Opening The Doors

The Museums Association undertook action research with museums to help them work with 14-25 year olds outside of formal education. We commissioned Artswork to produce the Young People and Museums report which led to some pilot projects and the launch of Opening the Doors.

Opening The Doors was a national three-year programme of work aimed at encouraging young people outside formal education to visit museums and galleries and use the resources they offer.

The Museums Association in partnership with Artswork, a youth arts development agency, was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales to work with six museums and galleries over three years on a range of projects which explored how young people:

  • can become more involved in museums and galleries
  • draw upon museums as a resource for self directed learning, training and work experience
  • benefit from a museum's role within a wider multi agency approach aimed at providing greater opportunity for disadvantaged and/or vulnerable young people.

    • Partner museums
    Opening the Doors worked with:

    Leicester City Museums Service
    Bury Art Gallery and Museum
    Kilmartin House Trust, Argyll
    Orleans House Gallery, London
    Forge Mill Needle Museum, Redditch
    Kettle's Yard, Cambridge

    Alongside the project work, we produced regular reports, and ran seminars and training workshops.

    Website

    http://www.youngpeopleandmuseums.org.uk