lighting the cauldron - young people and cultural organisations

Lighting the cauldronSharing our stories #ypculture

Thursday 25 October, Museum of London Welcome: Moira Sinclair, Arts Council England

Don’t put us in a box: Junction youth panel’s top tips to museums

Lucie Fitton, Senior Community Collaboration Managerlfitton@museumoflondon.org.ukMiki Webb, Junction youth panellistShakira Malkani, Junction youth panellist

What did the Museum of London learn from being part of Stories of

the World?• Real co-curation and co-

production is hard work but brings positive change for our organisation

• We Junction - the long term input of our youth panel is vital to successful collaboration with young people in the future.

Don’t put me in a box (or a case)

• Stereotypes and perceptions of young people as portrayed in the media are a myth

• Many of us are hard working and passionate

• Young people are all different from each other

• Always consult young people during the planning stages of projects.

It’s all about me• Knowledge is power• Learning flows when it relates to

who we are as individuals• Historical context falls into place

through exploring relevance to our lives

• We want to be part of something – a participant not just an audience member

• Different creative routes into the collections suit different young people

• You can learn as much from me as I can learn from you.

We like freeness• Make it free – there is stiff

competition for our money and time

• Make sure we aren’t out of pocket – cover travel and feed us – this means no one misses out

• Museums are well placed to offer exciting opportunities for young people to have fun and gain skills – especially as so many other youth services are being even harder hit in the cuts.

This ain’t the Roman days

• …but contemporary issues can be used as a route into the past and connect us to the world we live in

• Museums should get involved in current and even taboo and hard-hitting issues.

Popping the social media bubble

• Remember we don’t all have access to social media

• If we do, we use it to connect to friends – not look up museum information

• Social media shouldn’t be the main driving purpose of your project – but it’s a great tool for exploring the past

• It is a successful way to showcase and celebrate our work

• Don’t forget to train us on how to use twitter, blogs and other media = new skills.

Treat your museum like a YouTube video – it needs to

go viral• Get young people

talking about your museum – word of mouth is best

• What makes your museum unique and exciting?

What next for us?

• Junction – a permanent legacy• Dedicated Youth Programme Coordinator• New youth programmes and Young People’s

strategy• Our Londinium 2012 – evaluation feedback

this week. How do visitors respond to co-curation?

• We’ll be in the exhibition between 2 – 2.30pm – come and say hello

Lighting the cauldronSharing our stories #ypculture

Chair: Katherine Pritchard

Change makers: young people

transforming our museumsVanessa Trevelyan

Matthew Goodall

Bernadette Bidmead

Lighting the cauldronSharing our stories #ypculture

Chair: Katherine Pritchard

‘Coll-education’The chicken and egg

of collections and education

Esther Amis-Hughes and Stephanie Webb Leeds Museums and Galleries

What is ‘Colleducation’

‘Colleducation is the accidental and entirely unintentional marrying of collections and education until you cannot see the start of one and the end of the other’

OED 2020, 305th edition

The poster pin up of Colleducation

• Antonia’s expertise and willingness to get out any items, and to share her extensive knowledge was of benefit to us, and all Yorkshire partners

Coll(education)

Coll(Education)

How did ‘Colleducation’ meet?• Early education sessions

and ‘challenges’• Early lessons:- Broaden collection themes- Get curators to help with

outreach- Realise objects are the

fundamental point and without them I am just a slightly odd woman who talks a lot

Mok: Colleducation’s baby

Colleducation’s Monster

• If objects are our unique selling point –let’s see what happens if our ‘education programme’ (the Exhibition Team) choose the objects, research them, write interpretation …

Colleducation’s MonsterObject Research- Enhanced knowledge- Increased information

on TMS- Experts created- New books published- New research into

‘forgotten’ areas

Colleducation’s MonsterObject interpretation- Characters- Passport- Audio- Films- Air miles- You Decide!

Colleducation’s MonsterThe gallery experience

Colleducation’s MonsterMarketing

• Treasure Dash

• You Decide App

Colleducation lessons• Collections are at the heart of education programmes• In order for this to work, you need to be willing to hand

over control and expect anything• Boundaries need to be in place – and need to be

explained to everyone (for example human remains)• Don’t compromise. Try it. It leads to amazing things. It

is refreshing working with people who were less aware of practical considerations and were just willing to work hard to make their vision a reality. (I was constantly asked ‘Why not?’, so I had to have a good reason for saying no to things!)

Why was it a successful marriage?

• Because the collections and education programme were so closely linked that they were indistinguishable

• The ‘education programme’ was running our exhibition

• Because the ‘process’ was educational, so the end result was educational

Colleducation is the future!

esther.amishughes@leeds.gov.uk

Lighting the cauldronSharing our stories #ypculture

Chair: Katherine Pritchard

Keep on Trucking!

• Inspired by Luton’s international motor vehicle heritage and strong Pakistani community 

• Build on the vehicle collection at Stockwood Discovery Centre

• Opportunity to work with  young people in Luton from all our communities

• Work across cultural sectors to share skills and experience.

Project Concept

Truck Art Aims• To engage with young 

people in their cultural heritage and in the heritage of Luton. 

• To work with partners to broker a sustainable relationship with Pakistan 

• To promote community cohesion and tolerance in Luton

• Involving young people and communities in the development and delivery of the project.

Key Elements of the Project

• Creation of the RE‐created Youth group• Established  partnerships in Pakistan with 

National College of Art and Lahore • Material Response artist exchange• Inspirational youth group visit to Pakistan

RE‐created Visit to Pakistan 2010

RE‐created Visit to Pakistan 2010

• Artist exchange project• Workshop with RE‐created youth group

• Master classes and event for visitors

• Collections development through creation of our own truck

• Legacy work

Material Response

Vardo and Truck Art

Haider Ali and Rory Coxhill

Workshops with RE‐created

Master Classes and Events

Creating our truck

Truck Art

Key Project partners

Legacy

Arts Award 2011

Summer Reading Challenge 2011

Vardo Art 2012

• NCA student visit to Luton hosted by RE‐created

• Workshops to create a living wagon based on vardo and Truck art inspirations

• Artist exchange with Haider Ali and Truck art Apprentice

• Exhibition for SOTW ‘Around the World in Eighty Objects’

Community partnerships

International partnerships

Co‐production

• Ensure sustainable future of the museum through volunteering

• Increase community awareness and involvement in museum

• Local pride and ‘ownership’

• Develop a new model for the museum planning and programming

Karen PerkinsDirector of Museums

01582 546726Karen.Perkins@lutonculture.com

Lighting the Cauldron

Big Dance 2008 launch at London PalladiumPhoto: James O Jenkins

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