For the 5^th year running, Year 11 students from Eckington School have been invited by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire to their beautiful home Chatsworth to take part in the ARTicualtion Art day which is organised by The Roche Court Educational Trust (RCET).

During the day, the students had unprecedented access to Chatsworth house, gardens and its wonderful privately owned collection which has been accumulated over the past 450 years.  They were greeted by the Duke and Duchess and were then given a tour by two of the house guides who introduced them to many wonderful pieces of art and artefacts owned by the family. Four other schools were also represented during the day and our students got to work very closely with their student body as they explored various pieces of art in quite some depth.  A highlight of the day was that select student were able to go and sit with the Duke and ask specific questions about his opinions of the art he has in his collection.

Mr Tipping who led the group had this to say about the students. “ Eckington students amaze me in many ways every day but never more so than on the discovery days. They are taken out of their comfort zone asked to research a piece of art they have never encountered before with a group of people they have never met and then present their findings to a room full of other schools and the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire! They do this with great enthusiasm, passion and decorum. The Duke often singles out our students because of their honest interpretations of his collection and their ability to communicate clearly and purposefully. Our students have had a totally unique experience today I am sure they will remember it for many years to come.“

Eckington School is looking at ways to establish further connections with Chatsworth in the future. The house is an absolute gem and the Duke is committed to allowing young people access to his vast collection so it can be enjoyed by future generations.