The conversation
What do young people want from museums and galleries?
Dear Andrew: Making art institutions and programming relevant to young people is at the core of my work and I spend a lot of time trying to understand what they are interested in, why they’re accessing galleries and how we can shift practice in order to be accessible for diverse audiences. But there is an underlying tension between what young people want from galleries and what gallery practitioners think they want. We often look at young people as agents of change and as innovators – but do they want to take on these roles?
Best wishes, Raluca
Dear Raluca: Four years of Circuit funding have enabled the Whitworth to gain a deeper understanding of how 15- to 25-year-olds perceive our gallery and how best to connect the environment with the needs of this audience. We have been able to test out a model of co-production with young people, and through this have stopped assuming we know what they want. Our best work with this age group is through honest conversation, with the pendulum of peer-led practice constantly swinging between the needs of the organisation and the young people. We also need to consider on whose terms we are engaging. Is it as an organisation that is searching for young people to populate its programmes and building, or because it is in the interests of the individual or groups that we are aiming to reach?
Best wishes, Andrew
Dear Andrew: We do need to consider on whose terms we are engaging young people. We also need to re-evaluate the term “peer-led” – at the end of the day, programming still happens within an institution’s boundaries. Many young people get involved with Nottingham Contemporary to gain new skills, build their CVs or to socialise. If we want them to be able to take ownership of the programme and understand the huge role they can play in changing the way art institutions work, we must mentor them first. In many cases, you will find that what young people are seeking are opportunities to learn.
Best wishes, Raluca
Dear Raluca: A key ambition of Circuit in Manchester is to enable young people to have autonomy and develop life skills through arts and culture. We are keen to nurture emerging talent, aiming to provide progression routes through authentic experiences. The input and ideas of those on our emerging artists programme have been key in demystifying our spaces. Alongside core members of the Circuit group, they have programmed successful social experiences that have reached out to their peers through multi-arts festivals and events. These events have attracted 25,000 15- to 25-year-olds, many of whom are first-time visitors to the Whitworth.
Best wishes, Andrew
Dear Andrew: The needs and interests of young people change constantly, so programming should be responsive and flexible. There isn’t a universal recipe for running a successful youth programme. Young people access galleries for different reasons, and bring their own stories to the overarching narrative. This means the most successful work happens through honest feedback, open conversation and taking risks, but also through reflective practice.
Best wishes, Raluca
Dear Raluca: Our sector tends to over-analyse how our work contributes to long-lasting behaviours. Sometimes we forget that we can make a positive difference in the moment through short-term interventions, and not be aware of their true impact. Last year’s Warp festival, which featured 100-plus performances, workshops and activities, changed what young people expect from an art gallery. We are confident that because these experiences have been intense, shared and enjoyable, they will become powerful memories and will help inform our future practice and thinking in a meaningful way.
Best wishes, Andrew
Raluca Moraru is the youth programmer at Nottingham Contemporary
Andrew Vaughan is the learning manager at the Whitworth art gallery, Manchester
Circuit is a four-year national programme connecting 15- to 25-year-olds to the arts in museums and galleries, working in partnership with the youth and cultural sector. It is led by Tate and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
There will be a session on youth engagement and the Circuit programme at this year’s Museums Association Conference & Exhibition in Manchester (16-18 November).
Best wishes, Raluca
Dear Raluca: Four years of Circuit funding have enabled the Whitworth to gain a deeper understanding of how 15- to 25-year-olds perceive our gallery and how best to connect the environment with the needs of this audience. We have been able to test out a model of co-production with young people, and through this have stopped assuming we know what they want. Our best work with this age group is through honest conversation, with the pendulum of peer-led practice constantly swinging between the needs of the organisation and the young people. We also need to consider on whose terms we are engaging. Is it as an organisation that is searching for young people to populate its programmes and building, or because it is in the interests of the individual or groups that we are aiming to reach?
Best wishes, Andrew
Dear Andrew: We do need to consider on whose terms we are engaging young people. We also need to re-evaluate the term “peer-led” – at the end of the day, programming still happens within an institution’s boundaries. Many young people get involved with Nottingham Contemporary to gain new skills, build their CVs or to socialise. If we want them to be able to take ownership of the programme and understand the huge role they can play in changing the way art institutions work, we must mentor them first. In many cases, you will find that what young people are seeking are opportunities to learn.
Best wishes, Raluca
Dear Raluca: A key ambition of Circuit in Manchester is to enable young people to have autonomy and develop life skills through arts and culture. We are keen to nurture emerging talent, aiming to provide progression routes through authentic experiences. The input and ideas of those on our emerging artists programme have been key in demystifying our spaces. Alongside core members of the Circuit group, they have programmed successful social experiences that have reached out to their peers through multi-arts festivals and events. These events have attracted 25,000 15- to 25-year-olds, many of whom are first-time visitors to the Whitworth.
Best wishes, Andrew
Dear Andrew: The needs and interests of young people change constantly, so programming should be responsive and flexible. There isn’t a universal recipe for running a successful youth programme. Young people access galleries for different reasons, and bring their own stories to the overarching narrative. This means the most successful work happens through honest feedback, open conversation and taking risks, but also through reflective practice.
Best wishes, Raluca
Dear Raluca: Our sector tends to over-analyse how our work contributes to long-lasting behaviours. Sometimes we forget that we can make a positive difference in the moment through short-term interventions, and not be aware of their true impact. Last year’s Warp festival, which featured 100-plus performances, workshops and activities, changed what young people expect from an art gallery. We are confident that because these experiences have been intense, shared and enjoyable, they will become powerful memories and will help inform our future practice and thinking in a meaningful way.
Best wishes, Andrew
Raluca Moraru is the youth programmer at Nottingham Contemporary
Andrew Vaughan is the learning manager at the Whitworth art gallery, Manchester
Circuit is a four-year national programme connecting 15- to 25-year-olds to the arts in museums and galleries, working in partnership with the youth and cultural sector. It is led by Tate and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
There will be a session on youth engagement and the Circuit programme at this year’s Museums Association Conference & Exhibition in Manchester (16-18 November).