LONDON, ENGLAND.- To celebrate Tate Modern’s fifth anniversary, Tate today launched a new campaign to attract more children and young people to its galleries across the country. Tate’s Chairman, Paul Myners, announced that entry to Tate Modern’s major exhibition this summer, Frida Kahlo (9 June – 9 October) will be free to all young people aged 18 years and under, including school groups. If the programme is successful, Tate aims to make more exhibitions free to this age group in the future.

Tate Director, Nicholas Serota said: “We have had some success in attracting new audiences to Tate Modern, but we need to do more to try and provide opportunities for young people who do not traditionally have the chance to visit museums and galleries. The Tate galleries attract some 7 million visitors a year and the aim now is to extend Tate’s reach to the next generation of visitors.”

Tate Modern has already been successful in attracting young people: in 2004, 60% of all visitors to the gallery were under 35 years of age; 89,714 school children visited Tate Modern in organised groups and over 11,600 school children attended schools workshops; over 2,000 young people took part in courses and events designed specifically for them; and Tate Modern’s groundbreaking peer-led programme Raw Canvas, designed and led by young people between 15 and 23 years old, has also helped to attract new young visitors to the gallery. At today’s celebrations, guests had the opportunity to take part in a Bruce Nauman-inspired fitness class devised by Raw Canvas and children from Charles Dickens School in Southwark also took part.

As part of the campaign, Tate Members is launching their first-ever fundraising drive in order to raise £100,000 towards events focusing on three key new audiences for Tate: under 5s, excluded children and their carers, and community advocates from local groups, encompassing organisations such as Kids Company, which created the powerful recent installation at Tate Modern.

Three fund-raising events will take place in London, Liverpool and St Ives:

The Art Party at Tate Modern on 16 June will be one of the highlights of the summer arts season. Celebrating the Frida Kahlo exhibition, many leading artists have contributed by donating gifts to the auction and tombola, creating cocktails and providing DJ support on the evening.

Tate Liverpool’s Love Tate Art Party on 17 June will be hosted by Sir Peter Blake and coincides with the gallery’s Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era exhibition.

Tate St Ives will host a Tate Sea Art Party on 18 June bringing together local theatre and arts groups for an evening of entertainment with a nautical theme.

Quotes:

The Secretary of State of for Culture, Media and Sport and Chair of the
Millennium Commission Tessa Jowell said:
"In just five years Tate Modern has gone from being a noble ruin to one of the world’s outstanding galleries of modern art. The building and its contents belie the notion that there is no widespread appetite for serious art. Display it with flair, explain it with care and they will come - in their millions.

I'm so proud of what Tate Modern has become as a Londoner, as Culture Secretary and as Chair of the Commission that helped to fund its birth. We chose to celebrate the Lottery's 10th birthday last November because it represents everything that's best in the Lottery's potential; it regenerates communities, it enhances cities and it uplifts hearts."

Cllr Columba Blango, Executive Member for Equalities, Culture and Sport at Southwark Council, said:
"The Tate is a fantastic resource for adults and young people alike, and pupils in Southwark schools have already benefited from trips to the gallery. This new campaign offering free visits to people under 18 and school groups is a great way to attract more young visitors and I'm sure many will make the most of this opportunity."

Stephen Green, Group Chief Executive of HSBC, said:
"This is welcome news, and will mean Frida Kahlo is even more accessible to London's youngest visitors. HSBC is committed to supporting young people and it's fitting that this particular exhibition should be the first to admit under-18s free." HSBC, which supports education initiatives around the world, is sponsoring the Frida Kahlo exhibition, which runs at Tate Modern from 9 June to 9 October this year.

Young people under 18 who wish to take advantage of the free admission offer for Frida Kahlo will need to show some form of identity (eg bus pass) at the Tate ticket desk for a ticket to gain entry. School groups must book in advance.