Kids in Museums launched its 2012 manifesto with a call to museums to do more to appeal to teenagers and promote this age group to wider society.
The charity, which works with museums to make them more family friendly, called on museums to invite in teenagers by providing spaces for them to hang out, setting up youth panels and asking them how they would like to be involved.
Mariella Frostrup, a journalist and a patron of Kids in Museums, said: “Teenagers have been getting a very bad press. We read that they are badly behaved, idle and don’t speak quite like we would wish.
“Well, their involvement in museums proves the opposite – that if they are given the chance, they get stuck in and contribute great ideas and hard work.
“Museums can lead the way in promoting a better image of teenagers. That is a far better idea than just condemning them.”
The manifesto also urges museums to foster a “can do” culture, for example by encouraging visitors to handle available objects and use mobile phones to promote the exhibitions.
The charity, which works with museums to make them more family friendly, called on museums to invite in teenagers by providing spaces for them to hang out, setting up youth panels and asking them how they would like to be involved.
Mariella Frostrup, a journalist and a patron of Kids in Museums, said: “Teenagers have been getting a very bad press. We read that they are badly behaved, idle and don’t speak quite like we would wish.
“Well, their involvement in museums proves the opposite – that if they are given the chance, they get stuck in and contribute great ideas and hard work.
“Museums can lead the way in promoting a better image of teenagers. That is a far better idea than just condemning them.”
The manifesto also urges museums to foster a “can do” culture, for example by encouraging visitors to handle available objects and use mobile phones to promote the exhibitions.
