Forest Students' Experience In Tents with Tate Modern

The 'canvas' was the white tents the students each decorated during the visit, taking their inspiration from the Tate Collection and forming an unusual sleepover party.

The visit and consultation process aimed to stimulate new connections for the students with the landmark building which, in the words of its Director Nicholas Serota, is seeking 'to significantly broaden the audiences who visit Tate Modern.'

Mr Serota said the museum had to respond to a fast-changing world. 'There is a great deal more interest not only in contemporary and modern art, but in being more actively-involved participants instead of being passive learners. In the future we are going to act as a platform and as a publisher of others' ideas as well as our own. We are going to bring an increased diversity to our thinking.'

Among the questions the youngsters were asked to consider during their visit was what should appear in the gallery's proposed extension, due to be completed in 2012, as well as an invitation to influence the building’s future by helping to design a 'creative manifesto' for Britain in the 21st Century.

Anna Cutler, Head of Education at the Tate, said she was impressed by the sophistication of the children's responses, which included suggestions to create interactive exhibits and galleries where unknown artists could display their work. 'Last year, 60 per cent of our visitors were under the age of 35. We need to generate a greater engagement with young people, particularly with the new building. We organised this day to ensure we did that properly.'

Lakers student Janie Powell said: 'It was a really extraordinary experience; we learnt a lot of interesting things about the history of the Tate and the future of it. We were treated really well and all of our guides were really nice to us. The daytime was fun and really educational and the evening entertainment was really cool.

'We all enjoyed it and it was an experience that I'm sure none of us are ever going to forget.”