Alternative Provision at Liberation Art Gallery
Liberation Gallery has been formally approved as an Alternative Education Provider, recognising the gallery as a safe, structured, and professionally led learning environment outside mainstream education. Through creative, arts-based programmes, we support children and young people who benefit from therapeutic, rational, inclusive approaches to learning, grounded in clinical understanding, safeguarding and wellbeing.
With a blended approach, Liberation Art Gallery brings together professional therapeutic support and creative practice in a way that genuinely centres young people. The program is underpinned by a strong therapeutic framework, developed by state-qualified art therapists working alongside experienced professional artists, ensuring that emotional well-being and creative development are equally valued. Set within a safe, welcoming gallery space, young people are encouraged to explore their identities, express themselves freely, and rebuild confidence through art. This blend of therapy, education, and real-world artistic practice creates a nurturing yet inspiring environment where young people feel seen, supported, and empowered to re-engage with learning on their own terms.
Based in central Brighton, with transport links across the city, Liberation Art Gallery stands as a beacon of creativity, inclusivity and hope. Recognising the unique journeys of young people who may not thrive in mainstream education settings, the gallery has developed an Alternative Education Programme, an innovative initiative designed to nurture the minds and spirits of youth through the transformative power of art. With an emphasis on creative expression, therapeutic support and real-world learning, this programme offers a fresh pathway for young individuals to build confidence, find community and shape their futures.
Programme Overview
At its core, the Alternative Education Programme at Liberation Art Gallery is a holistic educational offer specially tailored for young people aged 12 to 17 who need a different approach to learning.
Whether facing social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) challenges, neurodivergent needs, or barriers to attending traditional schools, this programme provides a supportive, professional and inspiring art space.
Arts Award
Liberation Gallery is an approved Arts Award centre, offering young people the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised qualification through meaningful, hands-on creative learning. By training within the gallery itself, young people work directly with professional artists, gaining insight into real artistic practice while developing their own skills and creative voice. This approach allows young people to build confidence, explore their interests, and achieve an Arts Award qualification in a supportive, inspiring environment that values both personal growth and artistic excellence.
What Makes the Programme Unique?
Expert-Led Artistic Mentorship: Each session is led by highly skilled, experienced resident artists whose own work is regularly exhibited in the gallery. This ensures that participants are learning from practitioners deeply immersed in the creative world, receiving hands-on guidance and inspiration as they develop their own artistic voices.
Safeguarding and Therapeutic Support: The team of mentors are trained and supported, holding enhanced DBS checks, safeguarding training and at minimum a degree-level qualification in an art related subject. Their work is overseen and supervised by HCPC- registered art psychotherapists, ensuring that every young person's wellbeing, safety, and mental health are at the forefront of the experience.
Blended Approach to Wellbeing: Unlike traditional art classes, the programme integrates therapeutic techniques, mentoring and artistic growth. This blended model not only nurtures creative talent but also supports emotional expression, regulation and resilience.
Professional Gallery Experience: Students are given the rare opportunity to exhibit their work alongside established artists, engage with the day-to-day operations of the gallery and build a portfolio of original artwork. The real-world skills gained go far beyond the canvas, preparing young people for creative careers, further education, or simply a greater sense of self.
Proven Track Record: Building on the success of the 'Liberation Through Art' project, which was part funded by Arts Council England, the gallery has expanded its offer to serve more young people from across East Sussex, making creative and therapeutic education accessible to those who need it most.
Learning Outcomes and Opportunities
Participants are immersed in a rich curriculum where art is a key part of personal development and future opportunity. Some of the key outcomes and experiences include:
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Creative Confidence and Independence: Through open-ended exploration and project-based learning, students discover new modes of self-expression and build trust in their creative instincts.
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Portfolio Development: As they develop a diverse body of artwork, participants have the chance to compile a portfolio, a valuable asset for applying to further creative studies, apprenticeships, or emerging opportunities in the arts.
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Professional Exhibition Experience: Young artists are supported to prepare, install, and present their work for public viewing and, if they wish, for sale within a professional gallery context.
