Education lies at the heart of the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery and Bedford Museum. The collections offer learning opportunities for all visitors and we are committed to using them in a stimulating and imaginative way to enhance the understanding and enjoyment of them by people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

The Education Service for the Art Gallery and Museum is delighted to have won four Sandford Awards for heritage education, the latest being in 2003. We attract over 8,000 formal education visitors to each site every year and in recent years have expanded the service to offer a thriving programme of holiday and weekend activities for families and children. In addition we work with a range of audiences through workshops, activity sessions and special projects.

"The quality of the experiences is of a very high order".

"The needs of pupils are very well met through the heritage interpretations of the immediate environment and the rich collections of pictures and artefacts"

(Judges' Report for the 2003 Sandford Award)