Burton Futures run by The Burton at Bideford, a contemporary art gallery and museum in the historic town of Bideford in North Devon, plays an important role in supporting art education in a predominantly rural district that has long suffered from underinvestment, deprivation and geographic isolation. As well as funding continuing professional development (CPD) sessions for teachers and travel bursaries for rural schools to visit The Burton and take part in artist workshops, the scheme runs The Burton Art Box - a converted horse box that travels to rural schools as a camera obscura, connecting science and art curriculums.
Developed as a direct response to feedback from teachers that they could no longer afford the cost of transport or staffing capacity needed to manage offsite trips, the programme is a lifeline to art for the schools and children involved. Following a successful pilot that saw nearly 500 children from nine rural schools engage with art through The Burton Art Box, there are now plans to build on the success of the programme by expanding into artwork loans to schools and mobile museums, working directly with teachers on shaping and fundraising for the project.
Spotlight: The Burton at Bideford
Freelands Awards 2026 Winner
This Freelands Awards 2026 winner was selected for Burton Futures – an outreach programme for schools, featuring a horse box converted into a camera obscura and darkroom that travels to rural schools.
"Receiving a Freelands Award 2026 is a huge honour for The Burton at Bideford. We believe every child in North Devon should have free access to art and creative experiences as part of their education. Our schools’ programme, Burton Futures, has shown what is possible when we listen to teachers, work alongside schools and develop programmes that are rooted in the places where young people live and learn.
As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, this Award will help us build on that approach by continuing to listen to and learn from schools. We want young people across North Devon to see themselves as part of The Burton’s community and to grow up knowing this museum belongs to them. Whether they return as visitors, artists, volunteers, staff or trustees, they will help shape the next chapter of The Burton’s story for our future generations."
About The Burton at Bideford
The Burton at Bideford is a contemporary art gallery and museum in North Devon, located within the UNESCO North Devon Biosphere in the historic town of Bideford where craft, agriculture and maritime heritage meet at the water’s edge.
Founded in 1951, it is a registered charity, an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, an accredited museum and one of the leading cultural venues in the South West. In the past five years The Burton has welcomed over 750,000 visitors, presented 60 exhibitions, delivered over 450 adult workshops, helped 6,000 families get creative, and engaged with over 3,700 school children.
The Burton believes that all children in North Devon should have free access to art and creative activities. Burton Futures was established in March 2025 to help remove the increasing economic barriers our schools face, ensuring that young people in the community can engage with world-class art as part of their education. The project aims to transform access to art for rural schools by providing travel bursaries to hire coaches, taking art directly to classes using The Burton Art Box, and providing free professional development sessions for teachers to explore new creative skills.
About the Freelands Awards
The Freelands Awards champion and celebrate UK visual art organisations’ commitment to art education.
Launched in 2026, every year, three winning organisations will each receive £100,000 for a recent or ongoing project demonstrating commitment to progressive art education approaches with a demonstrable impact.
Across the last decade of working in art education, Freelands Foundation has seen visual art organisations, such as galleries and museums, as spaces for inspiring progressive art education offerings for all. Despite the increasing pressures they face, these organisations continue as sites for teaching and learning. Many embrace art education practices that are as diverse as the communities they work with.
The Freelands Awards are an opportunity to widely recognise, support and share inspiring art education work that may not always find the spotlight. Over the next five years, Freelands Foundation will commit £1.5 million for the Awards as a central part of its mission to champion art education.