McManus Connections Reaches Out!
What a lovely visit! Kids loved experimenting with all the crafts on offer. Great interacting with all the staff. Thank you all! (participant)
The Creative Learning Team are passionate about learning and using art and creativity to work with Dundee communities. Our team frequently sees the power of art to support improvements to health and wellbeing outcomes; to foster increased confidence; and to nurture strengthening of personal connections and relationships, within family groups, community and participant groups. McManus Connections aims to position The McManus as an open, positive and welcoming destination that narrates stories of Dundee’s rich heritage and history for a broader and more diverse range of families.
In late 2024, the team were the recipients of generous funding from the Northwood Charitable Trust. The funding enables the team to deliver creative opportunities including outreach sessions, museum-based gallery tours, holiday programmes, large-scale co-delivered events and new learning resources and activities for these programmes. The funding allows the team to expand on support for positive mental health within educational settings, families, non-traditional family groups and to welcome the many New Scots and Ukrainian families to the museum.
In the first six months, between January and August 2025 the team have delivered 23 learning sessions, including four outreach sessions, aimed at increasing our work to support children and families. Since the start of McManus Connections, we have worked with over 700 children, young people and families through a variety of creative sessions including museum tours and gallery-based drawing; introductions to printmaking and gelli printing; creative comic making; dance and movement sessions for under-fives; botanical and nature-themed creative sessions; working with clay; and learning about inspirational role models and the Dundee Women’s Trail.
McManus Connections is built on partnerships and would not be possible without mutual support from many Dundee-based organisations including Bring Together UK who support local Ukrainian families; Scrap Antics who also support local and New Scots families; Comics Youth SCIO; Shaper/Caper; Dundee City Council Kinship Carers support group; Boomerang Community Centre and Roundhouse Dundee.
The McManus Connections project is all about reaching more children, families and young people; we aim to nurture safe spaces where creativity, confidence and resilience flourishes, families create together, and participants try something new or revisit a skill they perhaps explored previously. As the project develops over the next two years, we hope we can work with more families and develop strong community partnerships to support the delivery of our work. The team have loved visiting and working in an outreach capacity in Dundee’s communities and we really hope we can do more of this type of valuable work!
The Ukrainians Together community had an incredible time they spent at the creating comic workshops. It’s been so much fun for the families, children and parents. Everyone was engaged and excited to create something special. Thank you so much to the whole McManus Museum team for their hard work and dedication in making it happen!
(Hanna Dushkova, Bring Together)
We had a wonderful afternoon. The kids and adults alike very engaged in the activities. The staff were all super helpful and welcoming. Thank you.
(participant)
[My children] had a great time. They loved the modelling clay and went home with lots of successful models. Great space, lovely helpers and lots of ideas shared. Looking forward to next time.
(participant)
