Art UK is teaming up with the University of St Andrews' School of Art History on a pioneering project to research and tell stories about the art collection owned by the UK public.

As part of the memorandum of understanding between the art education charity and the University, students and academics from the School of Art History will have the opportunity to publish story content and learning resources through Art UK. This content will be free to access by Art UK's global audience of 5.5 million users a year. Additionally, Art UK will support a University of St Andrews-funded PhD student by supplying digital data relating to art collections in Scotland.

The School of Art History at St Andrews is consistently ranked top in the UK. An international community with a global outlook, it is one of the largest and most dynamic art history departments in the country, with world-leading experts in a range of subjects and periods. The School's teaching is research driven and colleagues are internationally recognised for their expertise.

Photograph of Prof. Graham Smith with a group of students, in the School of Art History, 2008

Art UK shows over 500,000 works by over 55,000 artists and is continually growing. As such, its database offers rich opportunities for student and academic researchers interested in discovering more about the artists, artworks and collections that have shaped our world-class public collections.

The partnership will not only provide specialist content, but also offer opportunities to collaborate to tell stories about the UK's national art collections through data visualisations that help map the history and shape of the UK's national collection of art. Art UK will also offer career-development opportunities for St Andrews students who want to progress in arts journalism through dedicated mentoring and opportunities for short-term placements.

Professor Laura Moretti, Head of the School of Art History, said: 'We are delighted to partner with Art UK on this exciting new venture, which will create valuable opportunities for learning, teaching, research and impact in our School. Working with Art UK, we will reach new audiences in the UK and beyond.'

Andrew Ellis, Chief Executive of Art UK, said: 'Art UK proudly shows art from nearly 500 Scottish venues and we have a fifth of our team based north of the border. So, it is wonderful to announce this important partnership with the University of St Andrews' highly regarded Art History Department. All of us at Art UK look forward to working closely with the teaching staff and students on research and stories that will grow our understanding of the extraordinary art collection owned by the UK public.'

Professor Hasan Bakhshi MBE, Director, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC), Newcastle University, and Art UK Trustee, said: 'This exciting strategic collaboration between Art UK and the University of St Andrews further cements the Art UK platform's function as an essential part of the research infrastructure for the UK's arts and culture sector. It will enable the full range of Art UK's resources to be deployed in the production of St Andrews' art history research as well as bringing more of that research to Art UK's significant and growing global audiences.'

Sketch for Mural, Students' Union, University of St Andrews

Dr Bruno Brulon Soares, Co-Director of Museum and Heritage Studies, said: 'This partnership will foster training at PhD level, equipping our students with innovative skills to work in art and heritage organisations and providing crucial support to develop their careers in this sector.'

Tressia Allard, Collaborative Art UK PhD student in the University of St Andrews School of Art History, said: 'This partnership has allowed me to pursue further studies and I am incredibly grateful. Art UK with its access to collections across the country will prove to be a resource not only for myself, but for others. I look forward to sharing more insight with a broad audience on specific topics and collections items nearby and farther away in the coming years.'

For media enquiries please contact Gemma Briggs, Director of Marketing and Communications at Art UK on gemma.briggs@artuk.org