This year, five people received awards presented by David Booker, Ambassador for the Marsh Christian Trust, during the annual Engage International Conference in Hull.

Holly was nominated by Jo Walmsley, Arts Producer at Tramway, for her ‘unrelenting energy and commitment to providing meaningful opportunities for audience engagement with contemporary art’. Having joined the gallery two years ago to deliver the learning programme for the 2015 Turner Prize, Holly has since developed TRYOUT as a legacy from the exhibition’s learning programme.

It takes the form of free, drop-in workshops on a Sunday afternoon that are inspired by current exhibitions in the venue and designed to provide entry points for different ages, levels of knowledge and ability. TRYOUT has become an opportunity for a wide community to experience, create and explore contemporary art alongside each other – at any given session there may be families with young children sitting next to older adults, and opposite a group of students from the Glasgow School of Art.

The awards are funded by the Marsh Christian Trust and run by Engage, the support and advocacy organisation for gallery education, whose mission is to increase access to the visual arts. They are open to those working in galleries and visual arts organisations, and colleagues are invited to nominate deserving co-workers every summer. The winners receive £500 to spend on their professional development.

Jane Sillis, Director of Engage, said:

“This is the seventh year that Engage has celebrated the achievements of colleagues through the Marsh Awards for Excellence in Gallery Education. There was a very high quality of nominations for individuals from the UK and internationally, at all stages of their careers, freelancers, employees and volunteers. We are delighted to work with the Marsh Christian Trust to mark the vital work of colleagues in visual arts education.”

Holly Rumble, Public Engagement Co-ordinator, said:

“I am really excited to receive this award. I absolutely love my role at Tramway, and in particular, helping early years children to engage with contemporary art, and then seeing them explain it to their parents! This award will allow me to develop my delivery techniques, and to visit colleagues from other international galleries, as well as raising the profile of Tramway as a place where learning is integral to our programme.”