Tate Britain and the RHS announce 10-year commitment to connecting young people with art, nature and climate action

Tate Britain and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) join forces to launch a bold new learning programme for schools and young people, generously supported by a 10-year funding commitment from the Clore Duffield Foundation. The programme will be based in a new purpose-built classroom within Tate Britain’s Clore Garden, due to open in Spring 2027. This single storey, lightweight building will offer a flexible sheltered space for learning activities, opening out directly onto the new green space beyond.

Workshops will run throughout school term time and will be free to all primary, secondary and SEND schools. Bookings will open from 2 November 2026 for teachers, with the first workshops launching in the 2027 summer term and reaching over 600 young people each month. A dedicated programme of workshops for youth groups will be developed in collaboration with organisations local to Tate Britain with self-guided learning resources to discover this new garden also available. The programme, titled Creative Ground, will explore what happens when art and horticulture come together in an inner London public garden. Through hands-on activities, creative exploration and immersive experiences with plants and nature, young people will build meaningful connections with the environment, using the garden as a space to explore ideas around climate change, stewardship, wellbeing and community through creativity, curiosity and shared discovery.

The workshops are being devised in response to discussions with local schools and youth groups, in which teachers and youth leaders described the challenges facing young people today: a lack of access to green spaces, a decline in creative subjects offered in schools, challenges around mental health, and concerns about the climate emergency. Today almost 400,000 children in Greater London attend schools with less than the recommended 10 square meters of open space per pupil, and 54% of young Londoners state that spending time in green spaces is “extremely important” to their mental health. Given the widely recognised benefits of access to nature, the Clore Garden will help address this problem through a hands-on, expert-led, learning programme designed to meet the needs of young people today outside the traditional classroom setting.

This unique partnership between two major institutions – Tate Britain and the RHS – is intended to set an educational benchmark for national cross-sector collaboration, drawing from their expertise in art, nature and gardening. The 10-year funding from the Clore Duffield Foundation will support the development of the programme as well as two dedicated RHS roles to lead programme delivery while building and maintaining strong relationships across school and youth audiences in central London. Tate is also developing new activities for families in the Clore Garden and free online resources for teachers about art and nature.

The Clore Garden, generously funded by the Clore Duffield Foundation is being designed by landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith and will be an inviting new green space for visitors and local residents to enjoy year-round. Its planting, chosen to withstand the UK’s changing climate, has been developed in close consultation with the RHS. Its fluid design, making use of sustainable and recycled materials, will enhance the biodiversity of Millbank, adding herbaceous planting, flowers and trees alongside a wildlife pond. The new classroom building, designed by architecture studio Feilden Fowles, will be a single storey, lightweight structure integrated into its garden setting.

Dame Vivien Duffield, Chair of the Clore Duffield Foundation, said “I am delighted that the Clore Duffield Foundation is supporting the RHS and Tate to deliver this new learning programme in the Clore Garden. For many young people in London, access to green spaces is limited. The Garden Classroom will give school children a place for hands-on engagement with the natural world, combining horticulture and art. It’s a pleasure to see two organisations we’ve long supported come together in this way.”

Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain, said “The Clore Garden will be a truly transformational project for Tate Britain, and this programme will enable a whole new generation of schoolchildren to enjoy it. Bringing together art and nature in the heart of London, I’m sure that this beautiful new green space will provide an inspiring springboard for a host of hands-on activities and creative workshops.”

Nic Buckley, RHS Head of Learning, said: “The Clore Garden Classroom will be the RHS’ first horticultural learning outpost in the capital for more than 120 years, and will be home to the first ever programme designed specifically for children and young people. We’re excited to be partnering with Tate and the Clore Duffield Foundation to give thousands of children and young people opportunities to connect with nature and the arts, develop skills and confidence, and see how creativity, plants and gardening can be a force for good.”

