Turner Prize 2026 workshops inspire young visitors at MIMA

Creative school children have been making artwork inspired by Turner Prize 2026 during workshops at MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art.

MIMA is currently hosting an exhibition of work by artists Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau and Tanoa Sasraku, who are in the running for this year’s prestigious Turner Prize. The winner will be announced at Teesside University in December.

As part of the accompanying Turner on Tees programme, schools across the region are visiting MIMA to take part in interactive workshops.

The very first school visitors are the Year Four children from Brambles Primary Academy, whose head teacher Stuart Mayle said: “It’s a pleasure to be here and let the children see what modern art looks like and be immersed in it and hopefully inspire some future artists in the future.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for the children to see what modern art looks like and what it feels like to be here and immersed in it. MIMA is on our doorstep and it’s a huge thing that is putting Middlesbrough on the map.”

Commenting on their visit to MIMA, student Muhammed described the exhibition as “really cool”, while George said: “I’ve enjoyed looking at the art and it’s been fun learning how it was all made.”

Katrina Morley OBE, of chief executive of Tees Valley Education, said: “The creative arts are a huge part of what we try to offer in the broader curriculum and the children have been so excited to be here.

“Our children and young people are the future of our communities, and so as custodians we're showing them where they might want to go next and allowing them opportunities to flourish.”

Senior learning curator at MIMA, Claire Pounder said: “The children have been looking at the exhibitions and talking about them, wondering and questioning. Each space is so different. They’ve also been involved in creating pieces inspired by the works in the exhibition.

“It's been amazing. It’s important to get children involved as museums and galleries are amazing spaces of creativity and inspire cultural confidence.”

The Turner Prize exhibition can be seen at MIMA until 29 March 2027.

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