National Partnerships

Sharing the collection of the Samuel Courtauld Trust is a key part of the Courtauld National programme, allowing us to collaborate with an array of partners and volunteers across the country, and to share the collection with those connected to it through the History of Courtaulds Ltd. Each exhibition or display will be developed in collaboration with a local partner so take a look at the individual partner pages to see what is happening in each area.

Alongside projects to share our collection, our partnerships will include an exciting programme of volunteer activities, many will involve gathering and sharing the local story of Courtaulds Ltd, exploring its rich history and how its legacy is felt in the community today. While others may focus on working with volunteers to create a sense of ownership of shared cultural heritage by curating community exhibitions based on the Courtauld loans, local collections and/or local archives.

Working with young people through schools and colleges, People and Places will explore the social history of the local communities in areas with a Courtaulds Ltd legacy, projects will have a particular focus on the built environment as the means through which we can link with the past and understand our experiences today. They will be delivered in the communities served by our partner museums/ galleries and will include a visit to the partner museums and sites of architectural interest in the area. Following re-opening of The Courtauld Gallery, students and teachers will have the opportunity to visit Somerset House and engage with the historical architecture as well as the collections on site.

Throughout the programme we will also offer events and engagements between partners that will support information sharing and the identification of best practice; sustaining Courtauld National’s legacy within the sector.

Resfest National

ResFest is our annual showcase of the innovative and dynamic research and teaching that takes place at The Courtauld. In 2018 we collaborated with Ulster Museum to host Resfest in Belfast and over the next few years we will continue to take Resfest on the road. In each location we will work with partners to showcase the dynamism of art history through short talks and creative performances relevant to the people and heritage of each location we visit.

Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from The Courtauld

A touring exhibition of remarkable pieces of Islamic metalwork dating from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The objects include some of the finest examples of this intricate craft from modern-day Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt and Turkey, and will travel to four venues across the UK. The most spectacular piece in the collection is the Courtauld Bag, made in Mosul, present-day northern Iraq, for a noble lady of the Persian-Mongol court, around 1300 – 1330. It is recognised as one of the finest pieces of Islamic inlaid metalwork in existence, and the only surviving object of its kind.

Courtauld Connects

Courtauld National is part of an ambitious programme to transform our Gallery, teaching, learning and social spaces. This multi-million-pound development is the most significant since we moved to our home in Somerset House in 1989.

The gallery will be closed from 2018 -2021 to allow this exciting work to take place, alongside the National Partnership programme we will also be collaborating with other galleries to deliver an ongoing programme of exhibitions nationally and internationally. More information about Courtauld Connects and other opportunities to view the collection are available on the project website.
https://connects.courtauld.ac.uk/