About

The Herschel Museum of Astronomy invites home-educated children and young people to take the next step in their Arts Award journey with Arts Award Explore, a six-week creative course combining art, history, photography and astronomy.

Taking place on Wednesdays from 7 October to 11 November 2026, from 1pm to 4pm, the course will introduce participants to a variety of ways to make and explore art.

Participants will experiment with creative techniques inspired by the museum’s current exhibition on early photography, as well as producing space-themed artwork connected to the remarkable astronomical discoveries of William and Caroline Herschel.

Throughout the course, participants will also have opportunities to speak to museum staff and learn more about working in museums and galleries. They will then use everything they have discovered to create a final piece of artwork, which will be shared as part of a mini-exhibition at the end of the course.

How the course works

Participants will:

• Attend weekly sessions and take part in the required activities

• Complete approximately 12 hours of additional work and research at home, with suggestions and guidance provided

• Create a final artwork inspired by their Arts Award Explore journey

• Share their findings and creations during the final exhibition day

• Record their progress and experiences in a logbook throughout the course

The course is open to home-educated children and young people aged 7 to 25. Participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

There is no requirement to have previously completed the Arts Award Discover level.

Arts Award Explore is an official Entry Level (Entry 3) qualification on the Regulated Qualifications Framework. The course fee includes moderation and certificate costs, with certificates issued to participants who successfully complete all qualification requirements.

Course dates

Sessions take place every Wednesday from 1pm to 4pm, from 7 October to 11 November 2026.

Participants should aim to attend all six sessions. Anyone with prior commitments that may affect attendance is advised to contact the organisers before booking.

Participants must attend the first session on 7 October and the final session on 11 November 2026.

Location

The course will be split between the Herschel Museum of Astronomy and the Education Space at No. 1 Royal Crescent in Bath.