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Gallery-Based Skills: The programme covers a wide range of practical skills essential for a future in the arts, including:
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Curating and installing exhibitions
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Writing artist statements and art-focused communications
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Gallery hosting, public speaking, and engaging with visitors
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Marketing, design principles, and social media management
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Creative entrepreneurship and the fundamentals of selling artwork
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Arts Award Approved Training Centre: Through Arts Award Approved Artists and Centre, we take children and young people on a creative journey, exploring the arts world, discovering their potential as artists, developing leadership skills and gaining a recognised qualification along the way.
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Gain up to Gold Award level Arts Award, equivalent to an AS-Level Grade B and have 16 UCAS points
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Silver Arts Award equivalent to A*- C in GCSE
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Discovery, Explore and Bronze Arts Award are available for young people to build confidence and experience in building an art portfolio
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Open to anyone aged 25 or under, this unique set of arts qualifications builds skills essential for success in the 21st century: Creativity and communication, along with problem-solving, reflective-thinking and confidence.
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Who is This Programme For?
This offer is ideally suited to:
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Young people aged 12-17 who are seeking alternatives to mainstream education
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Those experiencing SEMH needs, neurodivergence (such as autism or ADHD), school refusal, or classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training)
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Students who benefit from smaller, nurturing settings and a personalised approach to learning
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Families and professionals looking for creative, therapeutic and future-focused education for young people
For more information, book a free initial consultation or to request a referral form, please email mentoring@liberationartgallery.com.
All organisational policies, including safeguarding and behaviour policies, are available on request.
Our Mentors
Ruth Egon
Inspired by nature, my artwork expresses resilience, human emotion and wilderness. I chose to paint with intuitive raw brushmarks, layering dark and light themes, to invigorate the viewer and bring them back to nature, recognising the complexities of human emotion. I chose to paint with a sense of possibility with a little fun sprinkled in, to uplift the viewer and bring them back to nature, a tonic for the velocity and anxiety inducing contemporary life.
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BA (Hons) Textile Design, Winchester School of Art
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MA Arts Psychotherapy, Goldsmiths University (in progress)
Sarah Ellis
Sarah's artwork invites viewers into luminous, ethereal realms where light and colour become material. Through her expressive use of thread-like gestures and radiant palettes, Sarah weaves together spaces that feel both grounded and otherworldly, as though suspended between memory and energy. Each piece reflects a fascination with the unseen, the energetic currents that shape how we experience colour, texture and spatial depth - making her work a meditation on presence, light and the quiet poetry of visual experience.
Alice Twamley
Hi, I'm Alice, a 26-year-old abstract artist. I create vibrant paintings inspired by music. Growing up in a lively home with 4 siblings, l've always used art to express my emotions.
When I paint, I let music guide me, often scraping layers of paint to create unique colors and forms. Creating art helps me work through emotions, and I hope my work can offer a moment of happiness to others.
Harmony Alexander
Hi, I'm Harmony, a ceramic artist currently studying at Central St Martins. I've been working with clay since I was 4, thanks to my grandmother, a ceramicist who taught me everything from shaping to glazing. I assisted her with running workshops since the age of 9, eventually hosting my own. I love helping others get started with clay.
In my own work, I'm pushing myself to try new techniques and create more complex forms. I'm excited to mentor others in ceramics and help you find your own style in this versatile art form.
Courtney Budd
Hello, I'm Courtney, an artist, designer and illustrator with a passion for storytelling through my work, whether it's branding. books, or games. I studied Animation Arts at Bournemouth University and earned a master's in Graphic Design. My
work spans both digital and traditional mediums, often blending techniques for innovation. Animals frequently appear n my lustrations as I love capturing their spirit, both in commissions and as storytelling devices. I enjoy exploring new tools and keeping my work varied and exciting.
Arts Mentoring Project
The Liberation Art Gallery's (part-funded by Arts Council England) pilot project 'Liberation Through Art' selected 12 students to be mentored by professional artists, and the results were groundbreaking.
