A YORK art gallery previously rewarded for its links with higher education hopes to reclaim its title in the Press Business Awards.

Since opening in 2009, the New Schoolhouse Gallery in Peasholme Green, has sought to establish strong relationships with both York St John University and the University of York, and as such was the winner of the Best Business and Higher Education Link in 2011.

The gallery's co-directors have always had a vision that the business should extend beyond the notion of a space for hanging contemporary art – and while they have curated more than 40 exhibitions, each has always been accompanied by additional projects and activities.

They have also mixed commercial selling shows with less commercial exhibitions and projects, some of which have been research-orientated, for example in 2014 the gallery partnered with the sociology department at the University of York to commission research by cultural anthropology students to assess the social value of art.

Over the years, the School House Gallery has worked on numerous projects with all the higher education institutes (HEI) in York including the University of York, York St John University, and York College.

Robert Teed, co-director at the Gallery, said: "The strong partnerships that we have built up with York's HEIs have manifold benefits to the organisation including increased engagement with younger audiences, as well as raising the gallery's profile within the city.

"The strong relationships that we worked hard to develop with York's HEIs have resulted in a firm foundation on which to build as we seek to develop the Gallery in 2016 into an Institute for Interdisciplinary Arts.

"We are ambitious about the Gallery and Institute developing links with international universities."