Tate St Ives

Tate St Ives is an art gallery in St Ives, Cornwall, England, exhibiting work by modern British artists in the beautiful surroundings of the rugged Cornish coast.

School visits to Tate St Ives and nearby Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden are free for students under 18 and for teachers from Cornwall in formal education groups when they pre-book a visit.

There is concessionary entry for formal education groups of teachers and students aged over 18 from outside Cornwall when they pre-book a visit.

Please note, there is a charge for school activities in the gallery. 

Book your visit

All groups must book in advance, whether visiting independently or taking part in a Tate-led session,

If you plan to teach your group at either site, please restrict the size of your school group to a maximum of 20 students. Larger groups may be asked to stagger their entry times to avoid overcrowding. Arrangements can be made to run simultaneous activities at both Tate St Ives and Barbara Hepworth Museum.

When you book a visit, please advise us of any specific access requirements members of your group may have (for example if they are are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hearing impaired, wheelchair users or in need of mobility support, or have a learning disability).

Please note: the galleries at Tate St Ives close for two weeks three times a year while the displays are changed.

• Book a school visit

• Your essential guide to visiting Tate St Ives [PDF, 2.2 Mb

Gallery activities

We run a selection of sessions and workshops for school groups, which you can book in advance of your visit.

• Schools’ programme

Group supervision and safety

Adult supervision is required at all times with the following adult-to-student ratios:

• 1:5 for under 5s

• 1:10 for 6–11 year-olds

• 1:15 for 12–16 year-olds

• 1:20 for 16–18 year-olds

Please note that teachers are responsible for students’ behaviour and safety at all times. All group leaders should carry out their own risk assessment prior to their visit. At no stage can Tate assume the formal duty of care on behalf of teachers.

Tate’s health and safety statement [PDF, 83 Kb]

Preliminary visit to the gallery

We strongly recommend you visit Tate St Ives in advance to check the suitability of the artworks for your group. You can also use our online resources to plan your visit to the gallery.

• Find out what’s on at Tate St Ives

• Find out what’s on display at the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

Artworks can be taken off display at short notice. If you are visiting to see a particular work please check it will be on display:
email [email protected] 
or call +44 (0)1736 796226 (Monday–Friday, 09.00–18.00)

• Teachers’ resources