During the pandemic, Sheffield Museums wanted to ensure the city’s museums and the collections continued to provide inspiration for the young people. While physical access to the sites continued to be limited, they worked in partnership with Ignite Yorkshire to run Young Makers - project-based online work experience for young people aged 14-25 years old.
Introduction
Museums are uniquely placed to offer transformative experiences for young people that can shape their futures.
During the pandemic, Sheffield Museums wanted to ensure the city’s museums and the collections continued to provide inspiration for the young people. While physical access to the sites continued to be limited, we worked in partnership with Ignite Yorkshire to run Young Makers - a project-based online work experience for young people aged 14-25 years old. Sixteen young people took part in weekly Zoom sessions throughout spring and summer 2021 to learn about access to museums collections and how people engage with art and heritage. The young people used their developing knowledge and skills to collaboratively create proposals for an installation in a de-commissioned telephone box at Kelham Island Museum.
The group focused on the community and heritage within and around Sheffield as an output for their installation. Guest speakers, from oral historians, audience engagement experts and graphic designers, gave the young people an insight into their area of work.
The group presented their proposals to a panel of experts, including the museum team and colleagues from the Kelham Island and Neepsend Neighbourhood Alliance, who all recognised the immense ingenuity, care and consideration the young people had demonstrated.
The challenge
Many young people have missed out on key opportunities over the past year including access to cultural venues and work experience. They also lost out on time to meet people of their own age and working with others to develop confidence and communication skills. The biggest challenge was running a project online which revolved around sites and collections that the young people were unable to experience in person.
The solution
Young Makers gave young people a space to meet, access to expertise in different fields of museology, opportunities to develop knowledge and skills, and take ownership of a project. Intended outcomes were that young people left feeling:
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skilled and equipped to earn and learn
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safe and confident in their future
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positive health and well-being
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able to be active members of their communities
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treated fairly and equally.
The impact
The project has had a hugely positive impact on the young participants. Following the 10-week programme, two of the Young Makers, Eleanor and Emily, have undertaken internships as Digital Content Assistants for Ignite Yorkshire.
From the young people:
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“The project exceeded my expectations and gave me a voice; I am influencing something and that’s what’s important to young people”.
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“it’s been good for my health and a way to refresh from school as it’s something different”
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“By attending Young Makers, I have learnt how to deal with my anxiety a bit better and talk to people on call more. learnt some new skills too.”
How is the new approach being sustained?
Young Makers are supported through Arts Council England and Sheffield City Council and are a key long-term part of the museum’s work.
Sustaining relationships with young people and identifying opportunities for them to continue their museums' experience is crucial.
The success of the first Young Makers project led to the delivery of two further projects based on Museums sites, one at Weston Park Museum looked at the museum’s collection from a young person’s perspective and asked ‘What’s missing?’ and ‘How should I be represented?’ the outcome of this was a mural board displayed at the museum.
The third Young Makers produced a podcast where young people explored the Museums Sites and talked candidly about their views on museums, representation and young people. These podcasts will be hosted in the young people section of the museum's website.
A number of young people have since become Museum Volunteers and one has become a Casual Learning Deliverer for schools’ and family sessions.
We plan to run three Young Makers projects per year, one per term lasting between six and eight weeks with a different focus for each around the loose themes of Exhibition, Events and Digital. Targeted recruitment will recruit new cohorts of young people for each project.
Lessons learned
A 25-year-old can work in harmony with and learn from a 14-year-old and vice versa. The whole group had the utmost respect for one another and shared their knowledge, skills and experience throughout the programme.
Providing targeted ‘work experience’ based projects for young people from diverse areas of the city and with differing interests and backgrounds. Although the first young Makers project was an online work experience due to Covid restrictions we are keen that young people can visit sites wherever possible and gain hands on experience.
Contact
[email protected]
School & Young People Coordinator, Sheffield Museums Trust