Art gallery scheme encourages children to be noisy

Manchester Art Gallery is holding specific drop-in slots

Parents in Manchester are being encouraged to bring their children to the city's art gallery - where they will be encouraged to be as loud as they wish.

The Kids Aloud scheme, run by the UK charity Art Fund, welcomes children to traditionally quiet spaces without parental fears about them making too much noise.

Manchester Art Gallery, where the event is now in its second year, is holding specific drop-in slots which can booked in advance.

"We really believe museum and galleries are for everyone, right from birth all the way up. We really want these spaces to be welcoming to families," said Gracie Divall, from Art Fund.

Gracie Divall said the scheme was about making art spaces welcoming to families

Art Fund is running the initiative at more than 20 museums and galleries across the UK.

It follows research by the charity which found more than 50% of parents questioned were concerned about taking young children into these kind of spaces.

Alan Seabright, who brought his granddaughter along to the launch event at Manchester Art Gallery, described the idea as "fantastic".

"The gloves are off - they can make as much noise as they like, and it gets them used to coming into an environment like this," he said.

The initiative is aimed at making parents of children of all ages feel more comfortable visiting galleries, combatting the misconception that children being noisy and expressing themselves in museum spaces is frowned upon.

Families can purchase a National Art Pass to access free entry to more than 900 museums, galleries and historic houses across the UK, as well as enjoying 50% off major exhibitions, alongside discounts in museum shops and cafes.