Paul Morrow, Assistant Headteacher, College Park School, said “As a school that meets the needs of a diverse range of learners with a diagnosis of autism, we have valued the opportunity to contribute to the conversations around the new Clore Garden learning programme at Tate Britain. Tate Britain is an important part of our local community and, due to its close proximity, the garden would greatly enrich both our learners’ experiences and our curriculum, providing a meaningful learning space. Hands-on experiences within an immersive sensory environment would enable students to explore, express themselves and make meaningful connections with the world around them. We look forward to being part of the Tate and RHS partnership and to seeing the positive impact it will have on our students’ education and personal development.”

Notes to Editors

Creative Ground is a partnership between the RHS and Tate Britain, generously supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation.

For press requests, email pressoffice@tate.org.uk or call +44(0)20 7887 8730. To download press images, visit Tate’s Dropbox.

About the Clore Garden
Realised in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and made possible by generous funding from the Clore Duffield Foundation and with support from the Julia Rausing Trust, the Clore Garden at Tate Britain, designed by Tom Stuart-Smith, will offer a beautiful and inviting new green space for London. A rich, varied environment carefully designed to complement and enhance the gallery’s neo-classical architecture, showcase sculpture from Tate’s collection and withstand the UK’s changing climate, the Clore Garden will place nature, art and community at its centre. Expanding the possibilities of museum spaces as creative sites for learning and engagement, the Clore Garden will support wellbeing and offer space for new social connections.

About Tate Britain
Tate Britain is home to the world’s greatest collection of British art. The gallery’s free displays feature over 800 works by over 350 artists, telling an expansive and diverse story which spans from the 1500s to the present day. Tate Britain welcomes over a million visitors each year to its ever-changing programme of exhibitions, commissions and events. It celebrates key figures in art history and provides a vital platform for the best artists working in Britain today, including through the Turner Prize, Art Now, and the Tate Britain Commission. For more information, visit tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain

About the RHS
The RHS is the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow. Its mission is to be there on people’s lifelong journey with gardening – to bring happiness, health, stronger communities and a thriving natural world. With 220 years of experience, it supports gardeners of all ages with expert advice, community and schools projects, scientific research, professional qualifications, its five RHS Gardens, and events including the iconic RHS Chelsea Flower Show. For more information visit http://www.rhs.org.uk
RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262

About the Clore Duffield Foundation
The Clore Duffield Foundation, established by Sir Charles Clore in 1964, celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024. Now chaired by Sir Charles Clore’s daughter, Dame Vivien Duffield, the Foundation supports UK charities working in the arts, education, social welfare and health. For more information, visit cloreduffield.org.uk

About Feilden Fowles
Feilden Fowles is recognised as a pioneer of British sustainable design. Founded in 2009 by Fergus Feilden and Edmund Fowles, the studio is dedicated to a vision of architecture that is well-crafted, environmentally responsive, and ecologically responsible. They have a strong record of work which has enabled their clients to become leaders in sustainable development through a model of architecture they have developed that is low-tech, materially intelligent and joyful in its expression. The practice is known for award-winning education, arts and culture, workplace, heritage and community projects. Notable projects include the RIBA National Award and Civic Trust Award-winning transformation of 5-acres of land surrounding the Natural History Museum into a cultural destination in its own right; Stirling Prize nominee, The Weston at Yorkshire Sculpture Park; EU Mies Award nominee, The Fratry at Carlisle Cathedral; the RIBA National Award-winning project, Homerton Dining Hall at the University of Cambridge; and the practice’s own critically acclaimed and fully demountable studio in London’s Waterloo, primarily built from timber.

About Tom Stuart-Smith Studio
Tom Stuart-Smith Studio is a landscape design practice established in 1998. Its work has ranged from large gardens and parks open to the public, to private gardens in the UK and overseas. It has also designed twelve gardens for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, ten of which were judged and awarded gold medals, with three winning ‘Best in Show’. For more information, visit tomstuartsmith.co.uk