Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery celebrates Young Collective as part of National Youth Work Week
As National Youth Work Week (2 – 8 November) gets underway, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery (SMAG) is celebrating its Young Collective – a programme that gives young people the opportunity to help shape the museum’s work while developing their own skills, experience and confidence.
Shrewsbury Young Collective – Archives
The Young Collective was piloted in 2022 and is part of Shropshire Museums’ work supported through Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation funding.
The programme provides a forum for young people aged 15 to 24 to work alongside museum staff, share their views, offer advice, lead projects and get creative.
More than 170 young people have participated in the Young Collective at SMAG, Shropshire Museums’ Collections Centre in Ludlow and through pop up sessions in local youth group settings across the county.
The programme is designed as a genuine two-way partnership; SMAG benefits from participants’ ideas, creativity and perspectives, while young people gain practical experience of museum work and opportunities to build transferable skills.
Young Collective sessions introduce young people to different areas of museum work, with staff sharing their expertise and career journeys. Participants can explore areas including collections and curation, interpretation, marketing, learning, merchandising and visitor experience. They then put those skills into practice by working together on real museum projects.
Just as importantly, the Young Collective gives participants a meaningful voice in the development of SMAG. Young people are encouraged to share their views on how the museum can better support and welcome younger visitors; helping the team to understand barriers to participation and create experiences that are more relevant and inclusive.
As part of the programme Young Collective members have helped create four exhibitions: Forgotten Faces in 2023, Discovering Lily Chitty in 2024, Showing Off in 2025 and YUM! in 2026. Their involvement has included researching themes, selecting objects, developing interpretation and creative content, and helping present their ideas to the public.
The benefits extend beyond individual projects. By taking responsibility, collaborating with others and sharing ideas, members can strengthen communication, teamwork, listening, creative and practical skills. The programme also gives participants experience of volunteering in a cultural organisation and greater insight into the range of careers available across museums and the wider creative sector.
Cllr Alex Wagner, Shropshire Council’s portfolio holder for culture, said:
“The Young Collective shows how much we gain when young people are given a genuine opportunity to influence the way our museum develops. Their ideas, creativity and perspectives help Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery understand how it can be more welcoming, relevant and responsive.
“At the same time, the programme gives young people practical opportunities to work alongside museum professionals, build confidence and develop valuable transferable skills. That experience can strengthen employability and help participants move closer to future employment, education, or volunteering opportunities.”
The Young Collective forms part of SMAG’s wider commitment to involving communities in shaping the museum and creating meaningful opportunities for people to participate in Shropshire’s cultural heritage.
