About > ROI Education outreach programme
ROI Education Outreach Programme
The Royal Institute of Oil Painters’ Education Outreach Programme is led by Natalia Avdeeva ROI, Education Officer of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, who has been developing and delivering the programme since 2023.
The programme was launched by Adebanji Alade PROI, now President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, to support access to art education and encourage creative development through artist-led learning.
The Education Outreach Programme works with primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges, delivering workshops designed to inspire young people, build creative confidence, and develop practical painting skills.
As a registered charity, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters delivers its Education Outreach Programme as part of its public benefit mission, working with schools and partners through a range of supported and commissioned activities.
Through this programme, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters continues its commitment to education, professional excellence, and the promotion of painting as a vital and evolving practice.
Schools and colleges interested in the Education Outreach Programme may contact Natalia Avdeeva ROI, Education Officer of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, for further information.
It’s fair to conclude that the future is bright as regards our educational outreach programs. Further details from the outreach programme are shown below.
2025
Education Officer Natalia Avdeeva ROI
In 2025, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters’ Education Outreach Programme focused on an intensive school visit in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, offering a meaningful and immersive educational experience.
Working with upper primary groups, the visit included two workshops: one centred on self-portrait and portrait drawing, exploring how line, proportion, and mark-making can be used to capture emotion and character; the second drew inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine, introducing participants to a classical work and encouraging thoughtful, creative responses.
During this period, outreach activity was primarily focused on schools in East Ayrshire, Scotland, while the programme remained open to engagement with schools across the UK.
2024
Education Officer Natalia Avdeeva ROI
Visit to Hillhead Primary School in Kilmarnock
A couple of wonderful visits to Hillhead School in Kilmarnock completed! As part of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters’ Outreach Education Program, I had the privilege of delivering art workshops over two days, working with 100 children aged 7–11. It was a fun and inspiring experience, with a rewarding mission: to inspire, educate, and share the joy of creativity. The children produced fantastic results, including some beautiful winter landscapes!
Thank you to Hillside School for the warm welcome—I’m already looking forward to the next opportunity!
2023
Education Officer Natalia Avdeeva ROI
Outreach programme underway in Scotland
2022
Educational Outreach with Adebanji Alade PROI
Cardinal Wiseman Secondary School
Visits were made by Adebanji Alade PROI to Cardinal Wiseman on four separate days this year. The first visit took place in March over three days (22nd – 24th of March) and the final visit took place on the 4th of November. During these visits, the main focus was on sharing my sketchbook practice, Introduction to Oil Painting, Composition & Focal Points, Demonstrations on how to paint a simple still life set-up and how to paint a portrait from a photograph. Other points covered were helping the students generate their ideas for the final project pieces and helping them formulate ways of executing them in the time allocated during the examinations. The students were really appreciative of the efforts from ROI Educational visits and so also were their teachers.
Below are some of the pictures over the four visits to Cardinal Wiseman.
Day 1 & Day 2 photos- 22nd of March 2022
Tiverton Primary School
The project with the selected talented students from Tiverton focused on sketching portraits from pictures. They learnt how to grid a picture and sketch from the gridded picture. This was divided into two separate days. The Children did very well to master the simple grid system, outlining and shading techniques they taught. The children and teachers, including the ever-supportive Head Teacher were very appreciative of the efforts from the ROI Educational Outreach Program.
2021
Educational Outreach with Adebanji Alade PROI
London Academy of Excellence
Adebanji Alade PROI visited this school in Tottenham in collaboration with Hope in Tottenham. Adebanji visited this school with Elli Koumousi, she gave a presentation on the Mall Galleries, the ROI and the current project of “In the Studio”. Adebanji helped the students with drawing skills. It was Self Portraits for the first group and Life Drawing for the second group. Marina Nimmo the art Teacher here was very helpful in making these visits run smoothly. These visits have been made possible by Hope in Tottenham.
Self portrait session with pupils at the London Academy of Excellence
Adebanji Alade inspiring students with a self portrait session
Cardinal Wiseman
Adebanji Alade PROI has made 2 visits to this lovely school. They have got a wonderful art department with dedicated art students and they produce a high standard of artwork. He has worked with their final year students on his first visit helping them with self portraits and their current work for their exams. He helped them by doing demonstrations and one to one, hands on assistance with their work. Their Teacher Mya Theophilou has been really helpful in making these visits successful.
Adebanji Alade working with pupils at Cardinal Wiseman
Creative session with Adebnji Alade at Cardinal Wiseman
Tiverton Primary School
Adebanji Alade PROI has made 2 visits to this Primary School in Tottenham. Adebanji was privileged to meet with 12 of their most talented students. On his first visit he took them through the process of the drawing individual features of the face. Melonie Stennett is the Art Coordinator here and she is very useful and instrumental in organising these visits. These visits have been made possible by HOPE in Tottenham.
Adebanji sketching with pupils at Tiverton primary school
Tiverton primary pupils showing their amazing work