Art History Link-Up

Who we are

Fewer than 1% of UK state schools offer Art History at A Level, yet the creative industries contribute £124 billion a year to the UK economy. We believe art history shouldn’t belong only to the handful of people who currently have the chance to study it. Every young person, whatever their background, should be able to enjoy and benefit from our rich visual culture.

Since 2016, Art History Link-Up (AHLU) has offered free, accredited Art History courses to state school students. We began at the Wallace Collection and the National Gallery, where art history was taught face to face with some of the world’s greatest masterpieces. We moved online during the pandemic, and our courses now run in a hybrid format, based at the Courtauld, Somerset House, with a classroom at King’s College London. More than 600 students from over 250 schools have studied with us, and our alumni are now in every Art History undergraduate year group at Cambridge and the Courtauld.

We are expanding our work to younger students, with accredited Art History courses for GCSE-age students piloted in and outside London, including at Waddesdon Manor, and a new programme at Sir John Soane’s Museum from January 2027. With new hosts, partners and programmes, we have exciting plans for the future.

Art History Link-Up (charity registration number 1172792) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). Our registered address is The Old Rectory, Wiggonholt, West Sussex RH20 2EL and we have a London office base in Warren Street. 

Our culture and values

AHLU’s core values are inclusion, diversity, access and art history for everyone. Our work is built on high-quality, specialist teaching, and on a warm and supportive community in which every student feels welcome.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of all we do: our equality, diversity and inclusion policy is available on our website.