Tate aims to bring in younger visitors with £5 tickets for 16-25-year olds

Tate has announced a series of new policies aimed at encouraging artistic engagement in younger generations and ensuring equal representation across the institution.

The UK arts organisation and gallery group will be appointing its first trustee dedicated to representing the views of the next generation in the Tate’s decision-making processes. The gallery is also launching a new scheme called Tate Collective which will include £5 exhibition tickets for 16-25-year old visitors. Members of the scheme will be able to bring up to three guests with them into shows for £5 each. The Tate Collective scheme is the first free-to-join programme to be implemented by a national UK museum and will be available to young adults worldwide.

The announcement follows Tate’s recent consultations with younger age groups, which expressed concerns about rising living costs and increased tuition fees. In its press statement, Tate re-asserts a commitment to building a stronger relationship with youth organisations and providing a platform for public debates around important concerns like identity and social issues.

Tate will also be launching an online project Why Study Art? in collaboration with They Are Here, which will explore the role of creative subjects and produce informative posters for secondary schools across the United Kingdom. Additionally, Tate will be hosting an annual arts careers fair and organising ongoing opportunities for students to learn about career prospects in creative industries.

Maria Balshaw, the director of Tate, said in a statement: “We are acting on what 16-25 year olds say they want so that we can make the changes needed for future generations. Our sector should be shaped by their creative energy and their message to us is clear: arts institutions should plan ‘with’ not ‘for’ them. To do this it is important their voices are heard across the organisation, not just in niche programming. Recruiting a new trustee – a cultural entrepreneur and digital native – will support this across Tate. And with Tate Collective, our exhibitions are made accessible to this younger generation.”