Youth Forum

In April 2024, Wakefield Museums & Castles launched our Youth Forum.

The Youth Forum is a legacy of the Wakefield: Where We Are... project. This project showed us how valuable it is to involve young people in arts and culture. It prompted us to set up a Youth Forum so we could learn from the experiences and opinions of young people. Six members of the Wakefield: Where We Are... project have now joined our Youth Forum.

What is the Youth Forum?

Our Youth Forum is a group of 16- to 25-year-olds who are interested in museums, heritage and culture. The group meets monthly to provide feedback on different aspects of our museum service.

Who are the members?

There are currently 10 young people in our Youth Forum. They are aged between 16 and 25 and they all live in the Wakefield district.

Our Youth Forum members have a diverse range of interests and backgrounds. Some of our young people are refugees and asylum seekers. Some of them have lived in Wakefield all their lives. Some of our young people study at college and some of them have jobs. Some of our young people are disabled or neurodiverse. All of them have a huge amount to offer.

The young people are connected by their interest in museums and heritage. They all want to make a positive difference to our museum service. Quite a few of our young people are interested in working in museums in the future.

Our 10 Youth Forum members

Why did the young people join the Youth Forum?

When the Youth Forum was first set up, we asked the young people why they wanted to join. This is what some of them told us:

“I believe us young people should have a voice and make decisions and have our voice heard. I am passionate about youth voice and want to be listened to”.

“I enjoy history and I am passionate about making it more inclusive to others including young people. I think having a role in shaping local museums is exciting. It will be interesting to hear different perspectives”

“It will provide me with an opportunity to contribute to the community and gain valuable skills and experiences”

“I aspire to work in museums after university. I would like to begin to make an impact on young people attending museums”

“Having only moved to Wakefield 6 months ago, I’d like the chance to get more involved in the local area. I want to get to know it more and to become more connected to the local community”

What do the Youth Forum do?

Each month, the Youth Forum explores a different topic or area of the museum service. Through discussions and creative activities, they offer ideas, feedback and new perspectives.

A member of museum staff attends each session. They provide their expertise and insight, but also listen to and learn from our young people.

Some of our young people have shared their thoughts on the sessions:

Eleanor tells us about July’s session, which focused on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. 

“In July's session, we talked about diversity and what it means. We spent time thinking about what makes people unique and individual. We also got to try out some visual impairment glasses. These helped us to understand what it might be like to be visually impaired.  

In the session, I shared my thoughts and experiences of being disabled with the rest of the group. We talked about some of the difficulties I face and what is helpful for me. For example, I shared how helpful it is for interactive items to be in easy reach for a wheelchair-user. We tried out some of the accessibility resources in Pontefract Museum. We also talked about how the museums could improve accessibility for a range of people.” 

André tests out some visual impairment glasses in the exhibition space at Pontefract Museum

André tells us about September’s session, which looked at activities for young people.  

“Giving ideas while learning and having fun? Yes…it’s possible!

In September’s session, we shared ideas for activities that would engage young people. The session had a lively atmosphere. We brainstormed activities that could attract a younger audience. These included hands-on exhibitions, immersive experiences and social media campaigns.  

We started by sharing personal stories. This was a highlight of the session for me. It helped us to connect with each other. The stories also sparked ideas. For example, one member told us about their talent for painting. This led to a discussion about art workshops in museums. Another member shared their interest in podcasts. This led to discussions about digital content and the possibility of photography competitions. 

It was clear from the session how important it is to involve young voices in cultural spaces. We also saw how creativity and learning can come together to create vibrant places. We believe our ideas would help to bring a new generation to the museums.”

Huma tells us about November’s session, where the young people helped to plan a Youth Takeover Day for 2025.

“In November’s session, we helped to plan the 2025 Youth Takeover Day for Wakefield Museum. Youth Takeover Day aims to encourage more young people to engage with museums. Young people can take over jobs carried out in museums for the day. 

We heard from Rose, a learning officer at Wakefield Museums & Castles. We also heard from some young people who had participated in last year's Takeover Day. It was the first time I had heard about this annual event. Others in the group were also new to it. It was interesting to learn what previous participants did on the day. We thought about what we could change or improve.  

We completed a quiz on how we’d like the Takeover Day to look. This data was helpful when we later split into pairs to have more focused discussions. Each discussion centred on specific points. We discussed the development stage, the location, and the activities we’d like to do on the day. The session was an exciting chance for us to shape the 2025 Youth Takeover Day. We can’t wait to see the outcome!” 

A feedback sheet from the November session

The Youth Forum members also enjoyed a trip to Danum in Doncaster in the summer. We were joined by the SPARK Youth Arts Ambassadors.

Freyja tells us about the trip.

“The Wakefield Museums & Castles Youth Forum and the wonderful SPARK ambassadors hopped on a train to Doncaster, to visit DANUM! DANUM contains three museums, an art gallery and library. We were introduced to the museum by the fabulous Meg. We had time to explore independently, and then we discussed what we would like to see in the new Wakefield Museum. 

The resources available in the museum were brilliant for visitors of all ages. There were many screens with virtual catalogues and audio descriptions, for those who may want a quieter experience, but for the big kids... there was a replica greengrocers’ shop (with items on display!) and a fabulous dress up section, which the youth panel enjoyed! I definitely want to go back and explore more! 

It was so exciting to look at potential ideas for the new Wakefield Museum. I loved brainstorming with fellow creatives from all backgrounds on creating an accessible museum for all.”

Our Youth Forum members looking at displays in the Danum Gallery, Library & Museum

If you would like to find out more about our Youth Forum, please email museums@wakefield.gov.uk