Manchester Visit.
The “Expressions of Self” project
In each city, Club members attend a welcome event at a central location. Here Club members take part in collaborative, confidence-building activities and hear from inspiring speakers.
They also see their ‘Expressions of Self’ work on display. This is an annual project that enables Club members to explore themes of identity and self-expression through a wide variety of creative media, across all the subject strands of the National Saturday Club programme.
Club members work on their pieces during their weekly classes ahead of The Visit. Collectively the portraits are a celebration of young people’s individuality, diversity and unique perspectives.