Engaging with Disadvantaged Young People
By Sarah Kendell
For those not lucky enough to be raised with an appreciation and understanding of history, or even if you’re simply young and active with a short attention span, museums generally don’t seem like the most appealing of places. But beyond the imposing marble columns of its sweeping front entrance, the National Museum Wales, or Amgueddfa Cymru, is doing a lot to convince the people of Wales that appearances aren’t everything.
In her informative and inspiring masterclass at Wednesday’s Beacon for Wales conference, Amgueddfa Cymru’s Sarah Greenhalgh told of the many initiatives the Museum has come up with over the past several months to engage its public and turn around the perception of museums as an intimidating and inaccessible place for the average working-class person. Beginning from the philosophy that the museum’s collections technically belong to the public, and therefore we should all be able to enjoy them together, Greenhalgh and her colleagues have tirelessly worked to get as many of their fellow Welsh citizens enjoying the delights of their national art, history and heritage as possible.
Their Beacon-funded On Common Ground project saw disadvantaged youths engage with the museum collections and learn valuable life skills in many different areas. Their ‘Freeze Frame’ project in Swansea saw young offenders take to the local scenic areas of Three Cliffs Bay and Carreg Cennen Castle to develop a wide-ranging digital photography project capturing their country’s scenic beauty. In Cwmbran, a group of young mums worked with veteran artist and outreach worker Helen Clifford to make blankets for their children using traditional quilting techniques and more modern digital scanning technology.
To make engagement projects successful with young people, Greenhalgh recommended making it as easy and attractive as possible for the youths to participate. The museum supplies free transport and childcare for participants in many of its projects, 85% of which are professionally accredited, meaning the youths get something concrete to put on their CV at the end of the day.
Of course, the sheer joy and relaxation of getting to do something with your hands is also a big part of the appeal of these projects, as the final activity of the class – a group jewellery making project – demonstrated to us all too clearly. When it comes to making museums and education exciting for young people, the youths Greenhalgh herself surveyed said it best of all – there should be "more to see, less to read".
