Education

At the Hermitage schoolchildren are introduced to and learn about the greatest artists of all time, from Monet and Da Vinci to Rembrandt and Titian. On average, some 10,000 primary school pupils attend the Hermitage for Children, the Hermitage’s free-of-charge art education programme, every year. 

So how does it work? 

It starts off with a school trip for children aged six to ten years. They are given a tour and attend a workshop, where they get to work under the supervision of our professional teachers and visual artists.
This is followed by a selection of talented schoolchildren who go on to attend a more in-depth art education programme at the Hermitage Studio (for children aged ten to twelve years; lasts one-and-a-half years) and the Hermitage Academy (for students aged twelve to sixteen years; lasts three years). The classes take place in an exclusive educational venue comprising five studios, two classrooms, and a children’s canteen. It is the biggest educational space of any museum in the Netherlands. 

We provide this art education to children of all ages free of charge, giving them the chance to develop their artistic abilities and open up their outlook on the future.

Proud of research findings

The Hermitage for Children hired research consultancy Bain & Company to conduct a study on the social impact of the art education programme on children. This study involved over 300 interviews with pupils from the school and talent programmes, parents, teachers, and various experts. It clearly identified an increase in the pupils’ knowledge of art history and in their creative abilities. Ninety per cent of participants indicated that they would like to visit a museum again and over fifty per cent of parents and children have witnessed a clear increase in self-confidence. The study found that the Hermitage for Children is the most comprehensive education programme of any museum in the Netherlands. 
We are very proud of that. 
If this is important to you, please help us achieve our ten-year plan to reach 100,000 schoolchildren.

Support us

Art stimulates a sense of awe, creativity, and emotions, which makes you more open to other people’s ideas and opinions and more likely to respect others. Therefore, our art education programme helps shape children into creative, independent, open-minded people. If you invest in the Hermitage for Children, you will be investing in the future. Companies and private individuals can also support the Hermitage for Children. 
Click here for more information on the different ways you can support us.