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Dear colleagues, I am new in post at The Turnpike (a small contemporary art gallery), and launching a new schools offer as a key part of my role here. In my previous roles, various galleries I have worked in have both charged schools for workshop activity, and offered activity for free. Historically, The Turnpike has offered some activity for free too, but has also been able to charge schools for specific projects – for example, artists working in schools. I am lucky in the sense that the organisation doesn’t see the schools programme as essential income generation, and there is a little pot of money available meaning that we can, in theory, subsidise some schools who can’t afford to pay for workshops. The director has agreed to let me trial a ‘pay what you can’ approach, whereby the actual costs for workshop delivery is made clear on our material, but schools are invited to pay according to their own budgets. Leigh has lots of schools in areas of high deprivation, so my hope is that this will enable these schools to set their own cost according to what they (or their parents) can afford. At this point, the priority is that they come to us, really, and aren’t put off by a definitive price. I could make the programme completely free, but then this would limit the number of workshops we would be able to deliver across a school year, so my hope is that schools who can afford the full cost will pay this, thereby supporting the schools who can’t. That’s my rationale, but I haven’t seen any other examples of this approach in museums, and worry that it might be too confusing for teachers. Does anyone else offer something similar to this, or have advice about this approach? Am I overcomplicating things, or re-inventing the wheel here? I have circulated a survey to local teachers to try and gather some feedback on whether this is a system that would work in reality, but would really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks -- Hannah Gaunt Learning and Engagement Coordinator The Turnpike Civic Square Leigh WN7 1EB 01942 404 469 www.theturnpike.org.uk www.facebook.com/TurnpikeLeigh Please note I work part-time, my usual days in the office are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +